conservative

• what is the leadership for the conservative party?

  board of the conservative party
• professional for the conservative party is:

  the 1922 committee
• what is the administrative centre for the Conservatives?

  conservative campaign headquarters (Millbank, Westminster)
• national parties for the Conservatives:

  Scottish and Welsh conservatives - aligned but autonomous
• how does the conservative party represent themselves locally?

  with Local Conservative Associations and ward branches below them
• what are the other associations of the Conservative party?

  conservative womens organisations, young conservatives etc. They choose representatives for the National Convention but do not submit motions to conference
• what is the local policy making for the conservatives?

  Local Conservative Associations play a role in organizing the grassroots of the party, and in planning local campaigning and selecting candidates, although with less autonomy than previously and they don’t submit motions for debate at conference
• what is the national policy making for the conservatives?

  The Conservative Party Forum was set up in 1998 to enable more grassroots participation in policy- making, although its role is advisory as opposed to binding. In general the party has left the writing of manifesto to the leadership and advisors.
• is the conservative party top down or bottom up?

  Remains very ‘top down’ with major decisions and operational control being carried out at leadership level. The voluntary wing of the party has less input and the national conference does not play a role in setting policy. Only 3 of the 18 members of the Board are chosen by grassroots members and these are chosen by the National Convention which represents the voluntary wing of the party)
• what is the role of conference in the conservative party?

  attendees do NOT hold votes on party policy. it gives party members, the press and the public a chance to learn about the party’s ideas and policies for the year ahead. Focal event is the leader’s speech at the end of the conference
• how is a party leader nominated in the conservative party?

  need the support of 20 conservative MPs
• to challenge an incumbent leader in the conservative party you must…

  use a vote of no confidence - 15% of MPs need to send a letter of no confidence to the 1922 committee and then it needs to be supported by 50% of MPs to get a leader removed
• who can vote in the leadership elections of the conservative party?

  MPs in the fist stage and then party members in the second stage
• what electoral system is used in the conservative party?

  FPTP