Since 1867 the Conservative Party has been built on solid national foundations. The National Union of Conservative & Constitutionalist Associations held its first meeting on the 12th November of that year. Its foundation pre-dated that of Central Office by three years.
The name 'Conservative Party' was commonly used by a variety of local associations and registration societies from the time of Sir Robert Peel's 'Tamworth Manifesto' of 1834, but the party had no national organisation. That changed in the space of three years under reforms approved by Disraeli. The passing of the Second Reform Act of 1867 increased the size of the electorate by almost 90% as large numbers of working-class men were given the vote for the first time. The purpose of the National Union was to persuade the newly enfranchised to vote Conservative and its foundation marked the first time that the party had a coherent national structure. It was remarkably successful and by 1874 over 400 local associations had affiliated. Conservative Central Office was established in 1870 and this basic model of the Conservative Party has endured, more or less intact, to the present day.
In keeping with Peel's original manifesto the party has, of course, had to reform to survive over the years but the present National Conservative Convention, established under William Hague's leadership in 1998, does not differ very much in spirit or intent from the 1867 original. The Associations group within Areas, the Areas within Regions and the officers of all those structures, plus the 105-year-old Conservative Women's Organisation, elect the National Officers – three Vice-Presidents, a President and a Chairman – all of whom sit on the governing board of the party and populate the various sub-committees. The Chairman of the NCC chairs the board in the party Chairman's absence.
The party's constituent parts were designed with one aim, to convince people across our United Kingdom to vote Conservative. The Convention still exists to ensure that the members, grassroots, volunteers, activists – whatever we are called given the fashion of the day – retain a significant voice in how our country is run, how we are represented in parliament and how our national narrative develops.
The principles behind the National Convention remain much the same as when the National Union was founded back in 1867 – Conservative Associations across the country have their autonomy recognised and preserved and all have an equal voice at the Convention and therefore the top of the party. That is entirely consistent with Peel's manifesto - he opposed unnecessary change, fearing a "vortex of perpetual agitation." I am confident that the National Convention will survive current and future vortices and thrive for many more years to come.
Any queries? Please contact national.convention@conservatives.com.
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