Unsung soldiers of democracy

Running local parties must be one of the least lauded jobs in Britain.

Its hard work. There are (rightly) increasing numbers of checks (especially on the money), some with potential legal implications. Its not as glamorous as being a Councillor, and there is no allowance attached. And if you're a Tory, there's a high chance that CCHQ will come down on you if you fail to live up to their view of the world http://conservativehome.blogs.com/goldlist/2006/12/cchqs_action_ag.html

I was reminded of this when I attended the London New Local Party Officer training yesterday. I was impressed by both the calibre of the trainers - in the case of Treasurers the estimable David Allworthy - and the enthusiasm of the various participants (its still early days!).

Ultimately getting good local party Execs is critical to both the ability of a party to campaign - but also to the political health of the UK as a whole. They are the ones who sweat to make things happen, who ensure that the right candidates get selected to (ultimately) run the country and whose day-to-day activity keeps the whole democracy show on the road. And these are often the same community-minded people who might also run a local charity or the village fete.

PS I had a follow-on question for David Allworthy today to which he responded incredibly quickly (if not yet with the answer I was hoping for!). This sort of thing makes all the difference when you are a volunteer Treasurer trying to get the fiddly paperwork done in the spare moments between campaigning and the day job. It will mean some extra time for Kentish Town over the next day or two.