Tories to bring back members’ debates at conference

Move will show the importance of free speech and give activists the chance to play a more prominent role in the annual gathering

The Conservative Party will bring back members’ debates for the first time in two decades at its conference this month.
Richard Fuller, the interim Tory chairman, said the move would show the importance of free speech and give activists the chance to play a more prominent role in the annual gathering.
Much of the main stage timetable in Birmingham on Monday Sept 30 will be dedicated to discussions about subjects chosen by the grassroots through an email survey.
“I’m going to be emailing out to our members to ask them the topics that they’d like us to cover and then we’ll have the debates,” Mr Fuller said.
“People can agree, disagree – that’s the whole point of free speech – and then there’ll be a response from a shadow minister. It takes me back to when I was young. It’s that long ago when we used to have those types of debates.
“I think for many Conservatives, freedom of speech and the opportunity to express your view is important in society. And we have seen moves by the Left to try and restrict freedom of speech in many ways.”
Mr Fuller added that Conservative membership has risen by 20 per cent year-on-year, despite suffering an historic defeat at the general election in July.
After top aides were selected for plum seats ahead of the poll, he said Conservative Campaign Headquarters is looking at ways to get the candidate selection process “sorted out”.
Asked about the rise of Reform, which largely won its four million votes at the expense of the Tories, Mr Fuller replied he was “not really worried” about Nigel Farage’s insurgent party.
He blamed the rise of Reform for Sir Keir Starmer’s landslide victory, saying: “They’ll have their objectives, but really this Labour government, this sizeable majority, is Nigel Farage’s to own.
“The core thing is that if conservative values are split, you end up with socialist values in government. That was the consequence of Nigel Farage’s decisions at the last election.”
Mr Fuller said his inbox since assuming his interim chairman role had been filled with Tory members wanting the party to return to its core values.
“The core of it is a sense that in dealing with the events of the day, we sort of allowed ourselves to become too unanchored from core conservative principles that we all share, and a desire that we re-emphasise those conservative principles.
“And of course, that’s what the leadership candidates are doing now, and expressing how they see the application of those principles for the next generation.”
He also insisted Boris Johnson would be “always welcome” in Tory ranks if he wished to return to frontline politics.
“I’ve known Boris for many, many years, and one of the reasons I came back into politics in 2019 was to support Boris Johnson, to support getting Brexit done,” he said.
“He’s a lifelong conservative, and he’s always welcome.”