🟦 Conservative Party

Process:

• Top-down and leader-driven.
  Policy is largely shaped by the Prime Minister or party leader, ministers, and advisers.

• The Conservative Policy Forum (CPF) collects views from grassroots members, but its influence is advisory, not binding.

• The 1922 Committee (of backbench MPs) can indirectly influence direction by voicing MPs’ priorities or concerns.

• The Conservative Research Department (CRD) and think tanks (like Policy Exchange or Onward) often generate ideas that become official policy.

Summary:
👉 The leadership dominates policy-making; members and activists can contribute ideas but don’t have formal power to set policy.

🌹 Labour Party

Process:

• More democratic and rule-based than the Conservatives.

• The National Policy Forum (NPF) and Policy Commissions draft policy proposals, feeding into the Labour Party Conference.

• Conference votes on policy motions, though the leadership can interpret or prioritise them selectively.

• The NEC (National Executive Committee) and Shadow Cabinet also play major roles.

• Before elections, the Clause V meeting decides what goes into the manifesto — chaired by the leader and includes key representatives from the NEC, unions, and MPs.

Summary:
👉 Members, trade unions, and affiliates all have input, but the leader and NEC ultimately shape the final policy platform.

🟨 Liberal Democrats

Process:

• The most member-led of the big parties.

• Federal Party Conference (held twice a year) votes on policy motions — once passed, these become official party policy.

• Policy Working Groups (appointed by the Federal Policy Committee) develop detailed proposals for conference debate.

• The Federal Policy Committee (FPC) ensures coherence and drafts the manifesto based on democratically agreed policy.

Summary:
👉 The grassroots literally decide policy through conference votes; leadership can shape emphasis but not override member decisions.

🟩 Green Party of England and Wales

Process:

• Entirely member-driven and consensus-based.

• Party Conference is sovereign — members propose, debate, and vote on policies.

• The Policy Development Committee helps structure and maintain the Policies for a Sustainable Society (the Greens’ living policy document).

• Elected leaders and spokespeople must stay consistent with conference-approved policy, though they can prioritise aspects in campaigns.

Summary:
👉 Strongly democratic and bottom-up — every member can help make and change policy.

🩶 Scottish National Party (SNP)

Process:

• Policy is shaped by National Conference, which votes on motions from branches and affiliated groups.

• The National Executive Committee (NEC) and parliamentary leadership (Scottish Government ministers, MSPs, MPs) also influence direction heavily.

• In practice, the Scottish Government’s programme (if the SNP is in power) dominates policy priorities.

Summary:
👉 Officially democratic through conference votes, but in government the leadership and ministers have the strongest hand.