Letting go of the dream of mass membership political parties Opinion The existing model of political supporter engagement – mass membership – is over. Parties who want to survive must look to the future, says Frances Lasok Less than 140,000 people decided the new leader of the Conservative Party this year. They’re participants in a niche pursuit: across parties, across Europe, membership has plummeted since the [...]
Make the Tories Conservative again? The City View A particularly laughable defence of socialism is that it’s never really been tried. It’s tempting to dismiss the central analysis of both candidates for the Tory leadership – that their Party lost the general election because they were not conservative enough in government – on similar grounds. But it would be a mistake to imagine [...]
Bibby Stockholm: Profit rises for asylum seeker barge ahead of closure Business The Bibby Stockholm barge, which houses asylum seekers off the coast of Dorset, continued to turn a profit in 2023, it has been revealed. The three-storey vessel has posted a pre-tax profit of £167,035 for the 12 months, down from the £421,701 it reported for 2022. Newly-filed accounts with Companies House also show its turnover [...]
Tories hit out at government over £3bn gambling tax raid plan October 14, 2024 The Conservatives have launched a barrage of criticism at the government on mooted plans for a tax raid worth up to £3bn on the gambling industry, with the shadow sports minister demanding the government “take the blinkers off”. Shares in British gambling firms plummeted on Monday morning amid reports of the tax raid, which would [...]
Tories must get out of their bubble and listen to business October 2, 2024 To those outside the bubble of true blue believers, Conservative party conference looked deranged. As violence exploded in the Middle East, delegates in Birmingham were battling over novelty merchandise and queuing for selfies with election losers. Fringe events debating the meaning of conservatism were packed while corporate sponsors and business lobbyists were conspicuous by their [...]
Carlton Club: A year of ‘successes and challenges’ for London private members’ club September 13, 2024 The Carlton Club has described facing both “successes and challenges” in its latest financial year as it battled high inflation, rising energy costs, train strikes and wage increases. The private members’ club said “unwelcome challenges” impacted its financial performance in 2023 but that it still managed to increase its surplus before tax by almost £200,000. [...]
Labour’s miserable mood music comes with its own risks August 27, 2024 The last time a Labour government replaced an unpopular Tory administration it did so to the sound of Things Can Only Get Better, by D:Ream. Now, 27 years later, Keir Starmer is changing the tune with a warning that “things are going to get worse.” This stark contrast will be set out in a speech [...]
‘Untenable’ that average Conservative voter is 63 years old, Mel Stride admits August 14, 2024 The average Conservative voter being 63 years old is “completely untenable,” leadership hopeful Mel Stride has admitted. The shadow work and pensions secretary was asked by Times Radio about a poll which showed three in five people in the UK do not care who the next Conservative leader is. He told the broadcaster: “The way [...]
The Tories can come back stronger, but only if they stop chasing Reform August 7, 2024 Reform’s surge was a consequence of Tory failure, not its cause, writes William Atkinson
The £22bn black hole row: Who’s telling the truth? July 31, 2024 Rachel Reeves and Jeremy Hunt are slinging accusations at each other about the state of the public finances. But who is right?