Pressure grows For Tory Reform
Pressure continues to grow in the Conservative party as there are more calls for an urgent review of the leadership election rules before the upcoming contest.
With fewer than 200 Tory MPs left in Parliament after Labour's landslide election victory, there is pressure to revamp the system so that constituency members have a say. At the moment the new leader will be chosen by a ballot of the 165 Tory MP's.
Robin Hodgson, the chairman of the chairman of the National Union of
Conservative and Unionist Associations has disclosed that he has approached the backbench 1922 Committee of MPs, which runs the contest, about changing the rules before the election.
He said he wanted to see the contest decided by an electoral college made up
of all the local constituency party chairmen, as a prelude to a future move to a one member, one vote system like Labour. "I hope very much that the 1922 Committee will consider making the changes but they have to make that decision," Mr Hodgson said.
Former Tory Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath has also issued a blunt warning to his colleagues about the future of their party. In the latest issue of the Parliamentary House Magazine, he's called for a thorough review of Tory policies, organisation and campaigning methods in the wake of the "shattering" General Election defeat. Underlining that it took Labour 18 years to recover from defeat, he warned: "This must not be allowed to happen in the case of the Conservative Party."
One of the candidates, former Welsh Secretary William Hague is undertaking a regional campaign tour. In a speech in Barnsley on the first leg of his tour Mr Hague warned against a delay in the current contest in order to change the rules. But did offer to put himself up for re-election at a special conference.
Later, speaking in Scotland he said the Opposition Party had to be less introspective. "A fresh start means that the Conservative Party must talk to the country instead of talking to itself. A fresh start means once again feeling proud to say you are Conservative," he said.
"So I want to reaffirm here in Scotland today that the Conservative Party is, and will be, the party of everywhere in the United Kingdom. There are no "no-go" areas for the Conservative message."
Stephen Dorrell, one of the other contenders for the Tory leadership, said although this was an interesting idea, what people really wanted was to be involved in the decision, not just to approve it after it had been made.
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