Conservative Democratic Organisation

{{Short description|Organization within the British Conservative Party}}

{{Infobox organization

| name = Conservative Democratic Organisation

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| logo = Conservative Democratic Organisation Logo.png

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| formation = {{start date and age|2022|12|11}}

| founder = Peter Cruddas

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| leader_title = President

| leader_name = Peter Cruddas

| leader_title2 = Vice President

| leader_name2 = Stephen Greenhalgh

| leader_title3 = Chairman

| leader_name3 = David Campbell Bannerman

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| parent_organisation = Conservative Party

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{{Distinguish|Conservative Democratic Alliance}}

The Conservative Democratic Organisation is a grouping within the British Conservative Party. It is widely believed to be aligned with Boris Johnson.{{Cite news |last=Walker |first=Peter |last2=Crerar |first2=Pippa |date=2023-05-12 |title=Tories demanding grassroots voice deny being a ‘Johnson revivalist group’ |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/may/12/tories-demanding-grassroots-voice-deny-being-a-johnson-revivalist-group |access-date=2023-05-13 |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite web |last=Gye |first=Hugo |date=2022-12-20 |title=Tory MPs fear Conservative Democratic Organisation is a front for Boris Johnson's return |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/conservative-democratic-organisation-boris-johnson-tory-mps-2039159 |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=inews.co.uk |language=en}}

The CDO was launched on 11 December 2022, and is backed by the Conservative peer Lord Peter Cruddas.{{Cite web |title=What is the new 'Conservative Democratic Organisation' campaign group?|date=December 12, 2022 |url=https://www.indy100.com/politics/conservative-democratic-organisation-patel-sunak |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=www.indy100.com |language=en}} Its website states that its mission is to "strengthen party democracy by ensuring the Conservative Party is representative of the membership and fairly represents their views",{{Cite web |title=Conservative Democratic Organisation {{!}} Our Aims |url=https://www.conservativedems.co.uk/our-aims |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230513100318/https://www.conservativedems.co.uk/our-aims |archive-date=2023-05-13 |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=www.conservativedems.co.uk |language=en}} and criticises the October 2022 leadership election process which led to the unopposed "coronation" of Rishi Sunak as Prime Minister.{{Cite web |title=Conservative Democratic Organisation {{!}} Who We Are |url=https://www.conservativedems.co.uk/who-we-are |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=www.conservativedems.co.uk |language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230513100623/https://www.conservativedems.co.uk/who-we-are|archive-date=2023-05-13}} The party was also critical of Sunak's dismissal of Suella Braverman as home secretary in the November 2023 cabinet reshuffle, calling it "political suicide".{{Cite web |title='Political suicide': Grassroots Tories' fury at Rishi Sunak after sacking Suella Braverman revealed in leaked WhatsApps |url=https://news.sky.com/story/political-suicide-grassroots-tories-fury-at-rishi-sunak-after-sacking-suella-braverman-revealed-in-leaked-whatsapps-13008202 |access-date=2023-11-15 |website=Sky News}} The group explicitly includes non-Conservative members.{{Cite web |title=Rishi Sunak's speech woes are a conference sideshow as entryism takes centre stage in Manchester |url=https://news.sky.com/story/rishi-sunaks-speech-woes-are-a-conference-sideshow-as-entryism-takes-centre-stage-in-manchester-12975870 |access-date=2023-10-06 |website=Sky News |language=en}}

The CDO's first public conference was held on 13 May 2023 in Bournemouth. Priti Patel, formerly Johnson's Home Secretary, gave a keynote address in which she blamed Conservative losses in the 2023 local elections on a disconnect between leadership and the party grassroots and lauded Johnson as a "vote-winning political giant" who she felt was unfairly removed from power by Conservative MPs.{{Cite web |last=Maddox |first=David |date=2023-05-12 |title=Patel to give damning indictment of Sunak leadership at pro-Boris conference |url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1769607/priti-patel-conservative-democratic-organisation-conference-rishi-sunak |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=Express.co.uk |language=en}}{{Cite news |date=2023-05-13 |title=Priti Patel: Tory leadership errors cost us dearly in local elections |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-65579691 |access-date=2023-05-13}}