Conservative Diary

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Why I am standing for NME: Tim Aker

Tim_aker_1 My candidature is not one to bring complete panaceas to CF.  It’s not meant to be sweeping, general and holistic.  What it intends to do is practically target areas where CF can grow, influence and, more importantly, flex its political muscle!

From the ground up we need to make conservatism the dominant influence on policy where CF is active - that is my vision.  I’m not going to ramble on about how much I believe in conservatism, but instead I’m going to say how we spread our message, recruit and expand. We can’t spread our message if we don’t have a voice.

In schools we should aim to set up branches, get students onto school and students’ councils to show not only are CF being active in schools, but also in the community.  In the universities we can take back the NUS, SU’s and if we stick to the course of university CF branches running candidates for committees, NUS and SU elections, in 10 years time the Left will, and should, wonder what’s hit them.  The Leftist influence in the NUS isn’t going to go away until we make it go away.

Student issues aside, we are also a campaigning organisation too and I want us to campaign more.  That is why I would seek to put forward a campaign dear to mine, and so many members’ hearts, that to reinstate the whip to Roger Helmer MEP.  You may ask – what does this have to do with CF? Roger has been a great friend to CF, at Nottingham he came to speak twice in two years and is scheduled to do so again.  But that aside, all he did in having the whip withdrawn was to stand up for a principle he has put his political career to defend, that of British national sovereignty.  And if we can’t campaign on defending conservative principles and the people who defend those principles, we shouldn’t campaign for anything.

Regarding campaigning however, we need to send our message further and to get in touch with modern campaigning techniques.  More people visit the Myspace website in a day than will vote at the next election. Tapping into sites like these, with an official CF site, we can spread our message further, allow members outside London to get in contact, organise events and meet each other.  This way we have the potential to recruit so many more members.  Think of the effectiveness this will have in planning regional events, local campaign days and organising socials!   

With one eye on campaigning still, we need to ensure that we have an increase in the share of CF members running for local council.  My pledge to set up a mentoring scheme, where senior councillors guide CF candidates through all the processes of nominations, electioneering and what to do when elected, will not only make it easier for CF members to run, but will encourage more to stand.   

CF can be so much more than a London social club.  We can be a popular political organisation in our own right.  We can provide support to those who want to run for elected positions, wherever they are.  We can do so much with some New Thinking, for a new CF strategy.

If you have any questions please email me at [email protected], visit my website or use the comments feature below.

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