This year has seen an exponential growth in the number of blogs written by young conservatives in the UK, notably amongst this year's Conservative Future executive committee. "Young" will be defined by eligibility for CF membership, i.e. under 30 years old.
Consult the "CF blogs" links list on the left of CF Diary (not eligible) for a selection of the possible contenders.
Deputy Editor
Definately CF Chairman Mark Clarke's for me - www.markclarke.blogspot.com
Posted by: John | December 24, 2006 at 15:37
It's a shame CF Diary isn't allowed as its accountability is the only reason the elected CFers kept blogs this year! Well done to them for doing so though.
I nominate John Moorcraft's blog cause it's a very insightful weblog from a CF guru!
Posted by: Rachel Stevens | December 24, 2006 at 17:16
Personally, I find Sam Tarran's blog (www.samtarran.co.uk) particularly enjoyable.
No idea why though.
Posted by: Sam Tarran | December 24, 2006 at 20:30
Certainly www.Paul-Rogers.blogspot.com and www.abercf.blogspot.com deserves credit for being one of the few welsh blogs which covers Conservative Future in Wales.
Posted by: Anna Booth | December 25, 2006 at 11:32
I nominate www.recessmonkey.com for its excellent coverage of Mark Clarke's chairmanship.
http://www.recessmonkey.com/tag/Mark+Clarke
Posted by: Anon | December 25, 2006 at 13:57
Chris Hughes's frequent entertaining posts on www.abercf.blogspot.com make it definately worth an award.
Posted by: Paul Rogers | December 25, 2006 at 16:07
It has to be Mid Dorset's own Will Burstow with 'A Young Conservative' blog for me. Inciteful and funny and in my constituency.
Posted by: Nick King | December 27, 2006 at 07:47
Will B - (A Young Conservative), Martine Martin and Thunder Dragon would impress in any company, but they also have youth on their side.
Posted by: Croydonian | December 27, 2006 at 16:00
what about Matt Sinclair- thoughtfull, well informed and lots of well argued stuff even if you disagree eg on Global Warming
http://sinclairsmusings.blogspot.com/
Posted by: edmund | December 27, 2006 at 16:00
I nominate Cllr. Iain Lindley! Very much the original young blogger and a role model for young Conservative Party members.
Posted by: Henry Edward-Bancroft | December 27, 2006 at 18:04
Praguetory (a good blogger in his own right) had an article on young conservative bloggers recently. Worth having a look at.
http://praguetory.blogspot.com/2006/12/tory-youth.html
Posted by: Mark Clarke | December 27, 2006 at 19:35
www.abercf.blogspot.com
An amazing blogspot, which I use a lot of the time as it covers the Welsh Conservatives! I use it to help gain support in my area with people i know etc.
Posted by: James Warman | December 27, 2006 at 21:19
http://www.carolinehunt.info
Amusing, informative, regularly updated, and with some good discussion in the comment threads. S'good.
Posted by: Mario | December 28, 2006 at 16:13
Thanks for the advertising Mark!
Martine Martin is my number one under 30 blogger, but if I was weighting things according to age, 17 year old Will B (who even my non-political friends think could be one for the future) and 15 year old Sam Tarran (I love his straight-talking) simply have to be considered.
Posted by: Praguetory | December 28, 2006 at 17:54
I'd go for Birm Uni CF - http://bucf.wordpress.com They came from nothing to this well presented blog with constant, quality content and good discussion. They are making their mark in Birmingham with their blog.
Posted by: Bob Allen | December 29, 2006 at 22:29
On reflection I second Bob. Contains all the elements of a good blog - and the teamwork involved has been inspiring. The impact they are having in Brum remains to be seen, but I have very high hopes.
Posted by: Praguetory | December 29, 2006 at 22:47
Aber CF has a good design with a high frequency and quality of posts for a yong peoples blog
Posted by: Chris Hughes | December 29, 2006 at 23:47
All no doubt very worthy. Pity I have neither read these blogs nor have I any idea where to locate them.
I have just spent all evening in the pub, and in my day you were far more likely to find YCs in the pub or disco than huddled round the 1970s counterpart of a PC in a bedsit.
I suppose radio hamming a la Tony Hancock would have been the most obvious equivalent.
Isn't there something rather sad about these YC netheads?
Posted by: Tory Loyalist | December 30, 2006 at 00:41
I'd agree with the nomination of Sam Tarran.
He consistently produces interesting posts, and has a superb grasp of history.
Posted by: MichaelCD | December 30, 2006 at 11:31
CF Diary by a mile, but failing that Nick Webb's is good.
Posted by: Anthony Broderick | December 31, 2006 at 00:25
If we are being fair, I think Sam Tarran deserves it really. Potentially Martine Martin deserves a nomination too.
Posted by: Chris Palmer | December 31, 2006 at 12:49
I'll have to be honest here, I don't really read ANY Conservative Future blogs. Sorry, everyone, but all the details about marginal seat campaigns and events here and there bores me to death, I'm afraid.
