Priti Patel and Jacob Rees-Mogg attend BIC for CDO launch conference

The ‘Take Control’ conference, held at the Bournemouth International Centre, was the official launch of the organisation which aims to ‘create a democratic Conservative Party’.

The event featured speakers including MPs Nadine Dorries, Priti Patel and Jacob Rees-Mogg, all of whom were made honorary patrons of the CDO.

It discussed reforms it plans to propose for amendments to the Conservative Party constitution, to give the members more say in the running of the party.

Boris Johnson also sent a video message to the conference.

Protesters from a range of groups including Extinction Rebellion and Stand up to Racism also turned out to the BIC to protest the “right-wing Tories” and their policies.

Bournemouth West MP Conor Burns welcomed the conference to the BIC and to his constituency.

MP Conor Burns (Image: PA)

He told the Daily Echo he welcomes all organisations who hold their conferences in the area.

“The CDO is as welcome here, maybe marginally more welcome here, than the Liberal Democrats and the TUC and many other people who come and have their conferences here,” Mr Burns said.

“You’ve got backbench colleagues, former members of the cabinet, you’ve got a couple of local MPs, myself and Sir Robert Syms who are here to listen, to observe, and to welcome this gathering of conservative members from across the country.

“I welcome being able to hear the opinions of people from different parts of the UK gathered here today at this conference.”

After the opening of the conference and the singing of the National Anthem by Andrea Jenkyns MP, Mr Rees-Mogg addressed the conference.

He told the Daily Echo the organisation would be vital to “reinvigorate the mass movement of conservatism.”

“If we can successfully build a new grassroots organisation, then you can have more people who can campaign, who can put themselves forward as councillors, and that certainly helps,” he said.

“Having said that, in mid-term you often do badly in local elections.

“Bournemouth is very lucky it has two excellent MPs who are strongly Conservative so I hope that will remain the case at the next election.”

Ms Jenkyns added the CDO was “badly needed”.

“There’s a lot of apathy out there, as was seen at the local elections. We’ve got to find the heartbeat of our party again,” she said.

“I think a lot of it is to do with apathy, our voters have stayed at home.

“Conor’s a fabulous MP and he really stands up for the constituents, so it’s such a shame.”

Priti Patel received a standing ovation for her speech, as a part of the ‘Rebuilding the Grassroots’ debate at the conference.

She told the Daily Echo that she was “very sorry and sad” to have lost so many Conservative councillors.

“This is a bit of a turning point in our party, we haven’t covered ourselves in glory over the last 12 months,” she said.

“Stuff that has gone on in Westminster is quite far removed from the grassroots and members that are attending today.

“If we lose our members, we won’t be able to get more people elected and we won’t be very successful locally. We all want good local success.”

Priti Patel (Image: PA)

She added: “Conor Burns is fantastic, Conor is a great friend and a hard-working MP. I want to see more Conservatives elected, that is our objective and priority.”

Nadine Dorries said that the CDO would bring the Conservative Party back to it’s members.

“What you’re seeing today is a catalyst,” she told the Daily Echo.

“It will be the beginning of how the Conservative Party pulls itself back up by its bootstraps and it renews itself and that’s what’s happening here today.”

On the BCP Council election results, she said they would raise concerns about the parliamentary seats heading into next year’s election.

She said: “If those results were transferred to a general election we’d be absolutely toast here, I think.”