When I began typing this blog post I struggled for a while to work out what to put in it – I wanted to write on where the Conservative Party goes next... and I’m afraid to say I haven’t got a clue what policies are ideas are what the party needs to do next.
But while I was pondering it I reflected on my experiences in the Conservative Party over the past 14 years I’ve been a member and it occurred to me there was one big problem always holding it back – it’s appetite for risk.
I began my career at the big four consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCooper, and we worked with a range of clients in a whole host of industries. Some were struggling, others were thriving, some were small and some were huge but they all came to use when they had a specific problem they needed solving. And, no matter what the firm, the ones who had a sensible appetite for risk were the ones that overcame their problems.
The Conservative Party does not have that appetite for risk and it’s the biggest problem it is facing right now. Put aside the ideas of the Lib Dems and The Brexit Party and you can see they both have one thing in common – a huge ability to take a risk. Both are willing to bet the whole house to make gains, and we’ve seen in the European elections that paid off.
One of the features of recent times was an odd fear of risk, a fear of choosing one side or path over another and untimely displeasing everyone. This cannot continue if the Conservative Party wishes to build a movement. Movements don’t follow a general mush of ideas, they follow clear directions and consensus from the top. Whilst I might loathe Momentum, I can see their passionate commitment to one clear route that makes it easier for supporters to agree or disagree with them. This doesn’t currently exist with the Conservatives.
I remember coming into Conservative Party Headquarters two years ago, having my phone removed and being ushered into a side room. I was incredibly excited – I thought ‘this is it, they’re showing me the launch codes or some wonderful state secret’. But no, in front of me was placed plans for the relaunch of its youth wing. Not only did this secrecy seem over the top, the contents were underwhelming.
And yes, while, thanks to the brilliant work of my former boss Brandon Lewis and my local MP James Cleverly, we have seen nearly 100 new youth branches open up, we haven’t seen the birth of a Conservative movement among young people. That being despite the fact that research shows young people are more in line with our ideals than ever before.
The reason? Risk. We didn’t allow young people to experiment, we didn’t allow them to try new things and make mistakes. This fear of risk extends across the party’s relationship with the grassroots, throughout many of its policies and is endemic in its culture. The next party leader will only build a party that thrives if they take risks, if there are bold and are willing to bet the whole house.
This means allowing grassroots members to play more active roles in deciding our policy platforms. It means letting our younger members run fun events without interference. It means letting go of the control of levers of the party from CCHQ and allowing associations more control over their affairs.
The next party leader needs to lead the Conservative Party, not be led by its history. We are the Conservative Party, not the Conservation Party. Just because our structures or policies have always been one way, it does not mean they should stay as such.
Stephen Canning is a Conservative councillor in Essex