The Hilley Blog

The Launch of Conservative Future Women

2012-02-20T11:11:00.000-08:00

We are delighted to announce that on Wednesday, the Home Secretary Theresa May officially launched Conservative Future Women. Over 150 activists attended the launch including several leading female MPs.

We have a long and proud history of encouraging women representatives to put their names forward for key positions. Conservative Future Women is designed specifically to encourage, train and support young women to stand for election at all levels of politics, while ensuring the best and brightest female candidates fully achieve their potential.

The huge turnout of existing and aspiring young women politicians for the launch party has cemented the Conservative Party’s strong reputation as the clear choice for young women looking to get involved in politics.

In her speech, Theresa May told the audience that getting involved with politics means they can make a difference, to their communities and the world around them.

We are looking for dynamic, enthusiastic and energetic young women to join our team.

Since our launch we have been inundated with requests from our members looking to get more involved - now here is your chance.

For more information or if you would like to apply then please click here for more information.

Update: Petition against TFL's proposed removal of the pelican crossing on the Purley Way

2012-02-16T04:06:00.000-08:00

Thank you to every local resident living in Court Drive, Waddon Court Drive, Waddon New Court Road and Alton Road for signing our petition against TFL's proposal to remove the pelican crossing at the end of Waddon Court Drive, across the Purley Way.

We collected 166 signatures and together with our GLA member Cllr Steve O'Connell we presented this petition to TFL on February 8th.

All we can do now is wait and hope that TFL consider our views and retain the pelican crossing. It is clear that this pelican crossing is essential to local residents as it helps them cross the busy Purley Way safely.

I will update you when I hear more and fingers crossed!

Fellow ward colleagues, Simon & Tony and myself presenting the petition to Steve O'Connell

Conservative Future Women

2012-01-27T07:04:00.000-08:00

I am delighted to announce the launch of Conservative Future Women, an organisation dedicated to supporting young women in Conservative Future within the Conservative Party whose goal is to support the next generation of Conservative women to engage with local and national politics.

CFW will support, encourage, train and advise young women to put themselves forward for elected positions in the Conservative Party and will help increase the number of young females putting their names forward at local and national elections.

The Rt Hon Theresa May MP will officially launch us on Wednesday 8th February.

To attend please register here

Say No to TFL's proposed removal of Purley Way crossing

2012-01-25T09:30:00.000-08:00

Last week I was contacted by a local resident in Court Drive telling me that they had received a letter off TFL stating that they were proposing to remove the pelican crossing at the end of Waddon Park Avenue across the Purley Way.

After a few phone calls this turned out to be true- despite neither the Council nor my ward colleagues or myself being notified.

We disagree with TFL that this crossing should be removed as a lot of residents who live in neighbouring roads namely The Ridgeway, Court Drive, Waddon Court Road, Alton Road and Waddon Park Avenue use it a lot to cross the busy and sometimes dangerous Purley Way.

TFl’s justification for removing the crossing is “The pedestrian demand at this site reaches a maximum of 44% during the weekday AM peak which is low compared to the London average.” It would be useful to see the locations of the other pelican crossings that TFL have got data on as if they are in Central London ie. outside Victoria/London Bridge train station the you would assume that they would have a larger pedestrain footfall than that of this crossing.

On Saturday we are knocking on doors in The Ridgeway, Court Drive, Waddon Court Road, Alton Road and Waddon Park Avenue to see what other residents views are and collecting signatures for our petition against this crossing.

Photo of proposed crossing that TFL are planning to remove

Please contact me at clare.george-hilley@croydon.gov.uk for more information and help us to save this crossing!

Launch of Conservative Future Women with The Rt Hon Theresa May MP

2012-01-23T07:17:00.000-08:00

During the final few months of my term as Conservative Future's Deputy Chairman for Membership I established Conservative Future Women (CFW). CFW aims to encourage young women to get involved in politics and our goal is to support the next generation of Conservative women to engage with the party and politics in their communities.

I am delighted to announce our launch event on Wednesday 8th February with The Rt Hon Theresa May MP.

I look forward to seeing you all there and please note that due to security reasons tickets you must register in advance.

To register click here

France Gets a Downgrade, Labour Need an Upgrade

2012-01-14T04:14:00.000-08:00

As the Eurozone crisis grows rapidly worse and a series of countries find themselves losing their gold plated credit ratings due to unprecedented economic turbulence, it’s not surprising that many people are thinking – thank god the Tories got in. After years of Labour splurging our hard earned cash on useless projects and wasteful ventures, the time for ‘good housekeeping’ was long overdue. In the final days of the Labour administration, the obsessive ability to waste our money, like a fruit machine addict, at the expense of the national interest was not simply foolish – it was obscene.

Earlier in the week, we were promised the spectre of a newly revitalised Ed Miliband, policy rich and passionate about how he might change the country. This was inevitably a disappointment, as we were greeted with a weak, weedy leader of the opposition whose speech was both flat and boring. The main problem facing the younger Miliband is his outright refusal to admit that Labour spent too much money. Maybe it’s arrogance or simply the influence of Ed Balls that’s stopping Ed making a break with the past, but the current strategy neither inspires nor encourages confidence with voters. Until Labour can come to terms with its mistakes, apologise and make amends then it will remain trapped in a black hole – deluded with the warped notion that one day voters will wake up and see Ed Miliband is the natural choice for Prime Minister.

Labour did indeed spend too much, far too much. The Conservatives have made tough and challenging cuts that have impacted everyone. But the difference is that the Conservative have made these choices in the national interest. Britain must stay on a clear and sensible course of deficit reduction if it is to avoid falling into the economic abyss.

The Iconic Lady

2012-01-11T12:01:00.000-08:00

After seeing the teaser trailers and the TV promotions, I was very much looking forward to seeing Meryl Streep’s performance as Margret Thatcher in much hyped film The Iron Lady. Taking my seat in London’s Odeon cinema in Leicester Square on Saturday evening with a group of friends, the audience sat with excited anticipation as the introductory credits began to roll. The opening scene features a frail old woman, walking across London’s streets to the local corner shop to purchase a pint of milk. The proceeding shots paint Britain’s greatest peace time Prime Minister as a woman consumed by dementia, confused, vulnerable and alone in the world.

Having personal experience of a family member suffering from dementia, the on screen pain as the frail former Prime Minister becomes forgetful and confused is particularly difficult – and realistic. Yet the film itself repeatedly reminds the audience of this condition, scene after scene to a point where the lingering on the condition verges on gratuitous. This is an aspect of the film most viewers have also criticised, and rightly so.

Nevertheless, despite the uncomfortable viewing, the film has several moments of magic. Watching the young, vulnerable Miss Roberts fend off and triumph over sexism and snobbery over her humble background working in a grocer’s store is a delight. As is her meteoric rise to power, with her straight talking, no nonsense approach captures the imagination of voters, delivering her into the position of Prime Minister.

Thatcher reminds us all of the dangers of dithering when it comes to policy. In an era when politicians are fixated with being ‘liked’ instead of respected, her approach illustrates perfectly how a commitment to beliefs and actions can raise unprecedented and sometimes unexpected support from the electorate. Whilst Labour’s Ed Miliband refuses to admit that Labour spent too much, as Conservatives we must stand firm on our commitment to cut the deficit and get our country back on track. It is our moral duty to reduce the toxic amounts of debt saddling our country and help get Britain firmly on the road to recovery.

This approach will undoubtedly trigger criticism, smears and attacks from those on the left, but as Meryl Streep’s character says in her booming voice, “We will stand on principle or we will not stand at all.”

Rioting in Croydon should not be tolerated again

2012-01-06T04:42:00.000-08:00

My piece in full published on ConservativeHome this morning:

Like many other residents returning home from a hard day’s work on that mild August evening in Croydon, I was forced to witness horrendous acts of mindless vandalism and violence targeted at the very fabric of my local community. Local shops were burned, windows smashed and armies of thugs lined the streets, intimidating passers-by and throwing rocks at Police. Already the skyline of the town centre was filled with huge plumes of black smoke and burglar alarms and sirens rang out along the streets of ransacked shops.

Whilst those on the left would have you believe that the perpetrators of these atrocities were simply ‘victims’ who had been dealt a bad hand in life and needed to be heard, the reality for those on the ground was very different. The selfish thugs that looted and burnt down some of town’s most historic buildings and terrorised innocent members of the public did so because they wanted to – and they enjoyed doing it.

There have been mountains of paperwork, essays and data analysis conducted to try and find an excuse for the rioters’ actions in the summer. Social, economic and cultural angles have been explored, graphs produced and pie charts formed. The reality is of course that many of those involved in these atrocities had a well-documented criminal history along with a complete disregard for their communities and neighbours.

Little attention was given to the numbers of victims impacted by the riots. For example, a shocking 100 Croydon households - many with young families - lost their homes or were unable to return home because of the vandalism inflicted. This is something we need to bear in mind when allegations of ‘harsh criminal sentences’ are levied at the courts.

I was proud and inspired to see hundreds of volunteers lining the streets with their brooms at the ready, to work with the Council, Police and local residents to assist the clean-up operation. In the first few months Croydon Council provided £90,000 in grants to those who lost their homes in the riots. Approximately 280 businesses across the borough were directly impacted by the disorder, doing tremendous damage to the local economy. In response the Council has put in place a comprehensive £1 million Business Support Fund to help the recovery.

