Ryan Stinger: The Party cannot rebuild without a long-term Chairman

Ryan Stinger worked in CCHQ for nine years, latterly as Chief of Staff to two Chief Executive Officers and seven Party Chairman.

Let me give you a list.

Lord Eric Pickles, Lord Feldman, Baroness Warsi, Grant Shapps, Sir Patrick McLoughlin, Sir Brandon Lewis, Sir Ben Elliot, Sir James Cleverly MP, Amanda Milling, Sir Oliver Dowden MP, Andrew Stephenson, Sir Jake Berry, Nadhim Zahawi, Greg Hands, Richard Holden MP, Richard Fuller MP, Nigel Huddleston MP, Lord Johnson and Kevin Hollinrake MP.

Since I joined the Conservative Party as a member in 2010, we have had 18 Party Chairman.

I worked at CCHQ from 2013-2024, starting my career as a Campaign Manager, before moving to CCHQ where I most recently served from 2022-2024 as Chief of Staff to two Chief Executive Officers and seven Party Chairman.

Let me just reiterate that. In two years, I worked for seven Party Chairman.

That is bonkers. If a business or charity had that much change, investors would not invest, and the Charity Commission would most certainly be raising concerns.

Being Chairman is a deeply political role, where commentators will often describe you as a media attack dog – but there is so much more to it and constant change cause chaos.

Let me share how I oversaw the process between saying goodbye to a Chairman and welcoming a new one, seven times over.

I feel bad about this one.

Under my desk were four red folders. These were updated every few months. This was a welcome pack for the new Chairman and presumably the team that would replace me. It had the latest on CCHQ, the key people from the National Convention, membership figures and AOB such as conference planning or the inevitable re-review of the membership fee.

This also included a series of recommendations on how they could engage with the Parliamentary Party who desperately needed listening to.

As well the latest Board papers and a call list which included all members of the Party Board, Officers of the National Convention, the leader of the Party in Scotland and Wales, the Chairman of Northern Ireland, top donors and our mayors Andy Street and Ben Houchen.

Why do I feel bad about this?

Well because I ensured these folders were continually up to date, even without a change. Because sadly, I assumed there would and could be a change at a moment’s notice and it would not be fair to welcome a new Chairman unprepared.

Then it was relatively simple.

When a change did come, I quietly packed up the office of the former Chairman, which I always tried to do outside of work hours or very quietly to not cause a stir in front of the rest of CCHQ. I waited for a phone call of who our next Chairman was. I was then on the phone to the lucky chosen individual and getting them into CCHQ. On arrival they would be welcomed by the CEO and myself. The team would clap them in; they give some words and then I always put them in their office and gave them a large coffee and let them catch their breath.

Whilst taking a breather, they got two draft emails to approve. One to staff, introducing themselves and reassuring the team, the other to all members of the Party. They were then given the red folder and left alone to start to get up to speed on what is going on.

Phone calls to key stakeholders were the next priority as it showed that the Chairman was listening to the Board and voluntary Party. They would then start to sit down with Directors and get briefed on what their teams were working on.

After this they were presented with a series of options for visits. Whilst Chairman need desk time, getting them out was always a massive priority. Finally, I would sit down with them and talk through the problems they had inherited. Whether a legal or a disciplinary issue which they would have to review, ensure that they were happy with how we were handling it or give instructions to change tack.

Once this was all complete. We would then work at the speed which they felt comfortable working at and on the priorities which they set.

The first 48 hours was frantic and always stressful. Always at the back of my mind was a nervousness as to whether I would still be in my job because they could have, and they would have been well within their right to replace me with ‘their person’. Thankfully (for me) this never happened.

By the time I welcomed my third Chairman, I had this process nailed. It gave them space for a breather but also got them talking to the people they needed to touch base with quickly – buying brownie points.

However, after so much change, people became cynical. The phone calls were never taken as seriously. Board members became rightly frustrated. It caused huge morale issues. Every time a new Chairman comes in, long-term issues were long grassed, or tack changed, and priorities changed. Putting people under pressure and crucially rarely allowing the organisation to move forward.

I must say from my own perspective, having to have the same conversations seven times, answering the same questions and briefing them on the same issues time after time became incredibly tedious. Because of so much change, the more complicated issues were rarely tied up and dealt with.

My point here is that whilst you are an attack dog. You are the Chairman in charge of the very beating heart of the Conservative Party. You cannot fix the long-term issues which face both the professional party and the grassroots without a long-term Chairman.

Going back to a single Chairman is a very sensible starting point. I hope our new Chairman, Kevin Hollinrake MP is given the time he needs to get to know the key players, understand the weaknesses of both CCHQ and the grassroots and then be allowed to develop and deliver long-term change.

If he is not allowed this time, we will end up going around the roundabout of briefings and phone calls, wasting more crucial time in rebuilding the Party and answering the toughest questions.

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