Kemi Badenoch is preparing to reinstate a high-value donor advisory board at the Conservative Party. The board is expected to provide major contributors with structured access to senior party figures including the leader and shadow cabinet. The advisory board was originally disbanded in 2021 following controversy over “cash for access”. Sources familiar with the board’s revival say the new version would operate in a different form but serve a similar purpose: engaging large donors and offering them influence on policy direction. Fundraising has become a priority for the Conservative leadership amid competitive pressure from rival parties. The party has reported raising £8.4 million in donations so far this year, outstripping its main rivals. Party documentation shows that within donor tiers there already exist privileged access levels such as the “Leader’s Group”, which gives top donors access to the leader and senior figures. The revived board is expected to sit on top of those existing tiers. The board’s previous incarnation was linked to contributors giving in excess of £250,000 a year. That version of the board met regularly with ministers and the leader of the party at the time. The decision to relaunch the board comes as the party rearranges its fundraising strategy following its worst-ever election result at the general election and subsequent internal restructuring. The party has not yet announced the new name of the board, the exact membership criteria or the schedule of meetings. Two people briefed on the plans say that discussions remain ongoing. In internal discussions the leadership appears to view the board’s return as a way to stabilise party finances and institutionalise engagement with major donors ahead of the next election cycle. The wider context includes donor defections to rival parties such as Reform UK and concerns that proposed tax and non-dom status changes under the government may discourage large donors from continuing their contributions. The revival of such a board raises questions within party governance about transparency, accountability and the relationship between donor tier status and policy influence, though the party maintains that donations are declared and governed by law. The leadership network around Badenoch has also emphasised that the party’s fundraising model needs renewal after staffing cuts and a decline in some donor relationships since the election loss. Observers within the party note that the nature of the board’s meetings and its engagement with policy discussions are still under negotiation, with leadership keen to emphasise change while financial imperatives push for continuity in donor access. The party currently faces increased scrutiny over how donor engagement is structured, especially given its previous disbanding of the board amid controversy. Any revived structure will be watched for how it aligns with the party’s declared principles. The leader’s office has declined to publish further details ahead of a formal announcement, leaving membership terms and meeting frequency unspecified. The revived board is expected to be one element of a broader fundraising push that includes new donor tiers, events and engagement with wealthy supporters after years of shrinking staffing at the party’s headquarters. While donor income continues to flow into the party, the revival of the advisory board signals an effort to institutionalise high-value donor engagement, embedding it in the party’s structure for the longer term. The new board’s launch will likely occur in the coming months ahead of local elections and further fundraising drives, embedding into the party’s calendar of donor events and shadow campaign preparations. The party’s membership base and wider grassroots remain outside the highest-value donor tiers but are expected to continue contributing, with the leadership signalling that fundraising must come from a broader foundation as well as elite backers. At the same time the party’s governance mechanisms will need to ensure that access granted through high-value donor tiers remains compliant with electoral laws overseen by the Electoral Commission, which sets out rules on donations and reporting. The move highlights the challenge for political parties in balancing the necessity of fundraising with the ethical dimensions of donor access and influence. For the Conservative Party leadership the arrival of a revived board is a key moment in recasting donor engagement for the next electoral cycle....