Introducing Matthew Barrett

Matthew Barrett was born in London in 1992 and now lives in Hertfordshire.

He's been a Conservative supporter since 2004 and started the WorkingClassTory blog in early 2009, whilst studying for A Levels at a grammar school in Barnet. He joined the ConservativeHome team as Deputy Editor in April 2011.

His main political interests are the constitution, sovereignty, Parliament and the history of the Conservative Party, and his political heroes are the Duke of Wellington and Bonar Law. 

Outside of politics he's a keen follower of cricket (England), football (Charlton Athletic and Rangers), rugby (England and Munster) and has an eclectic taste in music and films.

Follow Matthew on Twitter.

Introducing Harry Phibbs

Harry Phibbs is the local government editor of ConservativeHome. He is a Conservative councillor on Hammersmith and Fulham representing Ravenscourt Park Ward having been first elected in 2006. He has undertaken a wide range of roles in his local community including being a school governor, a member of the Council's Adoption Panel, and a board member of housing association and a youth club. He has been Chairman of the Council's Value for Money Scrutiny Committee and the Council's Cabinet Member for Community Engagement.

Harry was born in 1966 in Dorset but living in London shortly after. He was educated at Pimlico Comprehensive and Thames Polytechnic. He has served on the national committees of both the Young Conservatives and the Federation of Conservative Students. It was his interview in the FCS magazine New Agenda with the historian Count Nikolai Tolstoy concerning Harold Macmillan's role in the forced repatriation of Cossacks and Yugoslavs at the end of the Second World War, that caused dismay to the then FCS Chairman John Bercow. This also instrumental in prompting Lord Tebbit, the then Conservative Party Chairman, to close down the FCS.

When Harry was aged 16 he was arrested by the KGB at Moscow Airport for smuggling in dissident literature and told he was "banned for life from returning to the Soviet Union."

As a journalist he worked for many years on the Evening Standard's Londoner's Diary and on a freelance basis has contributed to various newspapers and magazines, including a large number of opinion pieces for the Daily Mail online and The Guardian's Comment is Free. He has also written papers for several think tanks.

While he is not an anarchist, Harry is strongly on the libertarian/ classical liberal wing of the Conservative Party.

Harry is married to Caroline by whom he has two daughters Martha and Audrey. He also has another daughter, Georgina, from his first wife.

Introducing Tim Montgomerie

Tim Montgomerie launched ConHome on Easter Monday, 2005, with the aims of championing grassroots party members and advocating a balanced, authentic conservatism.

Born in 1970 he grew up in Hampshire and Germany - living within an army family.

He studied Economics and Geography at Exeter University before joining the Bank of England in 1992.

With David Burrowes, Tim established the Conservative Christian Fellowship in December 1990.  He was its Director for thirteen years - first in his spare time and then full-time.

From 1998 to 2003 he ran the Conservative Party's outreach to faith communities and the voluntary sector.  His responsibilities including writing speeches for two Conservative Party leaders, William Hague and then Iain Duncan Smith.

Tim was Iain Duncan Smith's chief of staff for his last two months as Conservative leader and throughout 2004 helped him to establish the Centre for Social Justice.

Tim's political hero is William Wilberforce.  Tim writes: "This devout Christian stood for a great moral cause - the abolition of slavery -  and brought the greatest of qualities - perseverance - to ensure he succeeded."

Tim is a regular media pundit and is now a fortnightly columnist for The Times, writing every other Monday.

Follow Tim on Twitter.

Introducing Matthew Barrett

Matthew Barrett was born in London in 1992 and now lives in Hertfordshire.

He's been a Conservative supporter since 2004 and started the WorkingClassTory blog in early 2009, whilst studying for A Levels at a grammar school in Barnet. He joined the ConservativeHome team as Deputy Editor in April 2011.

His main political interests are the constitution, sovereignty, Parliament and the history of the Conservative Party, and his political heroes are the Duke of Wellington and Bonar Law. 

Outside of politics he's a keen follower of cricket (England), football (Charlton Athletic and Rangers), rugby (England and Munster) and has an eclectic taste in music and films.

Follow Matthew on Twitter.

Introducing Harry Phibbs

Harry Phibbs is the local government editor of ConservativeHome. He is a Conservative councillor on Hammersmith and Fulham representing Ravenscourt Park Ward having been first elected in 2006. He has undertaken a wide range of roles in his local community including being a school governor, a member of the Council's Adoption Panel, and a board member of housing association and a youth club. He has been Chairman of the Council's Value for Money Scrutiny Committee and the Council's Cabinet Member for Community Engagement.

Harry was born in 1966 in Dorset but living in London shortly after. He was educated at Pimlico Comprehensive and Thames Polytechnic. He has served on the national committees of both the Young Conservatives and the Federation of Conservative Students. It was his interview in the FCS magazine New Agenda with the historian Count Nikolai Tolstoy concerning Harold Macmillan's role in the forced repatriation of Cossacks and Yugoslavs at the end of the Second World War, that caused dismay to the then FCS Chairman John Bercow. This also instrumental in prompting Lord Tebbit, the then Conservative Party Chairman, to close down the FCS.

When Harry was aged 16 he was arrested by the KGB at Moscow Airport for smuggling in dissident literature and told he was "banned for life from returning to the Soviet Union."

As a journalist he worked for many years on the Evening Standard's Londoner's Diary and on a freelance basis has contributed to various newspapers and magazines, including a large number of opinion pieces for the Daily Mail online and The Guardian's Comment is Free. He has also written papers for several think tanks.

While he is not an anarchist, Harry is strongly on the libertarian/ classical liberal wing of the Conservative Party.

Harry is married to Caroline by whom he has two daughters Martha and Audrey. He also has another daughter, Georgina, from his first wife.

Introducing Tim Montgomerie

Tim Montgomerie launched ConHome on Easter Monday, 2005, with the aims of championing grassroots party members and advocating a balanced, authentic conservatism.

Born in 1970 he grew up in Hampshire and Germany - living within an army family.

He studied Economics and Geography at Exeter University before joining the Bank of England in 1992.

With David Burrowes, Tim established the Conservative Christian Fellowship in December 1990.  He was its Director for thirteen years - first in his spare time and then full-time.

From 1998 to 2003 he ran the Conservative Party's outreach to faith communities and the voluntary sector.  His responsibilities including writing speeches for two Conservative Party leaders, William Hague and then Iain Duncan Smith.

Tim was Iain Duncan Smith's chief of staff for his last two months as Conservative leader and throughout 2004 helped him to establish the Centre for Social Justice.

Tim's political hero is William Wilberforce.  Tim writes: "This devout Christian stood for a great moral cause - the abolition of slavery -  and brought the greatest of qualities - perseverance - to ensure he succeeded."

Tim is a regular media pundit and is now a fortnightly columnist for The Times, writing every other Monday.

Follow Tim on Twitter.