As Conservatives, we must not falter on a tough agenda of law and order. Our response and the lengthy sentences accompanying it sent a clear signal to those looking to engage in criminal activity that this mindless thuggery cannot and will not be tolerated. The public’s strong and cohesive response proved beyond doubt that those behind these atrocities were very much in the minority.

As you walk around Croydon town centre it is hard to believe that last August’s atrocities ever took place, but a poignant reminder are the dozens of post-it notes containing personal messages of support for the town written by local residents and displayed in the Green Dragon- one of Croydon’s local pubs.

As well as initiating a Croydon regeneration drive to the tune of £23 million, London’s Mayor Boris Johnson and Croydon Central MP Gavin Barwell have publicly called for residents to help make our town great again.

Wasting time ‘reading’ the riots will not solve the problem, but a strong stance on law and order will help deter criminals and opportunists from terrorising our communities in the future.

Our town is once again a vibrant, modern and forward looking place to be. With strong leadership and an overwhelming sense of community spirit, it is time for Croydon to look forward to an exciting and optimistic 2012.

Musing on the Nestle move

2012-01-05T03:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Property Week announced that Nestle were leaving Croydon after 47 years in the borough after signing a deal to relocate to City Place in Crawley, just outside Gatwick Airport.

This news was confirmed today by all parties and Cllr Mike Fisher, Leader of Croydon Council expressed his disappointment at this decision stating that:

“We are obviously very disappointed that Nestlé has decided to leave the borough after more than 40 years.

“We have done everything we possibly could to avoid this outcome, but ultimately we have to respect the fact that Nestle are a footloose global company and can choose where they locate their business.”

However current Nestle staff can take comfort in the fact that the location is not as far away as some previously predicted as most of them will be able to commute to the new offices. The Council has also pledged to offer Nestle any support that they need to ensure that staff can make a smooth transition. Another bonus is that relations between the two boroughs are positive as both are partners in the Coast to Capital Local Economic Partnership (LEP)

Whilst this is disappointing news if we continue to focus on regenerating the town centre then we will be able to attract potential investors, creating a place where people want to live and an economy that links outer London to Gatwick and the world.

Party Chairman Thanks Conservative Future

2011-12-21T01:28:00.000-08:00

It is inspiring to see that Conservative Future has received recognition from Party Co-Chairman Sayeeda Warsi in her Christmas video message.

Over the last year, our activists have given up many hours of their time to campaign on issues that matter to the party and played a key role in the No2AV campaign.

With the Mayoral elections coming up next year, it’s more important than ever for activists to work together and to encourage support for the Boris campaign. Through a collective effort from all our members across the UK, CF is once again respected and an influential organisation within the Conservative Party and one of which we should be truly proud.

Our newly elected National Executive Team who will take office in January is made up of some of our organisation’s best and brightest stars who I know will do everything they can to strengthen CF’s structure to drive up membership over the next 12 months.

With soaring membership, flagship events with Cabinet Ministers and a strong, diverse leadership team representing the whole of the UK, there has never been a more exciting time to be a Conservative Future activist.

Cameron´s Bulldog Spirit Should Make us Proud to be British

2011-12-10T04:24:00.000-08:00

David Cameron has demonstrated true courage and conviction by standing up to EU bullies to put Britain´s interests first. Despite criticism from the usual suspects and biased coverage on the BBC, Cameron has proved he is a radical Prime Minister, with a strong agenda, rejecting the ludicrous regulations that could suffocate our financial services industry. This is a great moment for our country where we rejected measures which could seriously threaten our economic prosperity, and a moment of which we should all be truly proud.

Many have been left surprised by the outcome, assuming that Cameron would simply roll over and do as he was told. But the decision to use the veto sends a clear signal to our European partners that Britain is not a country to be taken for granted or one that will give into intimidation and simply do what other leaders want.
The outcome of this decision is that Cameron returns home a Conservative hero, but he must now stand firm on his decision. It is deeply disappointing that the BBC´s coverage of a British triumph has been painted as a disaster across the airwaves. But he cannot allow this bias to force him to change course.

As Cameron stands firm as the British Bulldog, it is nothing short of embarrassing to see the the small puppy Ed Miliband attempting to nip at his feet. So weak is the leader of the opposition´s statement on the issue, it hardly warrants a mention in the press. Miliband has managed to shift from confused to simply annoying in a very short space of time.

This is a stark wake up call for those with fluid political convictions who left the Conservative Party and Conservative Future before the full facts had been established. Remaining loyal to your fellow Tories is a core value that we must all maintain if our party is to deliver on its promises. Now the wind is blowing in a different direction, don´t be surprised if you hear a timid knock knock on the door in the coming months.

This British victory also opens the door for a new, more collaborative approach for Conservative Future and external groups. As I´ve long believed, our organisation can be strengthened by working together with our fellow partners for events, speaking and training of our activists of the future. Now is the time for like-minded Conservatives to come together and send a clear signal that the British Bulldog is back.

Jeremy Hunt, CF Chairmen Training Day, CF Christmas Party & Campaign Day....

2011-12-06T03:09:00.000-08:00

Over the last week Conservative Future has hosted a reception with Jeremy Hunt as part of our ‘Meet the Cabinet’ events, a CF Chairmen’s Training Day, our National CF Christmas Party and a campaign day in Feltham & Heston!

Ben, Jeremy and myself

Last Monday Jeremy Hunt MP spoke passionately about delivering the Olympics on time next year and how the government is supporting young people in the sporting sector.

On Saturday we hosted our second CF Chairmen's Training Day where over 60 CF Chairmen representing the Regions, Areas and CF Branches in England, Wales and Northern Ireland turned up.

We had a jam-packed agenda with workshops and speeches from Ministers, CCHQ staff, party Chairmen’s office and the BackBoris2012 Campaign Team.

Lynton Crosby from the BackBoris Team spoke very eloquently about tactics and strategy ahead of next year’s Mayoral election. They are holding a student bootcamp tomorrow so click here to attend

It was great to hear from our members about how they feel this year has gone in their respective areas and the challenges that lie ahead over the next year.

A few of us posing with Jeremy Hunt!

We all learnt a lot about the party’s direction and future over the next few years. CCHQ told us that it was the first time in a number of years that they were relying on us to provide help with the party’s new campaigns for the coming year as well as debating ad providing policy solutions ahead of the 2015 election.

It was great to see so many people who had travelled from across the UK and I look forward to regions holding their own training days next year.

After the Training Day we left for our Christmas Party in Soho where a few of us dressed up in Santa Claus and Mrs Claus costumes and danced the night away!

CF Chairmen

With little sleep and bleary eyes CFers met for breakfast and then headed to Feltham & Heston to campaign for our candidate Mark Bowen.

If you have any spare time over the next few weeks to support Mark Bowden then please contact: campaign.support@conservatives.com

Building a stronger, more balanced economy

2011-11-29T10:31:00.000-08:00

Today George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer delivered his 2011 Autumn Statement to Parliament.

Responding to the Office of Budget Responsibility's updated Economic and Fiscal Outlook, the Chancellor has set out details of further action the Government will take to protect the UK from global instability and the euro area crisis and build a stronger, more balanced economy for the future.

The Chancellor announced permanent reductions in spending to ensure that the UK meets its fiscal targets, using some of those savings in the short term to fund infrastructure investment to generate long-term growth.

To ensure that every young person not already in work, education or training has support to get into the workplace, the Government is introducing the Youth Contract worth a total of £940million over the Spending Review period that will:

- provide extra support from Jobcentre Plus for unemployed 18-24 year olds, with additional advisor time and a careers interview from the National Careers Service after 3 months on JSA and with weekly (rather than fortnightly) signing from month five

- offer of work experience or a Sector Based Work Academy place for every unemployed 18-24 year old who wants one after 3 months on JSA, before they enter the Work Programme that the Government are providing an additional 250,000 places for

- young people unemployed after 9 months on JSA will transfer to the Work Programme

- funding will be provided for an estimated 160,000 wage incentives of £2,275 to make it easier for private sector employers to take on young people

- at least 40,000 of these incentive payments to be for small firms

- fund a new £50million a year programme to provide support to some of the most disadvantaged 16-17 year olds not in education, employment or training which will provide vital support to help them get into education, an apprenticeship or a job with training

The CF Revolution has Begun

2011-11-27T12:40:00.000-08:00

Ask any member of CF and they will tell you just how hard it is to get a new branch off the ground. Whether it’s organising the meetings, booking the speakers or chasing down new members and encouraging them to turn up, everyone knows that our movement is growing because of the hard work of each and every one of our volunteers. CF members are often the unsung miracle workers of the party, providing a network of campaign support, ideological debate and members to drive campaigns across all levels of the party.

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the Northern Conservative Future Christmas Dinner, the first event of its kind, attracting over 150 attendees from across the UK. It was truly inspiring speaking to activists who have recently created or transformed their branches and driven up their membership numbers, working in a collaborative effort. Collectively, the efforts of these members has transformed the Northern regions into one of the Party’s most slick and well oiled campaign machines, spreading the Conservative message to supporters and swing voters alike.

Watching Philip Smith, Chairman of the Northern Partnership, the dozens of branch Chairman and volunteers surrounding him on Saturday night, it was clear that something truly special is happening with CF in the North. Our members are confident, up for the challenge, leading by example and ready to grow and expand their powerbase, spurred on by the fact they have a strong team leading the way and helping them get on.

