What's the Point of Joining a Political Party?

If democracy is free then why should I pay to have an informed say in it?

It costs me nothing in time or money to receive the leaflets that are constantly posted directly into the dogs mouth through my front door by people too thick to register I have a letterbox outside for a reason.

But

I am expected to make an informed decision only if I pay for the manifestos (or have the time to study them in the limited opening hours of my library while joining a queue to do so.

If you want a nation to make an intelligent decision whether a party is worth voting for, let alone joining, then the information should be freely available to everyone who requests it.

I think the expenses scandal has turned people away from political parties. I hope there will be more independent politicians, and they will receive more votes.

Personally, I vote for independents because I want the people I elect to represent me - not a political party.

Sapphire/ Senior - have you ever been a member of a party, and if not, what if anything could ever convince you to join one?

I am a member of the Conservative Party and so far have not attended any of the events of the local association, due to exams as I am only sixteen but I do intend to. I believe joining a political party does have a point and can get one more involved in politics. My only criticism however, is that the only letters I receive are to persuade me to donate. I would rather pay more in membership fees and get more information in policy thus making me feel more involved in the Conservative Party than receive very little correspondence from the Party itself.

Daniel, what is to stop you getting involved without being a member though?

You don't have to be a member to go campaign, canvass and get involved. I am not criticising you for joining at all. I am interested to know what you think you will be able to do WITH membership that you couldn't without it.

You can get plenty of information on policy online without being a member.

I know on many MPs who would say they would rather have 10 activists than 100 members who do nothing (hence my view that membership is not the be all and end all).

But good for you for getting involved.

Jonathon

If some kind soul delivered the manifestos of every party in good time to read thoroughly rather than a carefully targeted leaflet...in fact any party who gave me a full manifesto which featured issues with which I largely agreed...I would join, canvas and become an activist for.

As it stands I have the right to vote, but not the right to obtain for myself a full copy of what I may be voting for, at my house, to read and digest in my own time, without paying for it. So logically I have to pay to know what I am really voting for!

Sapphire, maybe I am an old cynic.. but don't believe everything you read in a manifesto. They have never been the Holy Grail of everything that will be implemented into policy. Sometimes the onus has to be on the elector to find information out doesn't it? I would have thought you could find that information online? If not the local library would stock a copy of the manifesto.

Having been a candidate, when someone said we didn't get any information or any leaflets my retort was always - 'well that's because we haven't got enough activists to help.... would you like to?' Is that a Catch 22? You wouldn't get involved without information..... but without activists the information can't get delivered to people such as yourself.

Less and less people are joining a party (for reasons I get) but people are becoming more active in other ways.

Firstly, on the policy terms I was meaning more on achievements, solid proposals, the kind of items that one seems as the news on the Conservative Party website.

Secondly, I believe being a member shows ones support for the party that one is a member of and gives one the odd right, if not many, in terms of the Party that one supports, for example voting for the Party leader. Although, this does not happen often, some people, like myself, would feel that they have at least some say in who may well become a future Prime Minister to represent the Party one supports.

Thirdly, you make the point about MPs preferring activists to members who do nothing. I would have thought people WOULD prefer activists anyway as activists will help them win their seat. People who do nothing are obviously not going to be any help.

Daniel I think the third point is the key though. I can be an activist and do lots of things (which I will continue to do and always have done) without being a member.

I hope you have a good experience with membership. I think the party needs to address the "membership experience" as with falling numbers and people doing other things they have to answer the key "what's in it for me" question.

Yes, membership is not perfect and although I see it provides some benefits, these are very limited and thus many people, like yourself will question the point of membership. However, as said previously, I see the benefits as being rather significant but still not significant enough to beg the question 'why join?'.

The question why join is because many of the supposed benefits of membership can be enjoyed without membership - others such as electing a party leader are unlikely to be an exercisable benefit for a good few years. Then the previous benefit of being able to select your parliamentary candidate has been removed. Finally I haven't mentioned some of the drawbacks of membership which you will not yet have experienced that you suddenly are free from when not a card carrying party member.

