ConservativeIntelligence.com

One of the biggest issues facing anyone in journalism at the moment is how to make it pay.  Newspapers, TV stations, blogs are all facing the same challenge.  ConservativeHome.com is a free-to-view service and we do not take advertising (not yet anyway) and yet it costs a lot of money to run this website and its 363 days a year service (we take Christmas Day and Boxing Day off!).

I recently took the decision to try and make money by establishing ConservativeIntelligence.com.  The conference we held on 30th June (photo gallery) was the launch event for CI and more than 150 companies, each paying £100 to £250 came along.  CI will be having more events over the next year.  CI does not offer lobbying or access - only intelligence for the many businesses and charities wanting more information about what is likely to be the next government of this country.  One of CI's products to our £1,000pa subscribers is a weekly 'Intelligence Letter' that aims to provide an overview of the big issues facing the Conservative Party and the decisions that it is taking.  I mention it today because the second of these letters has been leaked to The Times' Sam Coates.

ConHome readers get two main benefits from CI: (1) It pays for this site's costs (and any profits will be reinvested in ConHome) and (2) Some of the CI products do find their way on to this site (although for obvious reasons only some and only then with a delay).  Jonathan Isaby's lists of candidates (eg here and here) being one example.

I hope readers understand why I have set CI up.  Despite the annoyance of the letter leaking, the venture is going very well.

Tim Montgomerie