After years of the CF pendulum swinging in favour of the south, I have no hesitation in saying that CF’s Northern revolution has begun, and with elections just around the corner we could well see a strong representation from areas outside of the London bubble when the votes are counted. The room was jam packed with talented individuals- a wealth of opportunity awaiting them and it’s time we recognised this drive and elevated our fine Northern candidates onto the national stage.

Branches across every corner of the UK should take note of Northern CF’s achievements and seek to replicate them wherever possible. It only takes one or two volunteers before the snowball effect kicks in and membership numbers start to rise. For CF the Northern revolution will deliver a new generation of talent onto our National team, but this isn’t the end of the story, it’s just the beginning.

Pictures coming soon….

Boris: I love Croydon

2011-11-22T15:04:00.000-08:00

I’m pleased to announce that the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson has pledged to give £23 million pounds to Croydon in a bid to push regeneration and return our town to its “former glory”.

The funding will help to regenerate areas such as Wellesley Road, Bedford
Park Road, Lansdowne Road, George Street and Fairfield Halls. Boris spoke passionately and urged investors to “help make Croydon great again.”

This is welcome news for Croydon as we need investment in our town. Our Council Leader Cllr Mike Fisher agrees stating: "Croydon is committed to investing in major regeneration. The funding from the Mayor of London will help us realise many of our ambitions. Coming so soon after the Westfield announcement this shows there is a real buzz about Croydon right now."

To read more in the Croydon Advertiser click here

To read more in the Croydon Guardian click here

Boris holding his t-shirt when he
visited Croydon

Reflections on Conservative Future

2011-11-20T13:44:00.000-08:00

With Ben Howlett, Lord Feldman & David Cameron discussing
the past year of CF's achievements at conference

As December’s approaching I’ve been reflecting over the last year as my time on the National Executive for Conservative Future is coming to an end. It’s been an incredibly exciting 12 months as Deputy Chairman, Membership, meeting activists and pushing through changes that our organisation so badly needs. After late nights, early starts, many working weekends, I am proud to say that CF is now a more professional, efficient and respected movement, fit to enable a new generation of bright stars as they climb the political ladder.

Last summer, I ran for the position of membership because I fundamentally believe that each and every volunteer makes CF great. I immediately began restructuring the resources available for new and existing members to make processes simpler and more effective.

With Boris and Syed Kamall MEP at a NO2AV boot camp

Over the last year, in terms of training, we’ve held CF’s first ever one day conference and several candidates training workshops at CCHQ to get our activists media savvy and ready for the political spotlight. We’ve pooled all membership data from local branches and created a centralised CF database, in order to make communication easier with our members which culminated with the Prime Minister thanking all CF Chairmen for their efforts with this huge task. Most importantly, as promised, you will be able to vote online in this year’s elections, a remarkable step forward.

But CF isn’t always about policies and procedures – the huge number of candidates from the Midlands and the North standing in the elections proves beyond doubt that CF is a truly national organisation, bursting the traditional London bubble to which it is traditionally associated. We’ve also seen a huge rise in the number of women candidates in the running, a sure sign that CF is a vibrant, forward looking organisation and a perfect starting platform for young people in politics.

With Serene, Sarah & Lewis outside No.10
after a Project Umubano reception

Like all areas of politics, youth elections can be a bumpy ride, so there will always be one or two bad eggs around, relishing the opportunity for smears and dirty politics. My advice is simple; keep smiling and carry on. Be happy in yourself, and don’t for one second let them make you as unhappy as they are. And always remember, these character traits will lead to their own undoing, whether that be now or in the future, it’s only a matter of time.

Completing a gardening project

When people ask me why I have decided not to stand again, the answer is simple. After being involved with CF for over 13 years I believe that it’s time for a new generation of activists to step up to the mark, and take our organisation forward to even greater achievements. The last 12 months working with Ben, Serene, James and Peter has been an absolute privilege, and their hard work and commitment proves what can be achieved when you have a stable, professional team working with members to take CF forward. I have had a brilliant time this year and my proudest moment was launching the Birch Memorial School Appeal after teaching 70 street children in Sierra Leone.

Good luck to each and every candidate standing this year, the future of our organisation will be in your hands soon, and I know you’ll make us proud.

Celebrate Christmas with CF

2011-11-09T08:15:00.000-08:00

We are really pleased to announce that we are holding our annual Conservative Future Christmas Party on Saturday 3^rd December- open to all members,

Our guest speaker is James Brokenshire MP, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office and we have managed to negotiate 20% off all food and drink ordered in advance here

Tickets are selling fast so make sure that you get yours here

Details:

Date: Saturday 3^rd December

Time: 7-11pm

Location: Revolution London (Soho), 2 St Annes Court, London

RSVP

Bill Gates at CFID

2011-11-04T05:12:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday I was very lucky to attend the inaugural event of the newly launched organisation, Conservative Friends of International Development (CFID). Led by Baroness Jenkins, CFID launched at party conference and it was great to see this event so well attended.

Bill Gates speaking to us all about his foundation

They managed to secure Bill Gates as the guest speaker and it was fascinating to hear the excellent and often ground-breaking work that he does to alleviate poverty through his foundation especially combatting polio and malaria.

During Andrew Mitchell’s vote of thanks he said of Bill: ““He has already changed the world once and he’s on course to change it again”.

I am looking forward to their next event and I urge you all to sign up and get involved with CFID

On a different note we still collecting school items for the Birch Memorial School Appeal and please do email me at: clare.hilley@conservativefuture.com if you can donate something.

Bill Gates speaking with Baroness Jenkins to his left and Andrew Mitchell to his right

Come and support us with our Poppy Appeal

2011-11-01T05:14:00.000-07:00

For those of you that haven’t noticed yet, it’s that time of year again where we wear a poppy to remember those who gave their lives in both world wars and since then in other conflicts around the world.

The British Legion co-ordinates this across the UK and for the last decade my family and myself have been knocking on doors in Purley in the run-up to Remembrance Sunday.

You can help us by signing up to Cities of London and Westminster CF Branch’s campaign at Charing Cross station between today and November 11^th here

You can also support the appeal by adding the poppy to your facebook profile here

Last year's powerful poster that launched the 2010 Poppy Appeal

Iain Duncan Smith: You are the Future

2011-10-28T03:14:00.000-07:00

Over 120 Conservative Future Young Professionals attended our evening reception at St Stephen's Club with the Rt. Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP on Wednesday.

It was our first in a series of evening receptions over the coming months with members of the Cabinet to welcome our newest and current young professional members.

Iain spoke very passionately about social justice and the measures that he was putting in place in order to alleviate poverty and increase social mobility.

He told us that we are the future of the Conservative Party and commended us on our work with the policy forum where we submit our ideas that drive the future direction of the Conservative Party.

Our next evening with a Cabinet Minister will be in November with the Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP.

Ben, Iain & myself

Birch Memorial School Appeal: Please Donate

2011-10-25T02:49:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder to you all that we are still collecting school items for the Birch Memorial School Appeal. Our container leaves the UK for Sierra Leone in approximately a months time and we still need:

- Science text books

- A4 hardback books

- Chalk board paint

- World maps

- World globes

Please do contact me at: clare.hilley@conservativefuture.com if you can help donate something towards this appeal.

To sign up via facebook click here

To read more click here

Thank you and here are some pictures of us at the school in July:

Jo and I with our class of 70 students!

Me teaching my class

Some of the street children

Serene and I with some of our students

Free tonight? Head to Alex Wilson's Fund-Raiser

2011-10-17T08:19:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I've got Full Council so will be missing Alex Wilson's fund-raiser but if you're free then please do try and get along.

Alex is fighting in the upcoming GLA elections as the candidate for Greenwich & Lewisham. He is a councillor on Greenwich Council and grew up in the area locally.

He has managed to secure Boris Johnson for tonight's event and it looks set to be excellent!

Please see his website for more details...

Reflections on Manchester 2011

2011-10-09T11:43:00.000-07:00

Interview with Huw Edwards

After four days of back to back meetings, briefings, interviews, forums, speeches, and late nights, it was once again time to say goodbye to the wonderful city of Manchester. It’s not hard to warm to Manchester, whether it’s the convenient, spacious layout of the main hall and the Midland Hotel or the overwhelming kindness of just about every single person you meet from security guards to cab drivers – the city has a deservedly well-liked reputation.

BackBoris 2012 interview

Like many delegates from the South, my conference journey kicked off with a long drive on the motorway and after checking into our hotel, we headed out to the conference venue, met up with our political friends and colleagues and enjoyed visiting the numerous conference stalls and stands. Although, as many commentators have noted, there were less delegates than expected, there was still a buzz around the halls and corridors as conference finally kicked off. I popped by the humours ‘Ed’s Jerk Chicken’ stand and was told I would only be served ‘left wings.’ After this tasty treat I had the pleasure of meeting some of the Back Boris organisers, appropriately dressed in their Boris apparel and filmed a short video stating why I back his re-election bid.

I managed to attend some interesting sessions and heard some excellent policy announcements on business credit, Council Tax and crime and punishment. The mood inside the main hall was electric, with delegates keenly debating and discussing the topics of the day, but it would be foolish to assume that all the excitement was happening inside the conference venue. Just moments away the Freedom Zone, headed up by the legendary Simon Richards, held a serious of debates in conjunction with other organisations such as The Taxpayers Alliance and Big Brother Watch securing huge turnouts in what is widely seen to be their most successful conference to date.

