1929crash Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 David Cameron's charm offensive has failed to attract new members to the Tories – or keep hold of tens of thousands of people who were already in the party when he arrived.Local Conservative parties have lost almost a quarter of their rank-and-file members since Mr Cameron took over in late 2005. Although the Tories have enjoyed a huge opinion-poll lead for several months, they have not been able to translate the surge in popularity into an increase in membership on the scale experienced by Labour during Tony Blair's early years in charge. The total membership in more than 200 constituency associations – barely a third of the overall number – who provided relevant figures to the elections watchdog fell from 185,000 to 145,000 between December 2005 and December 2008. The constituencies experiencing falls include "safe" seats, the bases of shadow Cabinet members and target seats that must be taken if the Tories are to win the next general election. In Mr Blair's first year as Labour leader, his party's membership rose by over 100,000 to 320,000. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/polit...ip-1782520.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1929crash Posted September 6, 2009 Author Share Posted September 6, 2009 From Conservativehome: Party membership has fallen by "almost a quarter" under David Cameron's leadership The Independent on Sunday today publishes an analysis of Conservative Party membership figures, based on information provided in accounts from 229 local Associations to the Electoral Commission over the last four years (The report also features an unflattering photo of a "less-than-riveted party member" asleep at last year's conference who bears more than a passing resemblance to Tony Baldry MP...). Its conclusion is that membership has fallen by almost a quarter during the period which David Cameron has led the party: "Although the Tories have enjoyed a huge opinion-poll lead for several months, they have not been able to translate the surge in popularity into an increase in membership on the scale experienced by Labour during Tony Blair's early years in charge. "The total membership in more than 200 constituency associations – barely a third of the overall number – who provided relevant figures to the elections watchdog fell from 185,000 to 145,000 between December 2005 and December 2008. The constituencies experiencing falls include "safe" seats, the bases of shadow Cabinet members and target seats that must be taken if the Tories are to win the next general election." Am I surprised about this? Well, not really. Last month Tim asked What is the point of being a Tory member? and cited a series of members' rights which have been taken away over recent years - mostly surrounding the power to select and deselect elected representatives. And John Strafford covered similar ground just a couple of weeks ago in his Platform piece, The decline and death of Party membership - Why should anyone now be a member of the Conservative Party? http://conservativehome.blogs.com/thetoryd...leadership.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob8 Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 In the case of the Conservative, membership is literally dying off. The average age has been increasing by about one year every twelve months and they have reached that time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Hovis Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 The "Heir to Blair" claim may win centre ground votes but it loses core support. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1929crash Posted September 6, 2009 Author Share Posted September 6, 2009 The "Heir to Blair" claim may win centre ground votes but it loses core support. The slump in membership is one reason why I think the Tories will have a hard time holding on to power once they get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1929crash Posted September 6, 2009 Author Share Posted September 6, 2009 I'm surprised at the lack of input from the hpc Tory crowd. Must be embarrassed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freeholder Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 Being an ex conservative association member wont change my voting intentions or those of a great many like me. What will make or break the Conservative Party as a mass membership organisation will be the performance of the incoming government next year. I will re join if I am broadly in agreement with what is done. There are a great many others like me who have yet to pass a judgement on Cameron but would not have voted for him as leader. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prescience Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 Well, my own comment originally aired to a Tory County Councillr chum whilst blowing the froth off, back in circa 1988 was that the Grantham Mauler AKA Hilda Margaret had consigned the Conservative and Unionist Party to the same fate as the Whigs. Eventually, I maintained, once the fervour and blind ecstatic dribbling had evaporated, the average elector would come to realise just how many social and economic snares Thatcher and her gang of rogues had left as their curtain call. Privatisation of electricity and gas being just two: the realities of which will increasingly be realised this coming Winter. Call Me Dave is for me, the typical pompous Tory Middle Class git; pandering to the Great Unwashed - he believes - and doing ostensible Green things like riding his bike whilst his chauffer driven limo idles behind him, out of camera shot, carrying his shoes and his briefcase. Lincoln summed it up rather well: You can fool all of the people some of the time: and some of the people all of the time: but you can't fool all of the people all of the time. I suspect we have now reached that watershed. What will prove really interesting is Farage standing against Bercow at the forthcoming GE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkman Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 With a proper leader, the Tories would destroy this govt at every turn. Unfortunately they've opted for this ill tempered toff, simply because he's ............ young! Wow, a new young leader, just like Blair back in the day. Guaranteed success. errr... NO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1929crash Posted September 6, 2009 Author Share Posted September 6, 2009 Well, my own comment originally aired to a Tory County Councillr chum whilst blowing the froth off, back in circa 1988 was that the Grantham Mauler AKA Hilda Margaret had consigned the Conservative and Unionist Party to the same fate as the Whigs.Eventually, I maintained, once the fervour and blind ecstatic dribbling had evaporated, the average elector would come to realise just how many social and economic snares Thatcher and her gang of rogues had left as their curtain call. Privatisation of electricity and gas being just two: the realities of which will increasingly be realised this coming Winter. Call Me Dave is for me, the typical pompous Tory Middle Class git; pandering to the Great Unwashed - he believes - and doing ostensible Green things like riding his bike whilst his chauffer driven limo idles behind him, out of camera shot, carrying his shoes and his briefcase. Lincoln summed it up rather well: You can fool all of the people some of the time: and some of the people all of the time: but you can't fool all of the people all of the time. I suspect we have now reached that watershed. What will prove really interesting is Farage standing against Bercow at the forthcoming GE. The bookmakers are offering good odds on a wager for Farage. http://www2.politicalbetting.com/index.php...-in-buckingham/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freeholder Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 The bookmakers are offering good odds on a wager for Fargage.http://www2.politicalbetting.com/index.php...