The party centrally (party board) do have to answer the "why should I" meaning anyone, join.

The person who has set up this very website, (as I understand it) is also not a member anymore.. unless I am incorrect.

I have always stopped short of joining a particular party as there is always an aspect of their beliefs/manifesto that I disagree with.
However, my major issue with the political parties & membership isn't so much about joining & more about representation. Why is it my local MP (for whom 12.7% of the constituency voted) is more loyal to his party than he is to the people he represents? By joining a party one appears to be forsaking one's opinions/beliefs, no matter their relevance, to 'tow the party line'. So, simply, because my voice is unheard by all parties, because my views aren't truly represented & because I do not have faith in any of the parties to act in my own or in the majority of the country's interests; I currently feel that I cannot, & thus will not, join any particular party.

Aurelius, the 12.7% figure seems low.. is that 12.7% of those who are eligible to vote? I would have thought any good constituency MP would do their best to represent all constituents, however that will obviously mean than on many issues there will be a significant section of a constituency who will disagree with an MPs stance.

No party is ever going to represent 100% of an individuals views. I have very different views on the EU to Ken Clarke for example. People who in a political party will probably say there is more that unites them than divides them, and that they always have to be a broad church.

Jonathon- It's 12.7% of the eligible voters, living in an area with a large 60+ age (it's a retirement heaven!) who do vote, the majority of working age/younger people are apathetic about voting as the people/party they support are consistently ignored. One party wins/gains majority in ~95% of local/national elections, I am yet to meet a single person in the area who voted for them though.
I am aware no party will represent my views 100% but my MP, who referred to me & others like me, as people who are:
'just trying to stir up the Church & the State... there should be a difference between [one group of people] & others, it's only natural'
put me off joining the Party that I felt I had most in common with.
When the Party's (all of them) are ruled by an elite, most of whom have no concept of living 'normally' & their opinions/views are the most heard, what do *I* have in common with them/the Party? Will my views/opinions/interests be taken into account? I feel joining a Party would give me as much influence politically & allow my views &c to be heard/taken into consideration as much as they are currently, which is nil!

Aurelius, I would make a distinction between being an activist and being a member. I think being a member is perhaps outdated in this day and age as it just doesn't offer any benefits( though obviously many people still feel joining a party is worthwhile).

I would however always urge people to be activists. The only way you can make your voice heard is to do something about it. If you think locally no one is representing you - get yourself on the parish or even town council..... it's easy to stand and you wouldn't need to do it through a party.

I won't be renewing my membership for the same reasons in your post. What's the point, what do I get out of it. I could get better value for money by joining the local Conservative Club, but not the local Conservative party.

I'm thinking of joining the Freedom Association instead. More in keeping with my views and you don't even need a conference pass to attend their (conference) events.

Mike - doesn't that highlight a huge issue that the Conservative Party (and dare I say it all political parties) has. People who are very interested in politics see no point in being a member.

John, I think that's the way many people feel - they will join groups that fit with what they are really interested in, but a political party, that when you join only seems to want more and more of your money is not an attractive proposition anymore.

Well put Jonathan and I've asked myself that very question. In fact, I've allowed my membership to lapse and doubt I'll ever restart it.

A huge problem is the state of local parties. With a membership you want to feel involved, be part of a community and appreciated. All I got was a few letters a month from central office asking me for more money in return for opportunities to meet senior politicians for even more money.

If my details had been passed on to the local party who could have contacted me inviting me to events and making me feel part of a community and valued, I may have stayed. Unfortunately they didn't.

I must give them some credit though, I do receive some correspondence and invites but nowhere near as often as I'd like - maybe once every 4-6 months. It's a lot better than my association 'oop north' but still a lot of room for improvement.

Ben, I have heard the same story re new members all over the place. Not made to feel welcome and therefore why would they keep up their membership. I just feel I can be as involved without the supposed benefits of membership, but not have any of the drawbacks, which surely is a situation the party needs to examine. If the likes of you, me and many others who are interested in politics don't feel membership is worthwhile, what hope is there?