Ben Howlett and me with David Cameron

I was also lucky to attend several other meetings such as the Conservative Future panel discussion and the drinks reception, the social action reception with David Cameron and the launch of the Conservative Friends of International Development. Having recently returned from a life changing trip to Sierra Leone as part of Project Umubano, it was great to catch up with Andrew Mitchell, Stephen Crabb and the rest of the organisers and see such a huge turnout for such an important programme. Policy Exchange hosted their usual legendary reception at the Manchester Art Gallery and Syed Kamall hosted his even more legendary annual curry that I attended. Finally, I got the chance to see both Boris and Cameron in a double act at the London reception, a scene which triggered fits of laughter within the audience.

Our CF fringe event packed out!

David Cameron’s keynote speech was both robust and inspiring and delegates saw several presentations about the Conservative Party’s work with young people beforehand. As the Party moves forward in tackling the deficit and cutting waste, each and every member needs to stick together and stand our ground. There are some great ideas and debates forming across all areas of our party, and these should be considered and embraced. Manchester was a significant next step for a party keen to move forward and tackle the huge challenges facing our country. These challenges can only be overcome if we stick together and we work together.

What Conservative Future has achieved over the last year

2011-09-30T07:39:00.000-07:00

Today it is one year since Conservative Future began a new term of office and what a great year it has been. Our main achievements so far have been:

- The formation of 80 extra branches across the UK leading to a total of 290 which is more than Labour and the Liberal Democrats

- Power has devolved down to Regional Chairman across the UK who have held a series of political, campaigning, fund-raisers and social action projects in their respective areas

- The creation of a national CF database with Lord Feldman’s guidance and help

- The formation of Northern Ireland Conservative Future

- Rewarding Conservative Future members though the National Excellence Awards

- The Prime Minister hosting a reception for all CF Branch, Area and Regional Chairman who helped to contribute towards the creation of our database

- Providing campaigning support to the No to AV group that was victorious

- Working with our sister parties internationally especially IYDU

- Launching high profile campaigns such as #iwantafreeschool and ‘Facts on Fees’

- Four Young Professional branches set up in London, Yorkshire, Birmingham and Manchester with guest speakers including high-profile politicians and business leaders

- Engaging more in social action events including sending out activists to Project Umubano

This list is just a snapshot of what we’ve achieved this year and there have been many, many more. We could not have done it without the tireless support from our membership. The majority of members that I have met this year are passionate, enthusiastic and committed to the Conservative cause.

We are looking forward to conference and are looking forward to seeing everyone at our reception and fringe events that we are hosting. Click here for more details.

To read Ben Howlett’s analysis of the past year please click here

Wear Your Poppy With Pride Campaign

2011-09-26T13:27:00.000-07:00

For the last decade my family and I have been knocking on doors in Purley selling poppies in the run-up to Remembrance Sunday. The British Legion's Poppy Appeal honours the immense contribution of those who gave their lives in both world wars and since then, in other conflicts around the world. Since losing my friend in a gun battle against the Taleban in Helmand in December 2006, this day has become all the more poignant for me and gives me a chance to reflect on the current servicemen in action in conflict zones around the world. The Poppy Appeal also plays a vital role in highlighting the needs of ex-servicemen and women who require help and care after their years of active service.

With this in mind it probably would not surprise you how dismayed I was when Harriet Phipps contacted me about her campaign, Wear Your Poppy With Pride. Last year whilst Harriet was at work she was asked by her employer to remove her poppy on two occasions. Harriet initially refused and felt upset, pressurised and confused. When she asked why she was informed that it wasn't part of her shop uniform and therefore was not company policy. She has set up a petition to amend the law and wants to get over 100,000 signatures so that it is debated in the chamber.

Please click here to sign it

Come to our Autumn Reception with Rt. Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP

2011-09-23T08:38:00.000-07:00

We are delighted to be hosting a series of receptions over the next few months to welcome our newest, current and young professional CF members.

Our first event is an evening reception with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Rt. Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP.

Since Iain was elected as Member of Parliament for Chingford in 1992, he has been one of the leading lights of the Conservative Party leading the most radical welfare reforms since WWII- attempting to mend “broken Britain”. Iain was promoted to William Hague’s Shadow Cabinet in 1997 and as Shadow Secretary of State for Social Security, he exposed Labour’s hypocrisy and failure on welfare reform.

In 2001, Iain was elected Leader of the Conservative Party. After stepping down in 2003, he set up the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), an independent think tank committed to tackling poverty and social breakdown. Iain worked tirelessly as Chairman of the CSJ until the 2010 General Election, when he was appointed Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

This is a great opportunity to meet new members from across the country and mingle with our growing young professionals group who will share their views.

We look forward to seeing you there.

To buy your ticket please click here

To RSVP via facebook, click here

John Piper: "Get involved in the Waddon Public Art Project"

2011-09-20T03:36:00.000-07:00

Local Waddon resident John Piper has lived along Bramley Hurst for 12 years and wants to encourage local residents to get involved in the Waddon Public Art Project. He said:

An example of public art panels

"At a recent meeting of the Waddon Forum it was put forward to us that some public art would be around the area of the new leisure centre. So I am calling all local residents out there to get involved- it could be a mural, a local artists work or different things for different panels.Please do get involved as it'll be a great boost for Waddon- in particular for Purley Way residents!"

The Waddon Public Art Project will oversee the design and installation of public art for the development on the Purley Way. Croydon Council will commission artists to integrate public artworks into the development and are seeking volunteers who have a real understanding of the Waddon area and experience of how public art can make a positive impact on local communities. The community panel will assist the organisers to shape the project to make sure it connects with the local area as well as create inspirational landmarks that a new community can be proud of.

For more information or to be involved in the community panel please contact John at: johnkpiper@yahoo.co.uk

We Must Stand Firm in the War on Terror

2011-09-11T12:19:00.000-07:00

Ten years have passed since over three thousand innocent people were massacred in a series of brutal terrorist attacks designed to divide and destroy our way of live. The victims were from all backgrounds, cultures and ethnic groups – a fact which symbolised that Al Qaeda’s terrorism is aimed at all innocents, regardless of their faith. Back then, the world was united in taking down this brutal terrorist leader and dismantling the corrupt and cruel Taliban regime.

In that time, events such as the war in Iraq, the insurgency, ongoing military casualties have shaken public opinion in battling against the war on terror. When you see anti-war banners being waved and mass protests calling on our troops to come home, it’s sometimes easy to forget what they are out their fighting for. Today is a reminder of that cause, and one which none of us should ever, ever forget.

Many hundreds of British troops have given their lives to liberate the peoples of Iraq and Afghanistan. The battles have indeed been challenging, with a huge loss of military and civilian life that have knocked public opinion and triggered many people to turn against the efforts of our brave soldiers. But now one can argue that we world is better place without Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden.

We must stand shoulder to shoulder with our American cousins in this time of remembrance. The special relationship must endure and we must stand firm in the war on terror. Today we remember the thousands of innocent civilians whose only crime was to go into work on September 11^th, 2001. Although the road ahead poses many more challenges, we must come together and face this menace together.

If we forget why we are fighting this war, then we dishonour the thousands of innocent people who lost their lives ten years ago.

Order your Freshers Pack Today!

2011-08-31T04:04:00.000-07:00

Well done to all of the CF branches who have ordered their packs already but there are still some outstanding.

Remember that fresher's season is nearly upon us and we have a vital role to play in recruiting as many new members, supporters and activists as possible.

Let's all aim to beat last years joining figure!

If you have not already done so then please order your pack via the link below and remember that if your CF branch has already sent in their membership data then they will not be charged for the pack.

Click here to order yours now

New CF Website

2011-08-25T03:39:00.000-07:00

After several months of planning and building the National Executive of Conservative Future is proud to announce a new-improved website- have a look here

Charles & Camilla Visit Croydon

2011-08-18T04:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall cut their summer holiday short in Scotland to visit Croydon in the aftermath of the riots.

Their visit came as it was announced by the government that they would give £20m of investment to Croydon, kick-starting economic growth and regeneration. It is estimated that over 200 businesses were affected by the riots in Croydon so this investment has been well received by local residents and community leaders.

Charles and Camilla walked along London Road and met local residents and business owners who had lost their homes and businesses because of the riots. They were greeted with cheers and local residents described the couple as ‘kind and concerned.’

After a day of visiting areas in London that had been affected by the riots, the price spoke frankly about the problem of gang culture saying: "I still think half the problem is that people join gangs because it is a cry for help, the fact they're looking for a framework, a sense of belonging, and a meaning.

"What's been so lacking is that sort of opportunity to allow people to be motivated and encouraged, and frankly exhausted because that's what you really want at that age."

Mending Our Broken Society Together

2011-08-15T08:09:00.000-07:00

Today from a youth centre in Witney, the Prime Minister addressed the nation about last week’s rioting across England and concluded by stating: “The restoration of responsibility has to cut right across our society. Because whatever the arguments, we all belong to the same society and we all have a stake in making it better. There is no ‘them’ and ‘us’- there is us. We are all in this together and we will mend our broken society- together.”

