Howard moves to appease MPs
Conservative leader Michael Howard has written to all MPs and association chairman in an attempt to head off criticism of reforms to the party’s rules.
In doing so he has made a key concession to those MPs muttering that changes to the leadership election rules and constitution were being presented as a fait acompli.
Mr Howard said that the vote on the two measures would now be split. The draft new constitution would see MPs given greater control over choosing their leader as well as drawing up a statement of principles and rules for parliamentary candidates.
And, he stressed that the proposals “are not my proposals (I was first informed of them after May 5) – they are the board’s proposals, and as such they deserve to be considered with respect.”
But, he made it clear he would not be stepping down earlier than planned.
Mr Howard, who announced his resignation directly after the general election loss, said he would go before Christmas, but after the autumn party conference.
But a number of senior Conservative figures – including Lord Tebbit – have suggested he should go before the conference to avoid it turning into a hustings and give the next leader time to bed in over the summer.
In his letter, Mr Howard accepted that the launch of the consultation on the reform package “could have been better handled” but that the need to reform the party was urgent if the next election was to be won.
A working group will now be set up – with equal representation from MPs and the wider party – to consider the results of the consultation and to draw up detailed plans to amend the party’s constitution.
And Mr Howard refused to be pushed into an early resignation, saying: “I do not believe that this would be in the best interests of our party. Both before and immediately after the general election I was urged from all sides not to plunge our party into an immediate leadership election.”
He added: “I believe that our party should be given time to reflect on our three successive election defeats before electing a new leader.”