I tried to rejoin the Labour party at the beginning of the year. I had previously been in the Green Party for a few years, prior to that I had been a Labour party member for over 30 years. My membership was blocked in April on the grounds that I had stood against Labour party candidates at the County Council election of 09. The local branch in Leek were keen to have me back but I have been blocked by the constituency. Strangely enough there was a letter in the Guardian from someone in Manchester who left the Lib Dems following a personal letter from Milliband, but he encoutered the same problem as he had stood for the Lib Dems in a Council election.

I was blocked in April and was told that there would be an appeal in either May or June. Needless to say this has not happened. There is a suggestion that something in August might be arranged. I have a problem in that I work shifts and I don't know from one week to the next when I will be working.

I have thought of jacking it in but more recently I have decided to be an awkward sod and I'll stay until the appeal is heard

Blimey Bill... they are making it an issue for you to join and you still want to. Why would be my question? What will membership offer you? Surely the beggars can't be choosers phrase applied to political parties. With membership falling surely they should be doing everything they can to attract people to the fold.

I wonder if MPs who have swapped parties (didn't Sean Woodward??) had to jump through such hoops?

As a Lib Dem, I too get all the begging letters & calls. I do think that gets overdone - why we have never adopted the US approach of targeted and consistent fundraising I may never know - and can't afford to give much anyway.

We do seem to have more say over what goes on than other parties' members: around a month after I joined I started being invited to the social events and local campaigns. The whole machine needs money to keep going, and if the only way to do that is to give the appearance of a friendly "private members' club" atmosphere, then maybe that's the way it has to be.

There are other opportunities I've been drawn into, but I appreciate that standing as a candidate, voting and debating the Coalition agreement, and my current policy work with my wider region are probably niche interests. If people want something more attractive, then they can join the single issue campaign groups like the RSPB or CAMRA, who are all far better funded and more secure than we are!

Jonathan, an interesting article and a subject that I have also given much consideration to over the last few years.

As soon as I joined the Conservatives I got involved in the Association as much as I could, becoming an officer, local Chairman and ultimately standing successfully in the local elections, so my joining the party has proved to be very worthwhile.

However, I was lucky. It was the right time and I got to know the right people. If someone who is completely new to politics were to join the party I am not sure what they would get out of it. I am not really talking about the 'friends of friends' type of new member, who tend to get involved straight away and are probably more likely to stick around, but more the keen supporters who send their cheque in and wait for something to happen.

Obviously much depends upon the individual Association and branch structure but I am sure in many cases all these members get are letters asking for money from CCHQ, invitations to local events - which also cost money - and then after a year reminders to pay their membership again. Not sure that is really what people had in mind.

I would love to see figures showing the number of members that join and then lapse after only one year. I suspect it may be quite high.

Could things be different? Well yes of course they could, but it would take reform at a central level to do so.

Rob, interestingly it seems members have more rights in the Lib Dems - certainly over policy.

Rocco - don't get me wrong. I have enjoyed everything I've done in politics, however what worries me is that I could do much of it without party membership - campaign etc etc... without any of the drawbacks of membership - which often included going to tedious meetings where nothing was achieved.

People are so busy these days and I am not convinced the offering that any political party gives is appealing enough anymore. I agree there does need to be reform at central level, and from a Conservative perspective, I hope the party board will look at this issue.

I do agree Jonathan but it comes down to what people want from their involvement in politics.

If people want to be involved in delivering leaflets, knocking on some doors, telling at polling stations then yes, that can all be done without party membership - and actually in some ways it might even be preferable

Even taking away the obvious financial burden, you remove the element of suspicion that can be put on newer members from more long-standing ones, and I would also imagine that a casual supporter might be around for longer - I doubt there have been many cases of members lapsing but still offering to deliver leaflets. They tend to completely disappear.

However, if people want to do more than that then I would suggest that joining is still pretty much essential isn't it?

Rocco - hmmm it depends how organised the party is. I know of examples of people being candidates for the party who have never actually joined.