By Joseph Willits
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A new blog has been created by a group of Scottish Conservative Holyrood candidates, senior party officials and activists. Tory Hoose was launched yesterday, and will focus on Scottish politics, and in particular, Scottish Conservatism.
Already, in the next coming days, Tory Hoose has contributions lined up from the three Scottish Conservative leaderships contenders - Murdo Fraser, Ruth Davidson and Jackson Carlaw - aswell as from other MSPs, councillors, candidates and senior party officials.
Tory Hoose will be welcome to contributions from across the political sphere, and we all wish them well in their start-up.
They will be tweeting from @toryhoose and have a Tory Hoose Facebook page.
By Paul Goodman
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In Opposition, the Party made new efforts in the north, setting up a Northern Board. In Government, there've been questions about what's happening to them (and it). So it's interesting to note that the Tory Reform Group is launching a new venture, TRG North, this evening. The move displays a confidence that its brand of conservatism has an appeal outside the Conservative heartlands.
The stalwart of the party's centre-left, Damian Green, will speak at the event, which is taking place in Ilkley, Yorkshie, and is being hosted by Kris Hopkins, the MP for Keighley and Ilkley, a long-time TRG member who spoke powerfully on Libya when the Commons first considered military action. (Hopkins is a former solider and leader of Bradford Council.)
Green is making the most of the launch by warning that the party mustn't sub-contract caring to the Liberal Democrats, and has trailed his remarks this morning.
By Matthew Barrett
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Back in May, we reported how the MP for Hexham, Guy Opperman, was diagnosed with a brain tumour - by fellow MP, Daniel Poulter.
Guy Opperman on the Hadrian’s Wall Charity Walk in Northumberland.
Mr Opperman describes his recovery below, giving high praise to the NHS for the care he received:"On April 26th I was taken ill in the House of Commons. It was discovered that I had a benign brain tumour. I had a meningioma – which is a slow growing bump that starts just inside your skull and presses down upon the brain. Fortunately, thanks to amazing NHS treatment, my tumour was removed completely, with no after effects whatsoever – aside from a tiny scar behind my hairline. I feel amazingly well – and have just walked over 70 miles along the length of Hadrian’s Wall. This proved my fitness and raised money for two great charities, the National Neurological Hospital, that treated me so successfully, and Tynedale Hospice, the local care charity in my constituency of Hexham.
Although I returned part time to the House in July, today is my first day back when the House of Commons is sitting. I have been overwhelmed by the hundreds of cards, letters, messages, and the odd bunch of flowers, that have been sent by constituents, friends, the Prime Minister and parliamentary colleagues (from all colours of the political spectrum).
As always, illness brings perspective, and it is simply great to be back full time doing a job I love. However, my thoughts go out in particular to my parliamentary colleague, Paul Blomfield, the MP for Sheffield Central, who is recovering from similar surgery.
Having had my life saved once before when I was a jockey, and got my left side crushed by a falling horse in a race at Stratford, I know how amazing the NHS is. It is a wonderful institution, which will always be free and which belongs to every one of us in this great country. I was very well looked after by the nurses and doctors, who struggle with too much bureaucracy and managerial/government edicts that occasionally defy logic.
That the NHS needs reform and improvement is beyond question. I owe the NHS an incredible debt. I will spend the rest of my life trying to pay it back."
Our very best wishes to Mr Opperman on his recovery!
By Tim Montgomerie
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PR Week's David Singleton has broken the news that Tim Chatwin, the Prime Minister's Head of Strategic Communications, who has worked closely with Steve Hilton since the start of the Cameron project will be leaving 10 Downing Street after this year's Manchester Party Conference. Chatwin will be moving to work for Google in California.
Singleton also reports that James O'Shaugnessy may be moving on too. O'Shaughnessy is another person who has been inside Team Cameron since its early days.
By Matthew Barrett
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News has reached me that the MP for North Swindon, Justin Tomlinson, announced his engagement in very modern style - on Facebook!
Mr Tomlinson told local news magazine, Link, about the engagement itself:
Mr Tomlinson also revealed how he met his fiancé, Jo Wheeler, in March this year:"I put the question on The Peak which is the highest point in Hong Kong. I was pretty nervous as you'd expect, and I don't like heights. So I was quite dizzy when Jo said yes; it's a good thing she was holding on to me otherwise I might have fallen off the mountain."
"I was speaking at a public meeting organised by Wanborough Parish Council and Covingham Parish Council to discuss the proposed Eastern Development of Swindon. Jo is the clerk to Covingham Parish Council and I knew there was something special between us as soon as we were introduced before the meeting. I made contact a couple of days later and we've been inseparable ever since. You could say it was love at first sight."
Many congratulations to them both!
The News of the World may be dead but ConservativeHome is launching its own dead tree newspaper... 5,000 copies per day and for four days only.
The full colour ConservativeHome Conference News will be printed overnight and will be ready for each morning of next month's Tory conference.
It will be distributed by a Manchester-based team of eight professionals from 7.30am each morning of the Conference - at key hotels, fringe meetings and outside the exhibition halls.
Half of its sixteen pages will be prepared well in advance and half will be written over the previous 24 hours and include conference commentary, a summary of the overnight political news, fringe guide reviews, photo galleries and a daily competition.
It will be printed by Trinity Mirror in tabloid size and to industry standards.
Contributors will include leading members of the Government frontbench.
For £95 you can advertise your fringe event in this newspaper. That £95 will buy you an eighth of a page.
OTHER ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES:
The back page can be bought for £1,250
The bottom quarter of the front page for £550
A full inside page for £666
A half inside page for £400
And a quarter page for £250
Discounts are available for multiple adverts.
If you would like to reserve space please email michelle@conservativeintelligence.com.
By Matthew Barrett
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In the above video, MPs Stephen Crabb, Fiona Bruce, and Brooks Newmark, as well as the Secretary of State for International Development, Andrew Mitchell, review this year's work on the Conservative Party's overseas social action project, Project Umubano, which is based in Rwanda and Sierra Leone. In particular, the video shows project volunteers providing healthcare for the local population, teaching Rwandan Senators how to hold the Rwandan government to account, teaching local people business skills in order to increase employment, and educating local children - especially girls.
The project, which is now in its fifth year, is entirely self-funded and was set up in 2007 by David Cameron and (then-Shadow) Secretary of State for International Development, Andrew Mitchell. It is led by Conservative MPs and, since its foundation, hundreds of volunteers - from students to Ministers of State - have participated, with many choosing to return to the project.
By Matthew Barrett
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The Prime Minister, David Cameron, has released a message wishing Muslims "a very happy and peaceful Eid ul Fitr" - the holiday that marks the end of Ramadan:
“I want to send all Muslim families in the United Kingdom and around the world my best wishes for this very special time of Eid. The ending of the Holy month of Ramadan is a joyous time as families and friends join to together in celebration. This year many of you will come together to contemplate the appalling scenes we have witnessed on our streets and how our communities have been affected. Community spirit however remains strong in this country. I was particularly moved by the scenes of a united community coming together in Birmingham, not only to mourn the deaths of three young friends, but also to issue a strong message of unity and cohesion with people of other faiths. Peace, forgiveness and unity are the spirit of Eid. They are important messages now and will remain so long into the future. I wish you all a very happy and peaceful Eid ul Fitr. Eid Mubarak.”