David Cameron gave a passionate speech where he pledged that the government would “turn around the lives of the 120,000 most troubled families” by 2015. He said that all future domestic policies would be subject to a “family test” so that they do not encourage family breakdown as many rioters had grown up without fathers or male role models.

He reminded us of the plans to have school leavers take part in a National Citizen Service where young people spend time volunteering in hospitals and community centres.

He announced that the government would accelerate the plans for free schools and city academies as “an education system is needed that reinforces the message that if you do the wrong thing you’ll be disciplined, but if you work hard and play by the rules then you’ll succeed.”

He also made reference to Croydon: “I’ll never forget talking to Maurice Reeves, whose family had run the Reeves furniture store in Croydon for generations. This was an 80 years old man who had seen the business he had loved, that his family had built up for generations, simply destroyed. A hundred years of hard work, burned to the ground in a few hours.”

Social problems have been festering for decades in our society and last weeks riots were a wake-up call for our country. We need to be determined to change attitudes and behavior if we want to turn our country around and this morning Cameron gave a stellar performance as he spoke passionately about how we will solve these problems together.

To read a full transcript of his speech please click here

Cameron gets tough

2011-08-10T09:07:00.000-07:00

From the Conservative Party's bulletin:

"People should be in no doubt, we will do everything necessary to restore order to Britain's streets and to make them safe for law abiding citizens. We completely condemn the scenes that we have seen on our television screens and in our communities. These are sickening scenes. This is criminality pure and simple. It has to be confronted and defeated. We are on the side of the law abiding people who are appalled by what has happens in their own communities. We needed a fight back - and a fight back is underway.

Police officers have shown incredible bravery confronting the thugs. Since yesterday there are more police on the street. More people have been arrested. And more people are being charged and prosecuted. Last night there were around 16,000 police on the streets of London, and there is evidence that a more robust approach to policing in London resulted in a much quieter night across the capital. But there is absolutely no room for complacency and there is much more to be done. Full contingency planning is going ahead. Whatever resources the police need - they will get. Whatever tactics the police feel they need to employ - they will have legal backing to do so. We will do whatever is necessary to restore law and order onto our streets.

We have a very clear message for those who are responsible for this wrongdoing and criminality - you will feel the full force of the law. If you are old enough to commit these crimes, you are old enough to face the punishment. Today major police operations are underway to arrest the criminals who were not picked up last night but who were picked up on CCTV. Picture by picture these criminals are being identified and arrested.

The root cause of this mindless selfishness is a complete lack of responsibility in parts of our society: people allowed to feel that the world owes them something, that their rights outweigh their responsibilities, and that their actions do not have consequences. Well they do have consequences. We are determined to restore a stronger sense of responsibility across our society.

Tomorrow Cobra will meet again and the Cabinet will meet. The Prime Minister will make a statement to parliament. But today right now the priority is still clear. We will take every action necessary to bring order back to our streets."

People Power Helps Croydon Clean Up

2011-08-09T06:07:00.000-07:00

Despite the waves of negative press coverage and violence that have engulfed our town over the last 24 hours, the volunteer response from local families and even children has been truly heart-warming. Local community leaders like Gavin Barwell are using social media sites to coordinate the team clean ups which have so far received a huge turnout and warm response from the public.

Already progress is underway to clean up the town centre in a process that could take several days. Let’s prove to the rioters that whatever they try and destroy, we will rebuild and show them that their senseless actions will never get the better of us. Once again, we should extend our thanks and to our brave emergency services and support the victims of this carnage like the Reeves family to show we are united against mob rule.

Zero Tolerance for the Thugs who Tried and Failed to Destroy Croydon

2011-08-08T15:00:00.000-07:00

Listening to grieving shop owners telling reporters on Sky News about being forced to watch mindless thugs loot, destroy and burn their family businesses to the ground was a heartbreaking experience. You have to wonder what kind of people would cause such destruction, and take so much pleasure in the suffering of innocent people. Today our wonderful town was attacked by a handful of disgusting thugs who saw it their duty to terrify residents, throw rocks at Police and set fire to historical buildings – some of them over 100 years old.

It’s clear in this scenario that these people cannot be reasoned with. They do not understand or care for the welfare of others. If anything, the destruction of other people’s livelihoods is there only vocation, as unlike most people they do not get out of bed to go to work. Hopefully, they will be severely punished for the harm they have caused our town and will have chance to reflect on their actions behind bars in a cold, damp prison cell for a lengthy period of time.

A photo taken by a friend who lives opposite Reeves Corner

Croydon’s residents will rise up from the ashes of today’s mindless riots and get our town back on track. But for the local shops and terrified victims who have lost their homes it will be a long time before they can even begin to get over the devastation.

Today, mindless thugs tried and failed to destroy our town. Now it’s up to our community to pull together and help the victims of this carnage to rebuild their lives.

Please support our appeal for Birch Memorial School in Makeni, Sierra Leone

2011-08-02T12:22:00.000-07:00

Me teaching chemistry to my class

I was very proud to take part in this year’s Project Umubano schools programme in

Sierra Leone

. It was my first time in the country and although I had read about the numerous challenges it faced, the first hand experience as a volunteer gave me a real insight into the huge scale of hardship and suffering still burdening its people. This experience also showed me the huge difference a project like Umubano can make to people’s lives.

This year Umubano in

Sierra Leone

expanded to include a community element through a partnership with Street Child of Sierra Leone (SCoSL) where I was part of a group of 10 volunteers who taught at a summerschool in Makeni.

When our group first arrived at the children’s centre in Makeni, we were delighted to be greeted by 150 children who welcomed us by singing us a song. A few of them then stood up to carry out a role play that aimed to explain why they were living on the streets. Many of the street children are orphans, having lost their parents during the war and over 50 per cent of the girls are forced to work as prostitutes in order to survive. Life threatening disease is common- especially Malaria, which is the country’s biggest killer, as the people cannot afford to buy a mosquito net or long trousers or tops to protect them.

Umubano volunteers with the street children

Every day is a struggle for survival and families and their children have limited means. They have no material possessions and wear the same clothes, donated by charities, day in and day out. On the streets the people lack access to clean water, so catching diseases is common and oftenfatal. There is also a shortage of community role models, as every adult who has been in their life has either let them down or has died due to war, famine or disease.

However the children of

Sierra Leone

have the same hopes and dreams that Umubano is helping come true.

On my first day teaching, I discussed with the children what they wanted to be when they grew up, and what they hoped their life would bring.

Becoming President of Sierra Leone was a popular career choice as many of the children wanted to correct the wrongs of the country and improve living standards for all residents. Other popular career choices included becoming a lawyer or a teacher, as these professions were considered respectable amongst their peers.

For too long these children have been the forgotten voices of Sierra Leone and SCoSL aims to ensure that they can get their dignity back by giving them an education, three meals a day and access to clean water.

The Umubano team with Stephen O'Brien MP and Tom Dannatt- founder of SCoSL

The 150 children that we met were all enrolled on an 18 month programme that aimed to send them back to school and eventually, to their families. In cases where there are no families around to look after the children then a foster family is found for them.

As Umubano volunteers we threw ourselves into the programme and by day two were teaching classes of up to 70 students, with no resources in maths, English language, geography, history and science. I was teaching students science who had been out of school for up two years but who had the same intelligence as children starting their GCSEs in the

. It was daunting to say the least to be surrounded by such bright and promising children!

As we taught the lessons, I was overwhelmed at the warmth and love the children showed for us, despite everything they had against them.

This group of children contained the most courageous, strong and brave group of people that I had ever met. Every day I would hold another child’s hand and listen to the unimaginable horrors of their life that no one should ever be allowed to endure.

It was amazing to hear story after story as to why they had ended up on the streets, the hardships they faced and yet despite all of this they had such a strong enthusiasm and desire to learn. Their thirst for knowledge was impressive but even more so given their situation and the challenges that they faced.

As I rested on the plane ride home, I was still coming to terms with the overwhelming experiences and inspirations I had seen over the last two weeks. Whilst I was lucky enough to be flying safely back to my home, my family and daily routine, I was acutely aware that this is a luxury that the children in the school still do not have. Hopefully, with inspirational projects like Umubano, one day these dreams will become a reality for the children of

Sierra Leone

On my last day I made a promise to Mr Shekuba Sessay, the Principal of Birch Memorial Secondary School in Makeni that I would send him items that the school needs. Items such as exercise books, pens, pencils, rulers, chalk and text books are considered luxuries in Sierra Leone- even though in the

a teacher would not attempt to start a lesson without them!

The start of term is September 15^th and I am appealing to everyone to help me in this venture. If you can donate anything then please contact me at: clare.hilley@conservativefuture.com. I am aiming to send out a shipment by the end of August so that it reaches the school in time for the new term.

Street Children Welcome Umubano to Summer School

2011-07-27T06:08:00.000-07:00

When we arrived in Makeni, north of Freetown, we were struck by its beauty despite the chaotic environment and harsh surroundings.

The Street Child of Sierra Leone (SCoSL) Children’s Centre sits at the edge of town and provides educational and medical support to around 150 children. This sector of society is the most vulnerable, many of whom have lost their parents during the war, and they live on the streets of Makeni in one of the poorest counties in the world.

As part of Project Umubano we are running the summer school programme that aims to prepare the street children to enrol into schools in September.

