Douglas Carswell's Blog

We need a new model Conservative party

The digital revolution has given us email, twitter, desk top publishing, lower printing costs, cheap photos, easy-to-access databases and a remarkable ability to connect with like-minded people.  In other words, all the key ingredients you need to build up a mass membership organisation.

So why is the Conservative party membership in decline?  Bluntly, we've not yet started to use all the tools we have the way we need to.

Here in Clacton, we have spent two years trying to do things a bit differently.  We have used email, twitter and this blog site, to build a large online community.  We have then invited you - and other local readers - to come to Meet Ups in local village halls.

Membership has increased sharply as a result. We have more young people joining. We have used social media to reach out far beyond our base of support.

Having read that the average house has a dozen coffee mugs in it, I recently asked supporters if they would organise a Coffee Morning, and invite a dozen friends and neighbours along.  I have been overwhelmed with the response.

"But nothing beats knocking on doors" you say.  I agree.  None of this new techie approach is a substitute for what we already do.  But the online activity undoubtedly generates lots of extra offline activity.

In today's Telegraph post, I set out my five point proposal to rebuild the Conservative party.  It is great that the Conservative front bench has hired Barack Obama's techie expert, Jim Messina.  They might try looking at what we have been doing here in Clacton, too.   

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