-in-buckingham/ Looks good value at 4-1. Think I might have some of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Limpet Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 I'm surprised at the lack of input from the hpc Tory crowd. Must be embarrassed. Perhaps you misinterpret the act of being anti labour as pro Tory. It`s a common mistake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1929crash Posted September 6, 2009 Author Share Posted September 6, 2009 Perhaps you misinterpret the act of being anti labour as pro Tory.It`s a common mistake I get the opposite problem. Because I sometimes attack the Conservatives I am accused of being pro-Labour. I'm not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Storm Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 I get the opposite problem. Because I sometimes attack the Conservatives I am accused of being pro-Labour. I'm not. What does that leave you to be infavour of? Lib Dems? Surely not! BNP. Cool, but cant see them getting in..... Someone else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonewer Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 I get the opposite problem. Because I sometimes attack the Conservatives I am accused of being pro-Labour. I'm not. I'm voting Tory at the next election. Lesser of the two weevils. Although calling Labour weevils is being uncharitable to weevils. Never been a member of any party and never will be. The party membership meme is dying. Not just for the Tories but for party politics overall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrashedOutAndBurned Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 The mass movement political party needs to return as it's the only way for real people to take on the power of big private donors and the corporate elite. There's no point joining the existing parties as they've all been bought and sold by big business a hundred times over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
profitofdoom Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 Well, my own comment originally aired to a Tory County Councillr chum whilst blowing the froth off, back in circa 1988 was that the Grantham Mauler AKA Hilda Margaret had consigned the Conservative and Unionist Party to the same fate as the Whigs.Eventually, I maintained, once the fervour and blind ecstatic dribbling had evaporated, the average elector would come to realise just how many social and economic snares Thatcher and her gang of rogues had left as their curtain call. Privatisation of electricity and gas being just two: the realities of which will increasingly be realised this coming Winter. Call Me Dave is for me, the typical pompous Tory Middle Class git; pandering to the Great Unwashed - he believes - and doing ostensible Green things like riding his bike whilst his chauffer driven limo idles behind him, out of camera shot, carrying his shoes and his briefcase. Lincoln summed it up rather well: You can fool all of the people some of the time: and some of the people all of the time: but you can't fool all of the people all of the time. I suspect we have now reached that watershed. The sound of chickens coming home to roost.As was observed he is an ill tempered toff and he loses it at the drop of a hat,like when he was questioned on the NotW editor issue.Farrago is potential dynamite in the Tory fight to win.He is already openlyappealing for Tory votes and I reckon he could take as many as one in eight - reducing Dave's share by 5%.The problem is that Dave doesn't address the issues of the average Tory.His pitch is just "I'm the one that's not Gordon" that isn't enough to win. What will prove really interesting is Farage standing against Bercow at the forthcoming GE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikhail Liebenstein Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 In the case of the Conservative, membership is literally dying off. The average age has been increasing by about one year every twelve months and they have reached that time. The trouble is that Cameron has tried to PR the Party without making any real improvements. The membership is geriatric, and new candidates are not picked on ability, but rather some sort of vague notion of looking like the country, so women and ethnic minorities etc get straight in as do what can only be described as the MPs bum chums - ie political researchers. The next generation parliament will be full of third rate people, led by a third rate PM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobody777 Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 David is unbievable he rides to work with his limo behind him carring his brief case then he locks his bike to a bollard hence it gets stolen he will be a good pm for the consyouatives but this is the best we can hope for Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob8 Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 The trouble is that Cameron has tried to PR the Party without making any real improvements. The membership is geriatric, and new candidates are not picked on ability, but rather some sort of vague notion of looking like the country, so women and ethnic minorities etc get straight in as do what can only be described as the MPs bum chums - ie political researchers. The next generation parliament will be full of third rate people, led by a third rate PM. I spent a wonderful evening with a Tory councillor who was very far to the right, whilst I am very far to the left. We have a great time getting drunk and taking the mick out of the centre. He was based in Oxfordshire, which, as opposed to Oxford, is pretty much middle class and almost entirely white. He had failed in his chance to stand as an MP as an ethnic lady had also gone for the nomination. I can understand that we need everyone represented, but that rural Oxfordshire should not be represented by a borderline facist toff just seemed a shame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Parry aka GOD Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 The best British Prime Minister since Winston Churchill. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abhisit Mark was born Newcastle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest UK Debt Slave Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 I'm voting Tory at the next election. Lesser of the two weevils. Although calling Labour weevils is being uncharitable to weevils.Never been a member of any party and never will be. The party membership meme is dying. Not just for the Tories but for party politics overall. There is no lesser of 2 evils We live in a single party state. Cameron is a closet socialist and EU stooge As Pete Townsend said: Meet the new boss, same as the old boss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
profitofdoom Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 There is no lesser of 2 evilsWe live in a single party state. Cameron is a closet socialist and EU stooge As Pete Townsend said: Meet the new boss, same as the old boss He was misquoted.What he said was "Come and sit here little girl" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Pint Princess 2 Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 Depends what the Labour party and Tory party total memberships are. If figures have been declining on trend for 100 years then it's not going to change now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1929crash Posted September 6, 2009 Author Share Posted September 6, 2009 Depends what the Labour party and Tory party total memberships are.If figures have been declining on trend for 100 years then it's not going to change now. They have not been. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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