In order to achieve this goal, we have been teaching subjects ranging from Maths to English and Social Studies. After our first six hour day, the whole school came together for a debrief. Many of the children expressed their gratitude and thanks for our help in teaching these subjects and for the effort that we have all made to visit them from the UK.

A lot of children explained how confident they now feel after having held a pen for the first time. Other children explained how they wanted to pass their school exams and become engineers, doctors and teachers.

The energy and thirst for knowledge amongst these children has impressed and touched us all, their curiosity and enthusiasm is humbling to say the least. These children have many problems ranging from the lack of food and fresh water to the threat of malaria and other life-threatening diseases. They lack the funds for basic necessities, as well as school fees, which will be provided by SCoSL once the school term begins in September.

The summer school aims to assess the level at which the children will re-enter education.

We were joined by Stephen O’Brien MP, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development, who spoke frankly about the role that we can individually play to support this fundamental area.

The Big Society in Action in Waddon

2011-07-13T02:47:00.000-07:00

I write this blog to update Conservative Future members rather than my local residents who I represent in Waddon. However there is one story that I would like to share with you that involves a school in my ward.

For over two years, St Andrews High School in Warrington Road has been operating a successful extended schools cluster, the Waddon Inclusive Network with four local primary schools in the area. I had the pleasure of attending a litter pick that they organised at Duppas Park when I first became elected and saw how supportive the older pupils were to the younger ones.

This is an example of the Government’s Big Society agenda in action as pupils at St Andrews High School had to give up their time outside of school to provide after school and holiday activities for younger pupils.

Recently they have strengthened their bond with St Andrews Church and hope to run an outreach programme there, which will help the elderly and young people in the local area build their skills.

In September they are launching a new project that will see the school link up with a local pupil referral unit. This initiative aims to help young people with the transition from primary to secondary school.

Headteacher David Matthews said: “We think we’ve got a really good model at St Andrew’s for growing the citizens of the future. We’re looking to run lots of activities that children can commit themselves to. If the Big Society is going to work, it’s going to be about forging good relationships with people living nearby.”

Local MP Richard Ottaway visited the school and was very impressed with the benefits that the pupils and local community feel from the projects. He concluded by stating: “The ‘Big Society is certainly flourishing here in Waddon and I wish them all the best with their future plans.”

Richard Ottaway MP visiting St Andrew's High School pupils

I commend the school for these initiaitves and wish them every success with their outreach programme and encourage other organisations in Waddon to strengthen their relationships with the local community in this way.

To read more click here

The Ronald Reagan Legacy

2011-07-04T06:48:00.000-07:00

Conservative Future members owe a great deal to both Ronald Reagan and Lady Thatcher for what they achieved. Whether they were fighting the tyranny of Communism or laying the foundations of good, solid, traditional Conservative principles – both shone on the world stage and made the special relationship truly special.

Today, outside the American Embassy for the unveiling of the Ronald Reagan statue, we were reminded of the battles that these great leaders fought on our behalf. It was moving to see Condoleezza Rice, the 66^th Secretary of State for the USA and William Hague, current Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for the UK standing shoulder to shoulder, signifying the strong bond between our two countries today. Before the unveiling of the statue began Hague stated how “honoured” he was to personally take part in a ceremony “for a man who changed the political landscape at the time when I first became involved in it.”

Unfortunately Lady Thatcher was unable to attend due to health reasons but Hague read out the following words on her behalf: “Ronald Reagan was a great President and a great man - a true leader for our times. He held clear principles and acted upon them with purpose. Through his strength and his conviction he brought millions of people to freedom as the Iron Curtain finally came down. It was a pleasure to be his colleague and his friend and I hope that this statue will be a reminder to future generations of the debt we owe him.”

A big thank you to the The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation for inviting us to this very special and memorable occasion. Whatever the challenges ahead, today we were reminded that the special relationship will endure and that Britain and America have a shared history and unbreakable bond.

Conservative Future: Students get their money's worth

2011-06-29T02:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday’s reforms proposed in the Higher Education White Paper ensure that students get their money’s worth.

Chairman of Conservative Future Ben Howlett made these comments yesterday:

“With progressive reforms to the higher education system proposed earlier this year, it is only fair that if students are asked to pay more once they graduate, Universities have an obligation to deliver more for students.

Under the white paper plans set out today, Universities will become more accountable and more transparent about what they are offering for students. The Government has been listening to students about how Universities should improve and the results in the White Paper set out today will benefit all students. There will be greater choice, better information before students apply, better teaching at university, more feedback on their work and better support for getting a job at the end of their courses.

As Conservative Future Chairman I have met with students across the UK and listened to their concerns about higher education. Their concerns were that under 13 years of Labour students were not trusted with their own choices. The White Paper proposes reforms that put power in the hands of students to make higher education institutions more responsive to their demands and choices.

Today's proposals look at fairer student funding for the first time. There will be absolutely no upfront fees for students and graduate contributions will be more affordable with the poorest better off than before. Over the past decade money was spent without teaching in mind, in response the teaching grant will now be targeted for courses where it is needed. There will be more help with living costs for all poorer students and a new £150 million National Scholarship Programme. As a result the Institute for Fiscal Studies has given its thumbs up, 'the Government's proposals are more progressive than the current system'.

For the first time the White Paper offers a system that produces better courses and better qualified graduates. The quality of teaching will improve through greater competition, resulting in greater participation in higher education. There will be more opportunities for other education providers and charities to sponsor courses as a result. In March, the OECD said 'The increase in the tuition fee ceiling is reasonable and should pave the way for higher participation in tertiary education'. Access and quality will increase by removing the target on student numbers to make Universities responsive to student demand.

By far one of the biggest complaints about higher education by students came from the lack of support from the Labour Government on the Careers Service. The Government is proposing a new, all-age Careers Service. They want to improve the quality of careers advice supporting schools to provide a good careers advice.

Conservative Future believes these proposals are a progressive and fair alternative for higher education. For the first time in decades today's proposals give real support to students and ensure that they get their money's worth.”

New Branch in South Tees

2011-06-28T08:40:00.000-07:00

I’m really proud to announce that a group of young Conservatives have set up a branch as part of South Tees Conservative Association.

Joint Chairman Scott Holmes and Cameron Brown are behind its creation in a move to revitalize and bring a new young perspective into the local Party.

They’ve already set out their ambitions for the organisation, and the area including, increasing members, branching out into colleges and universities, fundraising and campaigning for greater youth involvement in the decision-making process.

The branch has already received support by all 11 Conservative Councillors in Teesside.

Cllr Chris Hobson, Leader of the Middleborough Conservative Group said: “We need to encourage the young to get involved in politics and what better way is there than through a group like this.”

Good luck to all and let me know if you need any help with anything!

An Evening with Chris Grayling MP: Getting Young People into Employment

2011-06-21T03:34:00.000-07:00

Over the last 13 years under Labour young people and graduates have been finding it harder to find work. The government is working to get more young people into work and Conservative Future support the plans fully.

A few days ago the government announced that unemployment figures had dramatically fallen by 88,000. The drop mainly occurred in those aged between 16-24 with youth unemployment falling by 79,000.

Last month Employment Minister Chris Grayling MP launched the revolutionary Work Programme with the aim to support around 2.5million people to get back to work over the next 5 years.

We are hosting a reception with Chris Graying MP so that he can talk to us in more detail about these plans.

If you would like to attend then please contact me at: clare.hilley@conservativefuture.com to register your attendance.

Date and time: Tuesday 12th July. 7pm-9:30pm 

Location: CCHQ, 30 Millbank 

Tickets: £5 including wine

As tickets will sell fast you can pay online to reserve your ticket by going to www.paypal.com and transferring or ‘send money’ of £5 to ben.howlett@conservativefuture.com.

To RSVP via facebook- click here

Happy Birthday Boris

2011-06-17T03:22:00.000-07:00

Boris turns 47 on Sunday and we’re celebrating by going out across London spreading the message on Boris’s great record as Mayor.

Since being elected, Boris has frozen his share of our council tax, cut crime in London by nearly 9% and started a massive upgrade to the capital's transport network. And by May 2012 there will be over 1,000 more police officers on the streets than when he came to office in May 2008.

If you would like to attend one of these events in Richmond, Trafalgar Square, Spitalfields Market, Croydon or Enfield then please contact me at: clare.hilley@conservativefuture.com

Cameron: "Thank you Conservative Future"

2011-06-15T02:24:00.000-07:00

Last night we hosted a reception at the Westminster Park Plaza Hotel for Conservative Future Branch Chairman from across the UK. This was to thank them for their efforts and help with our new centralised membership database.

We were honoured to have both the Prime Minister, David Cameron and Party Chairman, Lord Feldman address us. They are fully behind a modern, dynamic and forward-looking Conservative Future and praised the work that Ben, myself and the rest of the executive have done, describing us as "a vital component in the Conservative Party".

Over the last few months we have been collating activists membership data in a bid to create Conservative Future's first ever centralised membership database which will allow us to communicate with our members nationally. I'm pleased to announce that we have gathered over 5,000 new activists contact details which puts us in a position to push for more members than ever before.

We've got the largest youth membership of any political youth organisation in the UK- surpassing both Liberal Youth and Young Labour.

Long may this continue and another big thank you to Conservative Future members who campaign in the wind, rain or snow! Thank you for all of your hard work, enthusiasm and support in helping Conservative Future go from strength to strength.

