Party officials deny this figure. The real membership, they insist, is in fact higher than the 131,680 which was declared at the time of the leadership election last November. However, they will not provide a precise number of members or open the party’s internal records for any kind of public scrutiny.
In the broader sense, whether Conservative membership is 125,000, or 135,000, or 150,000 is a minor issue. The underlying fact is that it is extremely small – and that should worry party chiefs. By contrast, at the end of 2023, the Labour Party had 370,000 members, and the Liberal Democrats 87,000; the latter total is likely to have risen since the party’s strong showing in the general election.
The lesson to be drawn is that, whatever the exact figures, Labour has more than twice as many members as the Tories, Reform UK has overtaken them and the Liberal Democrats are less far behind than they should find comfortable.
Classic Dom: turns out Cummings was right all along
Read MoreOn a more practical level, party members are an important source of revenue through their regular fees. Relegated to opposition and excluded from influence and patronage, the Conservative Party is struggling to make ends meet, and there have been reports of previously generous donors either reducing their contributions or being seduced by Reform UK.
Party members also represent the traditional recruiting ground for candidates and activists. We are living in an increasingly digital world, but it would astonish many people how much all parties still rely on volunteers at election time to walk round constituencies, hand out leaflets and knock on doors. The ground war is important, and like any war it needs its infantry.
People need a reason to join a group. For a political party as battered and discredited as the Tories, that means two things: they have to show an energetic dedication to holding the Government to account; and they must articulate a set of beliefs and policies which add up to a coherent and attractive vision of what the country could look like in the future.
Eliot Wilson is a writer, commentator and former clerk in the House of Commons from 2005 to 2016
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Members seem to be deserting the Tories. Who can blame them? )
Also on site :