Why I am standing for NME: Craig Cox

“The last time the UK was in the position it is now, was 1975: the Labour Party was withering towards cessation, public opinion was divided, and the Conservatives had just elected a vibrant new leader. Now, 31 years on, the parallels are all too similar. If we are to take back the keys to No.10- just as Margaret Thatcher did 27 years ago, then we must embark on a road of principled practicality; if we can manage our organisation efficiently, this Party can achieve great things once again”.

These simple words open up my election manifesto for the CF NME elections later this summer. The words efficiency, accountability, and decentralisation appear throughout, cementing my opinions on how we should run our organisation, and how enforcing such views would turn us into a respected and envied machine.

We currently have a CF that is capriciously spread across the UK: some areas are getting corpulent on success; others are showing signs of scandalous starvation. This shouldn’t be the case; why can we not understand the importance of creating bonds between strong and weak branches? We did it in Horsham and Crawley: within the year, we turned into the strongest branch in Sussex. It cannot be difficult to realise the potential gains from such mergers; I will do all I can to get our branches turning into efficient recruiters, with the goal of achieving membership back up to levels of the Thatcher era. It can be done.

It is quite right that we should do more to accommodate the working-life CF member; but in our drive in diversify we must not forget the student population. It would be incongruous of us to neglect the impact of students in our party; we know they can work tirelessly to help deliver a Tory to Number 10, and we know that when they do it (and they will), the economy of all Student Bars will see a rise similar to the gargantuan ascent of rubbish piles in the socialist seventies…those same scenes appearing the morning after no doubt. The use of students, therefore, should be managed efficiently, and my plans for an increased level of student participation would see this approach adopted.

People have asked me why I want to stand for such a position; why do I want to surrender my own time; why bother? The answer is simple. We are being rampaged by a perennially hopeless government who assure us, that by hiking up our taxes, killing British businesses, and disenfranchising young voters, that they are doing the best for Britain. I want to see a stop to the flabby drivel that socialism has been espousing since the beginning of time, and a stop to this increasingly decrepit Labour Party. By doing my bit and establishing myself as a CF NME member, I can deliver my views on policy to the Party, and help return our country back to the days of market faith, and a society based on respect and responsibility. I can attempt to make CF into a strong, vibrant organisation that will focus on the strength of students, the importance of cities and the working-life membership, and the prospect of effective campaigning.

I want to make the Party see us as a serious movement, not just perpetuate the view of CF being a playground for political wannabes. To be elected to a position on the Executive is an opportunity to serve your conscience, and to serve your Party, mandated by the members. I must do all that I can to satisfy my own mind, to show that I am doing all that I can to make my Party more fit for government; and doing all that I can to make CF a well-oiled machine for generations to come. If I can do that, then I’ll be a very happy chappy indeed.

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