Andrew Boff: It’s high time the Conservative party had an elected chairman

Andrew Boff is deputy chair of the London Assembly and was chair between May 2023 and 2025, and from 2021 to 2022. He has been a London-wide Assembly Member since 2008.

The British Constitution rests on one simple truth: power must always be checked. The monarch reigns but does not rule. The Commons legislates but is scrutinised by the Lords and restrained by the courts. Ministers answer to MPs, MPs answer to voters. Everywhere, authority is balanced and made accountable.

Everywhere, that is, except inside the Conservative Party. Right now, the Party Chairman is hand-picked by the leader of the parliamentary party.

That’s patronage, not democracy. Instead of representing the membership, the Chairman serves at the whim of whoever happens to hold the top job. For a Party that prides itself on defending the constitution, it is an absurd contradiction.

Our members are expected to deliver leaflets, canvass voters, and raise funds for the Party – but when it comes to having a say on how those funds are used, they are sidelined.

That neglect has had consequences: falling membership, frustration, and a growing sense that decisions are stitched up behind closed doors. The Chairman of the National Convention has the responsibility to be the voice of the members, but has little in the way of a big stick to negotiate with.

Electing the chairman would address that. A chairman chosen by members for a fixed term and accountable to them, not appointed from above, would change the conversation. The leader could focus on national policy and presentation; the chairman on building membership, strengthening local parties and the allocation of resources.

That is not disloyalty; it is the same constitutional balance we demand in government. The Commons does not weaken the prime minister by questioning them; it strengthens both. The Lords improve laws by testing them. Courts protect the citizen by ensuring that governments act legally. A party chairman accountable to members would play the same role, anchoring the leadership to the people it relies on.

Some will warn this would create division and weaken the leader. In truth, it would create trust, as everyone is on the same team albeit with different responsibilities. Leaders come and go, but the [arty endures.

When I joined the party, we had well over a million members; we now have a tenth of that. To rebuild after years of turbulence, we must show members that they are not disposable foot soldiers but partners.

The Conservative Party is the oldest and most successful political party in the world because it has adapted to the times while holding true to principle. Now, when faith in politics is fragile, we must live by the standards we defend for the country: power balanced, leaders accountable, members heard. It’s time to restore the balance. Elect the party chairman.