By John Stevens Deputy Political Editor For The Daily Mail
Published: 00:11 GMT, 2 March 2019 | Updated: 00:11 GMT, 2 March 2019
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Tory voters will be able to join the party for free as a ‘registered supporter’.
The move to bring in more activists comes amid talk that the Brexit deadlock could lead to a general election.
The Tories were outgunned in the 2017 election by Labour, which has more than four times as many members.
The new ‘Conservative Community Network’ will give non-paying activists access to campaign materials to share on social media and a role in drawing up party policies.
They will not be able to take part in leadership ballots.
Conservative Party chairman Brandon Lewis said: ‘There are people all over the country who vote for us, support us, tweet about us, knock on doors with us, deliver leaflets for us, but are not necessarily ready or looking to become full paid-up members.
Conservative Party chairman Brandon Lewis arriving in Downing Street for a Cabinet meeting last month
'People are engaging with politics in a different way now. We want to make sure that, as we move forward and life is speeding up and modernising, we are moving with it.’
Figures released last March showed the Tories had 124,000 paid-up members. Labour has more than half a million.
Mr Lewis said there had been a rise in numbers paying £25 to be full members but
