August bulletin

Click continue to see the latest bulletin.

It includes comments on the very commendable CF campaigning effort in the Ealing Southall by-election, a call for Area Chairmen to confirm they can still do their job, a call for writers for the official website, and details of several events.

Conservative Future Bulletin - August 2007

As another Parliamentary year draws to a close the belated August CF bulletin has details of a number of events during August and September as well as news updates including a thank you from Grant Shapps MP for CF support in Ealing Southall and how to get your hands on a Fresher's Fair pack.

If you have news or an event to share please contact: christianwalker@conservativefuture.com - if you have the time to look at developing the Bulletin please also get in touch.

In this edition:

* Fresher's Fair 
* CF in Ealing Southall
* How do young people form political opinions?
* Stand Up Speak Up
* Summer Announcement Follow Up
* CF Website Articles
* Next Bulletin
* Events

FRESHER'S FAIR

Conservative Future are currently putting together packs for this years' Fresher's Fairs.  These are key recruitment drives for CF and packs are available for all university and local branches to help in their recruitment, these will include everything you need from membership forms to banners, newly designed Boris t-shirts, and posters, Stand Up Speak Up literature and a host of branded paraphernalia to really push the numbers up this year.

Harry Cole, a politics student and Vice-Chairman/Treasurer of Edinburgh University Conservative Association, is running the recruitment drive out of CCHQ this summer. He is working closely with CF Chairman Mark Clark and Justine Greening MP to make sure a high number of new recruits sign up this autumn. Any candidates with a university in their constituency are asked to get to touch about getting involved in fresher's week events.  He has attempted to contact as many CF chairman as possible for delivery addresses and contact information.  However if Harry hasn't contacted you then please get in touch at [email protected]. 

CF IN EALING SOUTHALL

The level of work put in by CF during the recent Ealing Southall By-Election campaign has been described as brilliant by Grant Shapps MP (Welwyn Hatfield).  Grant also commented that the CF performance and support was something that we can all be very proud of.  "I believe it demonstrated to the most senior people in our Party how vital Conservative Future is to our success and the immense effort everyone put in will stand us in good stead as we move forward under Caroline
Spelman's chairmanship of the Party".

Many of those that were involved didn't just enjoy being part of the by-election team, but that also had the opportunity to see a by-election from the inside.  Grant commented "It was certainly great for me to see so many CF people who I hadn't met before from across the country and I think the Ealing CF blueprint for by-election support is one that we hopefully learn from and use again in the future."

HOW DO YOUNG PEOPLE FORM POLITICAL OPINIONS?

The Ditchley Foundation is planning a conference in December (7-9 December 2007) on the changing attitudes of young adults to the political arena and how they form political opinions.  I am writing to bring it to your attention and to invite you to participate.

The conference, chaired by Lord Kinnock of Bedwelty, Chairman of the British Council, will start at 4pm on Friday 7 December and end at lunchtime on Sunday 9 December.  The Saturday programme creates time for discussion in smaller groups, as well as an opportunity to visit

Oxford

or one of the stately homes nearby.  All those invited are guests of the Foundation during their stay and Ditchley will make all the necessary arrangements for guests to be met on arrival by train and to be transported back to the train station on departure.

The conference in December will examine the attitude of the younger generation (below the age of 30) to politics, political parties and people in power. Some of the lessons learnt in earlier Ditchley conferences on the politics of identity and religion (October 2006), on the ingredients of

UK

national identity (February 2007) and on the long-term impact of the internet (June 2007) will apply.  What influences young people in their views on public life?  How do they relate to party politics and how do they make their views known?  What do they respect, and why?  We shall be looking at developed democracies in particular, but with a broad range of ages and views represented, including from the developing world.

If you are interested in attending, please reply as soon as you feel able, and at the latest by Friday 28 September.  We will send you the detailed terms of reference for the discussion, together with a list of participants and a detailed programme, six to eight weeks before the start of the conference.  There is no requirement to present anything in writing or to make any other special preparation for the event.  The discussions are private:  no participant may attributably quote anything heard at the conference to anyone outside.

Further information on the Foundation and its activities can be found at www.ditchley.co.uk. 

STAND UP SPEAK UP

David Cameron has launched 'Stand Up Speak Up' a crucially important consultation exercise to help him and the Shadow Cabinet develop their programme for government, following the conclusion of the most comprehensive review of policy ever, carried out by six main Policy Groups and over twenty taskforces since
David became leader at the end of 2005.

David himself has stressed that ' we are not automatically accepting every recommendation in the Policy Review reports. There will be some proposals we do not agree with.  In some areas, hard choices will have to be made between competing priorities and, of course, no policies will be adopted until they have been properly costed by the Shadow Chancellor, George Osborne.   It is against that background that the vital ' Stand Up Speak Up' consultation has been organised---to initiate a nationwide debate before Conservative policy for the future is put into a hard and fast form.

David is inviting everyone to have their say because he wants to stimulate and revitalise democratic debate in

Britain

: for far too long too many people have not been properly engaged in that debate.The results of the consultation process are bound to be more valuable and better informed if CF members are fully involved.  Full details of how 'Stand Up Speak Up' operates can be found at http://standupspeakup.conservatives.com/ and a team of advisers are available on 0207 984 8277 or standupspeakup@conservatives.com.

