It’s the first night of the Conservative party conference and (so far) the drama is yet to live up to last year’s mini-Budget mayhem. But just down the road from the official venue in Manchester, rebel grassroots’ group the Conservative Democratic Organisation (CDO) tonight threw a black tie gala dinner. Some 300-odd attendees were in attendance, including Nigel Farage and around a dozen Conservative MPs including keynote speaker Priti Patel and deputy chairman Lee Anderson. Hopes of an appearance by Boris Johnson though, were sadly dashed.
But while Patel gave a characteristically punchy speech that included lengthy praise of GB News, it was the performance of CDO President Lord Cruddas that raised the most eyebrows. Cruddas, a former Tory donor and longtime thorn in the side of CCHQ, decided to give a ten-minute welcoming speech that attacked the current party as ‘corrupt and anti-democratic.’ The peer – who takes the Conservative whip in the House of Lords – even told attendees to stop funding his party until democratic reforms have been achieved:
The Conservative party needs to become more democratic and representative of our members. Under the present structure, the Conservative party has become autocratic, dysfunctional, corrupt and anti-democratic. And in doing so, it has lost its identity and who it represents… The Conservative party belongs to its members, not a small group of people that want to carve it up for their own benefit. So we need to start applying pressure on the Party Board to listen to us and make major changes now, before it’s too late and there is a very quick way to do this. The party is heavily reliant on donors. I know I used to be one.
So tonight I am asking all Conservative party donors, including individuals or groups, big or small, to stop funding the Conservative party until we can implement constitutional changes that reintroduces full members’ rights. It is time to stop funding our party because that is the only way they are going to listen. And that is the only way we are going to get change. It is not enough to say “Well, we have to keep Keir Starmer out of Number Ten so we have no choice.” We should be better than that. We have to be true to ourselves and not blindly support a Conservative party that no longer represents our values and is heading for electoral disaster. CDO has a full infrastructure and team of media, legal and constitutional experts as well as supporters, MPs, peers, regional chairs and donors. We are a growing force and we will provide you with support, including legal advice and a home for real conservatives.
Awkward perhaps for certain Tory MPs in attendance who will be counting on such funds to help save their seats next year…
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