The Conservatives may rebrand the party’s youth movement for the second time in less than 20 years due to fears that a US-style political bullying and blackmail culture has left it “toxic”.
The emergence of an internal Tory memo which describes Mark Clarke, the so-called Tatler Tory, as “sociopathic” and “dangerous” has dismayed Conservative Central Headquarters (CCHQ).
Despite assurances from the party chairman, Lord Feldman, that details of the allegedly aggressive management style of the former director of RoadTrip2015 were not known about until August this year, others advisers close to David Cameron and those at the top of the party say the youth wing, where future leaders are expected to cut their political teeth, currently exists “without any meaningful ideology”.
Young Tories with an ambition to reach the top of the party as an MP or minister are described as being influenced by the US tactic of “swift-boating” – the hard-line attacks used to discredit and destroy the presidential candidacy of John Kerry in 2004.
The law firm Clifford Chance is investigating the suicide of activist Elliott Johnson who worked for the student-dominated campaign headed by Mr Clarke during May’s general election. Their draft report is expected before the end of the year. CCHQ insiders have told The Independent that the reforms brought in by William Hague in 1998, which changed the Young Conservatives to Conservative Future, may be rerun.
Mr Clarke – who denies all the allegations of wrongdoing against him – has been expelled from the party. Despite being removed from the Tory list of potential future MPs, he was rehired by the former international development minister Grant Shapps to run the influential campaign which targeted key Tory marginals by flooding them with motivated young Tories. CCHQ has since suspended the entire leadership board of Conservative Future, with documents given to the Clifford Chance investigation alleging an “entryist” takeover of the party’s youth divisions by those associated with RoadTrip2015.
The upcoming Christmas party of Conservative Future had been expecting a line-up of ministers to attend. According to organisers, the gathering will be without any senior MPs. One ministerial aide told The Independent: “Until we know exactly how deep this scandal is, no senior MP will risk their reputation attending such events.”
