EXCLUSIVE: Deighton Running for Appointed Officer

NATIONAL Executive committee member James Deighton will stand again for the position of Appointed Officer on the Conservative Future committee, London Spin can reveal. The highly regarded executive has been the only Northern representative on the national team for the last 12 months and has impressed colleagues with his ability to ‘get things done,’ working alongside Philip Smith to drive up membership numbers outside of the traditional London bubble.

Speaking to this newspaper, Deighton said, “After an amazing year on the National Exec I have decided to re-stand for the Appointed Officer position, because I feel that I still have much to offer the national organisation. I have many ideas about how to take CF forward in the coming year and I can use my previous experience from my time on the exec to get things up and running quicker and ensure they are a success.

During my first term as the National Best Practice Officer I undertook a major overhaul of the information available to CF members. I researched, developed, and produced the Best Practice Guide, which was published at the last conference to help the membership with things like running fresher’s fairs, organising events and dealing with the media. By all accounts the pack was much needed and well received. If I am re-elected I will further add to this resource to make sure it remains relevant.”

My main campaign pledges are:

1. To work towards the creation of a dedicated National CF Conference
2. To implement a series of regional training days in each region across the country in conjunction with the regional associations
3. I will further decentralise CF and redistribute more of the administration and decision making to the regions
4. I will work hard to develop constituency branches across the country to strengthen CF outside of our university strongholds
5. Finally I will build upon the recent success of the Best Practice Guide and supervise its implementation across the country

“In conclusion I believe that CF will work best if it’s members are given the right opportunities and training to succeed, and are given as much power to do what they think is right for their areas. If you give me the opportunity to serve again on the National Exec I will work closely with my colleagues to deliver a CF that listens to the members and respects their opinions. A CF that will always fight for what we believe in and delivers on its promises,” he added.