Cameron’s pal bids to parachute in more minority MPs
THE TORIES would use headhunters to scour the country for more women and ethnic minority candidates under proposals unveiled by controversial chairman Lord Feldman.
In a review of the party published last night, the peer – a close personal friend of David Cameron – said there was a need for a more diverse selection of candidates.
He also backed down on proposals to encourage Conservative Party associations to merge following an uproar from grassroots activists, who said it would have reduced the influence of ordinary members and given far too much power to Tory high command.
However his plans to reform the party’s membership and structures are still likely to trigger alarm.
In a money-spinning move, it proposes three classes of membership, depending on how much someone is willing to pay.
There would be a basic membership at £25 a year, a silver membership for anyone who gave £50 and gold membership for those who could stump up £100. Silver members would be invited to drinks receptions at party conferences and ‘ meet the ministers’ events, while gold members would be able to have campaign calls with ‘senior party members’.
Lord Feldman’s report said the party had to do more to attract women, ethnic minorities and working class people – and proposed using headhunters to try and recruit a more diverse generation of candidates.
It also suggested that women in the party felt ignored. Members of the Conservative Women’s Organisation were quoted as saying they felt they had not been recognised by the party hierarchy for bringing forward good female candidates – and that they ‘ believe they are treated more as a “friends” organisation than a mainstream part of the party.’
The watering down of the merger proposals – which would have seen up to 90 per cent of the party’s 650 Conservative associations axed – followed a furious backlash from grassroots Tories after the Prime Minister told MPs not to vote on the EU ‘because of what your constituency association might say’.
Lord Feldman had argued that mergers were needed to free up more resources for campaigning. But the review concluded that associations with 100 members or more will be able to opt out.
The party chairman said that to continue to win elections, the party needed to ‘adapt’.
‘Last year we delivered the first Conservative majority Gov- ernment since 1992,’ he said. ‘But far from being complacent, we are taking the opportunity to make changes that will give us the strongest possible platform for future electoral success – meaning that we can continue to deliver the policies that are good for Britain.’
Last night former Tory leader Lord William Hague said: ‘These are sensible proposals to assure the future of the party. I believe they will assist in attracting and retaining members, and will help the party to be represented locally in all parts of the country.’
The review, which was instigated in response to a huge slump in membership under Mr Cameron’s leadership, considered more than 60,000 responses from members.