Boris set to win in 2012

2011-06-15T01:51:00.000-07:00

On Monday I attended London Conservative Future's summer party with Boris Johnson. It was a brilliant night at St Stephen's Club with a guest list of over 250 CF activists, London MEPs, London MPs, GLAM and GLA candidates.

Boris gave a rousing speech and commented at how proud he was at delivering his five key 2008 election pledges to Londoners. I am proud to be part of the BackBoris team and even though it will be a tough fight next May I firmly believe that we will keep London blue.

A big congratulations to Nic Clark and his team for organising this event and for raising over £10,000 for the BackBoris campaign fund.

For LondonSpin's write up of the night click here

Images from the Boris summer drinks party

Come & Meet Boris Johnson

2011-06-06T04:17:00.000-07:00

London Conservative Future are hosting a Summer Drinks Party with the Mayor of London; Boris Johnson (or BoJo as we call him!)

This is an event not to be missed and hundreds of activists have signed up to go already!

To read more click here

Buy your ticket here

About 100 of us at the launch of BackBoris- see if you can spot me! (remember 'Where's Wally?!)

Membership Collection

2011-06-06T04:07:00.000-07:00

Over the last month we have been working hard to contact all Branch Chairman across the UK to ask for their membership data.

Backed by Lord Feldman we are grateful for the membership data that we have collected so far.

To thank all of our Branch Chairman for their efforts in this important task we have invited them to an event on June 14th with a very senior member of the Conservative Party. Please contact Ben Howlett at: ben.howlett@conservativefuture.com if you have not yet received this invitation but have sent in your membership data.

I look forward to seeing you all next Tuesday!

China-UK Young Leaders Roundtable

2011-06-03T02:38:00.000-07:00

Last week I visited Beijing and Inner Mongolia as part of a 10 strong delegation team from the UK for the second China-UK Young Leaders Roundtable. Facilitated by the Great Britain-China Centre on the UK side and the All-China Youth Federation on the Chinese side, 24 delegates from both China and the UK participated.

The team in Hohhot

After being invited to this year’s Roundtable a few months ago I was quite apprehensive as to whether I should attend or not. China has a damning human rights record internationally and its rapid emergence as a global player on the world stage seems to provoke a range of mixed emotions from around the world - from excitement to anxiety. China ’s reputation as a growing economic power has resulted in it having a greater influence in world affairs. Its membership and increasing power in the IMF, World Bank and the G20 has given China a seat at the table alongside other major world economies, yet China still emphasises that it is a developing country and still considers itself a leading member of the G77 group of developing countries. It seemed to me to be a mixture of contradictions and I decided to attend to gain a greater understanding of the workings of the Chinese state and to also build relationships with future leaders.

After David Cameron’s successful visit to China last November where he led the largest trade delegation to China in over 200 years, Chinese leaders have publicly endorsed his concept of ‘Partners for Growth’ as increased bilateral trade and investment will undoubtedly benefit the economies of both countries. I wanted to understand how China has managed to lift 500million people out of poverty over the last 30 years and how it emerged strongly from the global economic crisis by becoming the second largest economy in the world in 2010.

Our first meeting after a long flight from London Heathrow to Beijing was with the Ambassador and his Embassy officials where we received an introductory briefing from them. We spoke at length about a variety of issues from human rights, trade& investment to science & innovation. It was also interesting to meet the rest of the UK delegation - a mixture of politicians, advisors and politicos from the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Labour, Downing Street and the business world.

Uk delegates at a community centre

The Roundtable discussion was fascinating and every delegate participated fully in the various topics that were covered. It provided a very useful insight into understanding China’s mentality, how its people view themselves on the world stage and what the pact is between the government and its people that still allows them to govern in a one party system. I felt that the Roundtable was an extremely useful learning and influencing opportunity as we had the chance to engage with Chinese delegates at length about the various ways where we felt progression was needed in China.

Over the next few days whilst in Beijing we had meetings with various government departments and companies and then departed for Inner Mongolia - which is China’s third largest autonomous region.

UK delegation with Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying at the Department of Foreign Affairs

It was fascinating to see the amount of construction going on in Hohhot and when we visited Tianjiao to speak to local residents about social insurance, medical insurance and community youth work it was great to see the progress that the Chinese have made in these areas.

Whether we like it or not China’s economic success is crucial to our own economic prospects. The franker the dialogue that we can have with them now privately will help both countries build a strong relationship for the future. I still have a lot of concerns about China’s progression in applying human rights and creating an independent civil society under the rule of law as they are universal rights and essential for China’s long-term economic and political stability. However with the recent social provision reforms around pensions and healthcare, China are moving in the right direction but we must always remember that it is only a direction of travel with no clear final destination in sight.

I would like to thank the Great Britain-China Centre for inviting me and to Diageo and Standard Chartered for sponsoring the trip.

The delegation at a Mongolian banquet

To read more click here

Ronald Reagan Statue Unveiling

2011-06-01T08:42:00.000-07:00

On Monday 4^th July Conservative Future members have been invited to the Ronald Reagan Statue unveiling outside the American Embassy in London.

It is an event not to be missed that will honour Reagan’s legacy and commemorate his achievements.

To join us at this event please email: ben.howlett@conservativefuture.com

Sweden YC's come to visit

2011-05-19T03:21:00.000-07:00

The Swedish Young Conservatives, led by Vice-President Lisa Hogkill are coming over for a few days next week to visit us. MUF is the youth wing of the Swedish Conservative Party Moderaterna, which is led by the Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt.

London North Central Area South East, Richmond Park and Kingston CF Branch will be co-hosting a reception for them.

Guest speakers include: Greg Hands MP, Nirj Deva MEP for the South East and Marina Yannakoudakis MEP for London

Please make sure that you attend to welcome the Swedish Delegation.

Date: Friday May 27th
Time: 7.30pm-9.30pm
Location: CCHQ, 30 Millbank
Ticket: £5 entry
RSVP: Due to security reasons you must register in advance with ben.howlett@conservativefuture.com
Facebook link

Book Launch

2011-05-19T02:54:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to the much anticipated book launch of The Cameron-Clegg Government by Simon Lee and Matt Beech of the University of Hull. It gives a frank review of the last year of the coalition government.

The Daily Telegraph's Chief Political Commentator Peter Oborne spoke and it was interesting to meet a eclectic range of people.

I look forward to reading the book and giving you a review when finishing it.

Having a baby- A Privilege or a Right?

2011-05-16T06:09:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday 18th May the Conservative Women's Organisation is hosting another forum discussion on whether having a baby is a privilege or a right.

Guest speakers include Dr Daniel Poulter MP who before he entered parliament was a previous NHS doctor specialising in obstetrics, gynaecology and women's health and Lord Howard Flight who was an MP until 2005.

CWO provide this info about the discussion:

With available and developing medical technology, there are more chances of couples previously unable to have children (e.g. homosexuals, post-menopausal women and medically barren couples) to be able to assist nature. Should everyone have free access to pregnancy assistance? Every day, children are removed from abusive parents and become wards of court. Should certain groups or individuals be prevented from having children?

Come along and join in the discussion!

To RSVP please email forums@conservativewomen.org.uk to register your attendance.

The Future for China-EU Relations

2011-05-14T05:37:00.000-07:00

Last Friday Conservative Future were invited to take part in a roundtable discussion with the Chinese Ambassador and his embassy officials as part of the EU-China Year of Youth. Other youth groups from political parties were invited to contribute to this discussion including; Liberal Youth, the Young Fabians and Young Labour. The discussion was stimulating, interesting and heated and looked at issues from educational links that both the EU and China can have to a topical debate on resolving climate change.

Conservative Future’s Chairman Ben Howlett spoke on trade relations between the two countries: “Chinese-British trade relations have never been stronger and we want to see that continue and grow in the future. Younger people rely on a growing economy and a growth in trade between our two nations will result in more jobs for both of our economies.”

We would like to thank the Chinese Embassy and his excellency Ambassador Lui Xiaoming for his kind invitation to this event.

Guest Post: Cllr Peter Cannon

2011-05-11T01:21:00.000-07:00

Dartford's newly elected councillor Peter Cannon has written this article which is excellent:

The rejection of AV- another massive failure of the 'progressive majority'

With the monumental rejection of AV by the huge margin of 68% to 32% in the second UK-wide referendum ever in British history, the Guardianistas and Independent / New Statesman ‘progressive majority’ types have not had so much egg on their faces since they jumped on the Cleggmania bandwagon and backed the Lib Dems at the last election. Despite the ‘anti-politics’ mood, people voted overwhelmingly not to change our much-maligned electoral system. The Guardian, Independent and New Statesman largely justified their backing for the Lib Dems on the ‘historic opportunity’ for electoral reform – now the British people have crushed that dream. What can electoral reform advocates moan about now? They had their chance, and they blew it. The people said no, by more than 2 to 1. They can’t blame the voting system for that one.

It was amusing that the only ten areas (out of 441) in the whole of Britain that voted yes were university cities like Oxford and Cambridge, trendy-lefty London boroughs like Islington and Camden and the student parts of central Edinburgh and Glasgow Kelvin. I don’t know who it was who started the vicious rumour that Scotland and Wales were likely to vote Yes to AV: they both voted overwhelmingly No (regardless of the support of the SNP and Plaid Cymru for the Yes side). So did Sheffield and Doncaster, the cities represented by Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband.