SUMMER ANNOUCEMENT FOLLOW UP

Following the announcement last month about the extension in office for the current NME and Area Chairman a reminder that all CF Area Chairman are now asked to confirm their ability to continue in post until November in a joint email to Mark Clarke [email protected], Claire Palmer clairepalmer@conservativefuture.com, and copied to Christian Walker christianwalker@conservativefuture.com including their up to date contact details. 

Where people are unable to continue in post e.g. those at College, then the CF Executive will follow the established procedure to select an Area Chairman between elections.  There will also be an Area Chairman Day at the new CCHQ during September - details to follow.

CF WEBSITE ARTICLES

Those people interested in writing for the website should send their articles and stories to Christian Walker at christianwalker@conservativefuture.com

NEXT BULLETIN

The next Bulletin will be issued early September 2007.  The deadline for this issue is Thursday 30 August 2007.   For news in between bulletins please visit CF Diary at http://conservativehome.blogs.com/cfdiary/

EVENTS  (http://www.conservativefuture.com/insidecf/events.cfm)

If you have an event please send them to Christian at christian.walker@conservativefuture.com. For events near you please contact your Area Chairman.

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CAMPAIGN DAY IN PENDLE
Location: Pendle
Date: Saturday TBC September
Details: 10:30 start - venue tbc
Contact: Matthew Richardson at [email protected]

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DERBYSHIRE CONSERVATIVE FUTURE SUMMER CELEBRATION
Join the

County

Executive

to celebrating another period of membership growth. 
Location: N/A Derby
Date: 24 August 2007, 19:00 (Dinner)
Contact: Derbyshire Chairman Helen Walker at [email protected]

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BRISTOL & GLOUCESTERSHIRE CF DAYOUT TO THE BEACH
Location: Weston Super Mare, North Somerset
Date: Saturday, 25 August, 13:00 to 19:00
Contact: Area Chairman Nick Webb at [email protected]

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CONSERVATIVE WAY FORWARD RIVERSIDE THAMES BOAT PARTY
This will be a relaxed and fun evening, cruising from Westminster pier down to Greenwich. The event is also for a good cause, to raise money for Conservative candidates fighting marginal seats.
Location: Westminster Pier, River Thames
Date: Saturday 1 September, 19:00
Tickets: £40 including a sparkling reception & a delicious BBQ
Contact: Karen Allen at [email protected]

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BROMSGROVE CF SUMMER BALL
Location: Grafton Manor, Bromsgrove
Date 7 September 2007, 19:00
Contact: Ray Gillespie (Chairman) at [email protected]

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HAVERING CONSERVATIVE FUTURE - 8TH PRESIDENTS DINNER
Location: The Coach House Hotel, Main Road, Romford, Essex
Date: Friday 7 September 2007, 19:00 for 20:00 meal
Details: 3 course meal, fully licensed bar, disco afterwards
Contact: chairman@haveringconservativefuture.com or www.haveringcf.blogspot.com for further information

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BLUELIST POLITICAL ONLINE LAUNCH
The Bluelist political online system will be launched on the 12th September 2007. This web based system has taken a year to develop and we are confident that we will be delivering something of real value to our Bluelisters and candidates. We will be marking the event with a reception at the National Liberal Club. We hope that many of you are able to join us to mark the occasion.
Location: The David Lloyd George room, The National Liberal Club, Whitehall Place
Date: Wednesday 12th September, 2007, 18:30 to 20:00
Dress code: The rules of the club state that Gentlemen are expected to wear a jacket and tie, for ladies smart town wear is appropriate
Contact: Nicola Kaye, Communications Director at [email protected]
Further Information about Bluelist please visit www.bluelist.org

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124TH ANNUAL CONSERVATIVE PARTY CONFERENCE
Over 10,000 people attend this annual event including the Shadow Cabinet; MPs; MEPs, Council Group Leaders; Councillors and policy advisors. Leading members from the press and media groups; business and charitable organisations; think tanks and campaigning societies - will be there in large numbers offering a unique opportunity to raise concerns.
Location: Winter Gardens, Blackpool
Date: 30 September 2007
Details: http://www.conservatives.com see events section

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BIRMINGHAM CF DISCUSSION EVENING
An evening with Andrew Mitchell, Shadow Secretary of State for International Development and MP for Sutton Coldfield
Location: TBC, Sutton Coldfield
Date Thursday 18 October 2007, 7pm
Details/RSVP: [email protected].

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CONSERVATIVE WAY FORWARD ANNUAL DINNER
With the Rt. Hon. David Cameron MP, Leader of the Opposition
Location:  Park Lane Sheraton, Piccadilly, London W1J 7BX
Date: Monday 5 November
Tickets: Prices TBC 
Contact: Steve Stanbury at [email protected]

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CF COUNTRYSIDE AT CHELTENHAM COUNTRYSIDE RACEDAY
Celebrate the countryside with drinks and light refreshments before day of racing with fellow conservatives wanting respect for the Countryside.
Location: Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
Date: Friday 16 November 2007
Details: Racecourse details from http://www.cheltenham.co.uk/
Contact/RSVP: To register interest email christianwalker@conservativefuture.com - further details closer to time

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CONSERVATIVE WAY FORWARD SHADOW CABINET BREAKFAST
With the Rt. Hon. Oliver Letwin MP
Location: At a central London venue (TBA)
Dress code: Business attire
Date: Thursday, 20 December
Tickets: Prices TBC
Contact: Karen Allen at [email protected]