Boris Johnson backers Patel, Dorries and Rees-Mogg to attend ‘Tory democracy’ conference
Several high-profile and Boris Johnson-backing Tory MPs will be among the attendees at a conference on Saturday pledging to restore democracy to the Conservative grassroots.
The Conservative Democratic Organisation conference in Bournemouth is the first such event for the campaigning group, which was set up in the aftermath of Mr Johnson’s removal from office and amid anger at the installation of Rishi Sunak as Prime Minister without membership approval.
The group is backed by Tory peer and donor Lord Cruddas and organised by Brexiteer David Campbell Bannerman, with former cabinet ministers Nadine Dorries, Priti Patel and Jacob Rees-Mogg all expected to be among the star turns at Saturday’s event.
Ms Patel, who is set to deliver an address at the conference, appeared to hit out at the current Prime Minister ahead of the gathering.
She told the i newspaper that the idea of giving Tory members a say was “very topical at the moment”, after the party had lost “over 1,000 councillors in the last week – none of them have been reached out to, or have heard a mea culpa apology for the party”.
“Conservative Party aside, the party in its current form, the parliamentary party, seems to want to manage status quo and manage decline.”
The former home secretary added that “if we carry on with managed decline there won’t be a future for conservative values and beliefs”.
The organisation has repeatedly insisted it is not focused on bringing back Mr Johnson, but speakers at the conference do include several of his most prominent backers.
Patriots
The gathering, which includes a gala dinner, is described as being for “like-minded patriots who… want to save our party and our country”.
Mr Johnson is not expected to attend.
Senior Tory MP Tobias Ellwood, who represents Bournemouth East, hit out at his party colleagues for stoking division.
The Defence Committee chairman wrote in The Times: “A drag anchor of a right-wing caucus is in our ranks, and it has already written off any prospects of victory in 2024.
“As statecraft finally returns to No 10, guiding us into far calmer waters, less-than-subtle plots are afoot to shift our party to the right during the blame game that invariably follows electoral defeat.”
He criticised an excessive focus on tax cuts, “Europebashing” and culture wars, warning: “This is a recipe for disaster, as disloyal as it is reckless. It fails to recognise the fighting chance we have of winning.”
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The Yin and Yang of Saturday’s events…
Eurovision in Liverpool…
Tunnel-vision in London…
The Fat Shanks Appreciation Society or ‘Conservative Democratic Organisation’ led by Patel, Mogg and Dorries, a breakaway offshoot of @Slash, Burn and Pillage (UK) Ltd…
Surely that is “the disgraced Lord Cruddas” of cash for access and “I bought this peerage” notoriety?
Campbell Bannerman wanted the Treason Act updated so that he could hang “Remainers” yet served in the European Parliament taking their cash for 10 years. He is also chair of the UKIP offshoot, the Freedom Association, an apartheid supporting group of far right nutters.
Well said…
Oh the staggering contradictions! ‘Tory democracy’ organisation which aims to stamp out democracy in Wales and Scotland. Dorries who tried to turn Channel 4, a peoples’ channel, into another GBeebies which weirdly calls itself ‘the peoples’ channel’. Rees Mogg who continues to espouse the brilliance of Brexit whilst moving his obscene wealth into the Euro zone because he knows it’s a failure and Patel who came here as an immigrant and moved heaven and earth to deny anyone else the same opportunities whilst simultaneously spouting her party’s’ hate narrative against them. That we even hear the names of such lowlives… Read more »
That should be good for a laff. The deranged JRM and 2 equally unbalanced women with an unnatural affection for the beast Boris. Treat it like the kind of funny stuff the comic duo who worked with Rory Bremner did way back. They were almost prophetic.
A conference of the pathetic, deluded & absurd being criticised by an even more deluded Tory in Tobias Elwood claiming number 10 has guided the country politically into calmer waters & that these idiots will take the party to the right. Here’s news for you Tobias, your party & yourself included are now so far to the right that the label of being a fascist party is being used more often than not these days. Each new faction that turns up on almost a weekly basis now shows that the Tory party is now devouring itself bit by bit, this… Read more »
Wow what a line up, absolutely no beginning to their talent
Please let them do considerable damage to the Conservative brand. Maybe join Reform UK and split the right wing vote.
Spoke with some Tories before the English elections and they really dislike Sunak.
I had a bloody good laugh when i read TORY DEMOCRACY in the same sentence if you have different opinion to a scum tory party opinion you are called Leftie or Commie
Unless I have my wires crossed (always possible) I think this Democratic Gathering will also be attended by some extremely far right folk from the US with Christian Fundamentalist views and very deep pockets. My suspicion is that there will be some schemes cooked up for funnelling US cash into the UK General Election in 2024, but not by the proper legal channels. Byline Times has done a few articles on how this sort of thing works usually using social media.
Jeez Nad, just GIVE IT UP!