An article by Tom Clark, leader-writer of the Guardian, says sadly: "No one ever claimed that Guardian readers were representative of the wider population, but compare the referendum result with the views you expressed in our own survey a couple of years ago, and you could be forgiven for thinking that planet Guardian exists in an entirely different universe." Indeed.

So who are the Guardianistas going to blame, and what are their excuses this time? As always, they obviously cannot blame themselves, or accept that the British people really didn’t want what they wanted.

Tom Clark claims: "But this is not, in fact, a case of a chasm between those branded the chattering classes by their detractors, and the wider population." Really? With a 68-32 No, despite all the condemnation of the No campaign? Clark goes on to hilariously blame leaflets from the Electoral Commission for "making AV look horrendously complex" and including "entirely superfluous information (aka the truth), such as the fact that the lack of an obligation to rank all of the candidates means an election can, in certain circumstances, be won with less than half the total votes." Ah yes, the fact that AV doesn't work.

So will the electoral reformers accept that they have lost? Not a bit of it.

Katie Ghose, the chair of the Yes to Fairer Votes campaign, lamented: "The referendum hasn't been the debate on issues of democracy that people would have hoped for. Too often the debate has been about party politics and the public has been shut out of discussing how we choose our MPs." Well, when they were finally ‘let in’, they made their views rather clear. She adds: "Over five million people voted for change - a tribute to our campaigners." And over eleven million voted against it.

Chris Huhne went further, writing in the Independent that "No reform now means bigger reform later". He writes: "When change comes, as it will, it is likely to be more radical. The problems to which electoral reformers are responding have not gone away and will continue to demand an answer." What breathtaking arrogance and contempt for the electorate – the British people have given you your answer. This reminds me of the argument that it was 'inevitable' that Britain would join the Euro - look how that one turned out.

In a ridiculous line of attack, Chris Huhne argued: "Last week, David Cameron proved that he is a real Tory, because he fell in line with the long tradition of Tory leaders who resisted devolution, votes for women, and even votes for all men." What a pathetic and spiteful argument - how is campaigning for people to vote No to AV in any way equivalent to denying rights to anyone?" Huhne, of course, conveniently forgets that it was in fact a Conservative government which introduced universal and equal suffrage. But that does not fit in with the simplistic left-wing fantasy version of history.

The Lib Dems, who are reacting to their defeat with childish outbursts against their Conservative coalition ‘partners’ must not be rewarded for this disgraceful behaviour. Nor should they be compensated for the verdict of the British people, or given a consolation prize for their losses at the ballot box – that would be a display of contempt for the electorate and an inversion of the logic of democracy. The Lib Dems are in no position to demand anything, nor do they have any right or mandate to. They had their big prize – a referendum on electoral reform – but the people voted no. It is absurd that they should feel aggrieved that the public voted ‘the wrong way’. They now seem to feel betrayed because they got it into their heads that part of the coalition agreement was not only that they would have a referendum but that they would win it – that the Conservatives would just sit back, say nothing, and let them win unopposed. That seems to be the Lib Dems’ idea of democracy. Not merely an electoral system stacked in their favour, but a referendum stacked in their favour as well. Thank goodness they have been denied the boost in power which AV would have given them.

Perhaps the other people who need to think again are those who go on about the so-called ‘progressive majority’. The argument from Vince Cable, Peter Mandelson and others that AV would bolster the ‘progressive majority’ against the wicked Tory minority, presumably with an endless future of Lib-Lab pacts, evidently did not appeal to much of the electorate. Perhaps they need to wake up to the fact that the ‘progressive majority’ does not exist beyond their own imaginations. The reality is that many Labour voters do not subscribe to the trendy ‘progressive’ causes of social liberalism, multiculturalism, European integration, pacifism, republicanism, secularism and nuclear disarmament. Labour and the Liberal Democrats are not the same. Did anyone really vote ‘progressive’ at the last election? I thought not. The AV referendum is a clear example of the majority of Conservative AND Labour voters uniting to reject the ‘progressive’ cause of the moment.

The ‘progressive majority’ myth died with AV.

CCHQ launch new poster....

2011-05-07T05:13:00.000-07:00

Enjoy!

Thank You

2011-05-07T04:38:00.000-07:00

On behalf of Conservative Future I’d like to say a big thank you to all activists across the country who have been campaigning tirelessly hard over the last six months.

We have had an solid set of results for what was always going to be a tough set of elections and we should be very proud of what we’ve achieved. The Conservative Party fielded council candidates in 94% of the seats up for election in England which was the largest of any political party.

I know that there are CF members across the country who stood as candidates so congratulations to those of you that won and commiserations to those that did not but remember that there is always next time.

Our vote share held up throughout England and we even gained seats across local councils such as Dartford where we gained 5 seats to Labour’s loss of 3.

The country nationwide also voted a resounding NO in the AV referendum. Turnout was higher than expected with 42% of the vote and with over 13 million people across the UK voting against it, AV was rejected by a 70% vote share to a YES vote share of just 30%

These results prove that the government is on track with their three main priorities in the first half of this year, growth, aspiration and modernising public services.

Speaking at CCHQ our Prime Minister said:

“The Conservative vote share has held up and I think that is because Conservative councils and councillors have done a good job up and down the country providing quality services and keeping their costs and their tax bills under control.”

In an open letter to all Conservative activists across the UK, our Co-Chairman Baroness Warsi said:

“I want to take this opportunity to thank you for all of your hard work over this election campaign.

Having spent the last few months touring the country, meeting thousands of you and taking part in your campaigns, I have seen at first hand the effort you have all put in and I am proud to be part of a party which has such devoted activists.
Because of your determination, dedication and drive our campaign has only got stronger as we have taken our message to the country: don't let Labour do to your Council what they did to our Country.
Above all, these elections were all about protecting a core British belief, an idea that has been the bedrock of our democracy for many years: One Person, One Vote. The campaign against AV is something that I am very passionate about and although we won't know the final results until later this evening, I can tell you now we have fought a strong, principled and proud campaign.
Once again thank you on behalf of everyone in the Conservative party for making every second count in this campaign.”

VOTE NO TODAY

2011-05-05T02:03:00.000-07:00

Today in the first nationwide referendum for 36 years the nation has a chance to defend One Person, One Vote.

Even though the latest ComRes poll for The Independent gives the NO2AV campaign a 32 point lead among people who have made up their minds, voters need still to be encouraged to get to their polling station and vote NO today.

Five reasons why:

COMPLEXITY- Current system, First Past the Post is so simple it can be summed up in 7 words: the person with the most votes wins

UNFAIR- Under First Past the Post everyone gets one vote and that vote is counted once which is fair. Under AV, supporters of fringe parties can get their votes counted again and again which is unfair. It’s not right that the fifth vote of a Monster Raving Looney supporter counts as much as someone’s first vote.

GIVING YOUR POWER TO POLITICIANS- Under AV it takes power away from people and gives it to politicians. Under our current system we can vote out governments as in 1979 and last year. Under AV this is less likely and would give more opportunities for tired politicians to cling onto power long after their time.

COST- Current system is cheap to administer and under AV it will no doubt cost more and bring extra bureaucracy with it.

UNPOPULAR- First Past the Post is used by half the planet including India and America. AV is used in just three countries: Australia, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

Only 7 days to go...

2011-04-28T08:20:00.000-07:00

With only 7 days to go until the AV referendum CCHQ have just sent out this rallying message to all members:

" Dear Clare,

A week today, Britain will make one of the most important decisions in our political history. I call the AV Referendum the mother of all elections - because this is critical to the future of our democracy.

The simple fact is unless enough people go out to vote next Thursday we could end up sleepwalking into a system which damages our democracy permanently. This is one election with no expiry date.

So with seven days to go, I am calling on you to join me and help win this referendum. From Belfast to Brighton, Glasgow to Gravesham, in Cardiff, Canterbury or Carlisle - we need you to help get out the vote. This is one of those elections where I need you to go the extra mile.

Remember: there are three big reasons why Britain should vote No next Thursday.

First, AV is unfair. With First Past the Post, everyone gets one vote. But under AV, supporters of extreme parties like the BNP will get their votes counted more than those who vote for mainstream parties. Put simply, BNP votes are worth more than yours.

Second, AV is confusing. Just look what happens in Australia, where they use AV and want to get rid of it. Party workers stand outside polling stations with 'How to Vote' cards, telling people the exact order to rank each candidate.

And third, AV is costly - no matter what our opponents claim, there is a real danger that AV would be an expensive political fix, coming with higher costs and a raft of new bureaucracy.

Take a look at the rest of the world. Right now, First Past the Post is used by 2.4 billion people across the planet. It's the most widely used system in the world. But AV is used in just three countries: Australia, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

So if, like me, like Churchill, like many leading historians, sports stars and scientists, you know that AV would be a disaster for our democracy, get in touch with your local association and find out how you can help.

There's also still time to join our No to AV Group. Over a thousand people have already signed up, and they're really helping to shape our campaign, giving important feedback and getting exclusive previews of all our No to AV ad campaigns.

Whether it's delivering leaflets, canvassing constituents, or putting up posters, anything you can do will help in these last few days. And while you're at it, you can also get involved in our local election campaign - and help stop Labour doing to your council what they did to our country.

Best wishes,

Sayeeda Warsi
Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party"