Introduction from the Chairman of the Conservative Party, Grant Shapps
Since its relaunch in January 2011, the Conservative Policy Forum has gone from strength to strength.
With almost 250 active groups, including an active group in South Ribble, it possesses a fantastic voluntary team and strong professional support from central office. The party run a full programme for all their members, with nine briefs a year and a plethora of high profile events.
The CPF has a strong role at the heart of the Conservative Party with a direct line from our Members to Oliver Letwin MP, the Minister for Government Policy. This gives them a real say in the direction our Party is taking and I know that my Ministerial colleagues take great care in their responses to CPF papers. Baroness Warsi also had a role that was at the heart of the CPF, and I am keen to follow in her footsteps.
The CPF is a fantastic way for Members of the Party to have their voices heard at the highest levels of Government on some of the most important issues facing our country. It also affords our Members an unique opportunity to contribute towards the writing of the next Conservative Party Manifesto. Why not join the conversation?
What the CPF does...
We want to give our members the chance to have a say in the writing of the next manifesto. To this end, we produce nine discussion briefs a year on a number of subjects from 'Natural Resources' to 'Where will growth come from'. Local groups then meet to discuss these topics, and send their response back to Central Office, where the professional team write a summary of the responses received. This is then sent to the relevant Minister for consideration, who responds in due course.
In addition to this we engage with our members though national events, such as the CPF Winter Conference, and our various regional events, which give our members the chance to come together and discuss policy. We have groups in all parts of the UK, if you would like to get involved with the CPF in your area please contact South Ribble Association office.
For more information, please take a look at the following link: http://www.conservativepolicyforum.com/