RC dust settles...

Offcially the creation of the new Regional Coordinators is a landmark in "the development of Conservative Future, which will deliver a far more responsive structure for all CF members.

We are Conservatives and localism is a key part of our ideology. The appointment of Regional Chairmen is key to this change. These people will work to improve the organisation in their regions, focusing on local branches and local activities."

However it seems this email shows just how difficult this interim period of introducing the RC's nationwide will be. It came late last night from a member who wishes to remain anonymous:

"I may have slipped into a coma at some point, but what exactly are these regional coordinators going to do differently to what was in place before? I'd get the odd hurried message from the area chairman (Chairperson?)  organising at the last minute a canvasing day through Facebook on the opposite side of the county and watch as he got narked that noone turned up. Will this new system be any different? Have we found the silver bullet?

I'm also rather surprised as to it being one person's job to coordinate activities over such a geographically vast area like the North West, North East, North Wales (which I grew up in), and South Wales. Transport at county level in quite an ordeal over this way (it takes twice as long for example to go from Holyhead to Aberystwyth than it does from Holyhead to Chester, and that's assuming you go by car, don't whatever you do mention trains). Will the general membership be expected to pay for these new RCs to travel from one end of their areas to another to coordinate us? Or will the RCs be expected to pay for it themselves?

I suspect in the end that the whole thing will end up as a Facebook group, with some hastily arranged event thrown up every now and again when one of the RCs gets picked up on for having done nothing on sites such as yours.

I don't really know what the answer is tbh, and I'm not privy to the NME thinking behind this decision. It strikes me as being another "bright idea" from London, but that could be that northern chip on my shoulder.  Perhaps it would have been better to have instituted a mechanism to hold ACs and NME members to account? I know, I know, a pipe dream...

The overall impression I get is that this just gives credence to Sir Humphrey's line "politicians like activity, it's their substitute for achievement". We'll no doubt are a flurry of activity to begin with, followed by the inevitable slide back to where we are bow, carrying on as if nothing has changed.

Which I suppose it hasn't, if you think about it."

We shall see eh?