To me, the only one that really stands out is Chris Palmer's "Political Crossroads". Although, I'm not sure whether Praguetory is a 'young conservative' or not. Either way, these are both two of my favourite daily reads, and the amount of comments I leave on both blogs pretty much shows just how highly I think of them.
Posted by: Sam Tarran | December 31, 2006 at 20:05
The only one I read is Birmingham Conservative Future group as well. (http://bucf.wordpress.com) RUn I believe by those on the commitee of the group who as well as the blog get up to a lot - a visit by Boris Johnson, snipets of which were shared with readers in an amusing fashion. Very good effort.
Posted by: JohhnyL | January 02, 2007 at 01:29
Tory Loyalist, contrary to your thinking, we young Conservatives have a very active daily time table. I'm almost constantly run off my feet with school work, political activities and an overly active social life.
But however busy I am I always try and make time for my blog, it only takes me an hour or so at night to find a topic and type up a post on it.
Just because it may take you an age and a half to type up a couple of paragraphs doesn't mean that it is the same for us young guns... ;-)
Posted by: Will_B | January 02, 2007 at 17:27
If PragueTory is allowed in this he should win it by a country mile…beyond his exception blog I would nominate Mark Clarke and Caroline Hunt.
Posted by: John Moorcraft | January 02, 2007 at 18:21
There are quite a few excellent blogs from younger Conservatives, but I'd like to second the nomination for Martine Martin.
Posted by: Cllr Iain Lindley | January 02, 2007 at 20:58
As my profile reveals, I am 32. Feel free to confuse me with the youngsters as often as you like. BUCF to win.
Posted by: Praguetory | January 03, 2007 at 10:05
If CFD is excluded, then I'll go for Thoughts from a Young Tory - http://toryboyross.blogspot.com/index.html
It is high quality, insightful about American politics, and attracts comments.
Posted by: Mercy Man | January 03, 2007 at 11:06
I'd like to nominate www.paulhayes.org.uk - a senior CF'er in Sheffield and recently selected to fight the marginal ward of Wallasey (Cons. majority of 1,981)
Posted by: Ian Lewis | January 03, 2007 at 11:58
Thank you for nominating my blog, Mercy Man, it is very flattering of you.
Recently I have been very impressed with Birmingham University Conservative Future. I would like to nominate them.
Posted by: Ross Cowling | January 04, 2007 at 12:59
I find some blogs bore me to death, and only exist to perpetuate their own existence, and alternatively that some are an absolutely vital source of on the pulse information.
I personally value political blogs more for the political opinions contained in them.
So, for level-headed information, comment, and a good conservative perspective I recommend Thoughts from a Young Tory, at http://toryboyross.blogspot.com.
Posted by: Jason Hughes | January 04, 2007 at 13:11
I think most of those I'd regard as the top contenders are mentioned already. John Moorcraft, Mark Clarke and Caroline Hunt certainly deserve to be considered. And thank you to Anthony for mentioning mine. I'd also like to nominate Anne-Marie Bray's blog
http://toryamx.spaces.live.com/
By her own admission she doesn't post as often as some, but each post is strong in the point it is making, while being light-hearted and easy to read.
Posted by: Nick Webb | January 04, 2007 at 17:21
Sam Tarran. Not quite a William Hague or (yet) a Peter Cuthbertson, but I like his 'big' historical posts and book reviews, although I don't always agree with the conclusions, but he's also entertaining on the phenomenon of adults 'getting down with the kids' e.g. his post on Local Democracy Day. I can't wait to read his despatches from the Youth Parliament.
Can't see him on your blogroll. As a CF memeber, shouldn't he be in your Tory Bloggers links ?
Posted by: a | January 04, 2007 at 17:25
Thanks to those people who said kind things about my blog.
Organisationally, the best are probably Birminham University CF, Aber CF and UCL CF (Caerulean Blog).
I enjoy John Moorcraft the most. He has a distinctive positioning and reminds me that what we do has some minor ripples in history (if we do it right) and is not all just about playing at politics.
Good polemic rants are often found on Caroline Hunt, Tory Boy Ross, Sam Tarran, Political Crossroads and Sinclair's Musings.
For brilliance of design and innovation in blogging ideas, Martine Martin deserves credit.
From a young councillor perspective, Antony Little and Paul Bristow are good.
Nick Webb also does probably the best Area Chairman one. Though Anne-Marie Bray, whilst her blog is less good than Nick's, more than compensates through having set up a discussion forum for her Area.
A shame that Prague Tory is not eligible because he is very good.
And I'm fairly sure that Guido is merely reliving his FCS days on a bigger platform!
Posted by: Mark Clarke | January 15, 2007 at 09:09
Thank you Mark for praising our blog - UCL CF (The Caerulean Blog).
I am happy to see all the CF NME are blogging this year; it is both informative and interesting!
It is really helping to lift CF!
Posted by: Richard Jackson | January 15, 2007 at 15:04
The UCL Conservatives Blog is very very interesting and seems to attract the attention of a variety of different people...
UCL has one of the largest and most active Conservative Societys in the country and the blog really reflects that...
Worth a look!
Posted by: Stephen Coleman | January 18, 2007 at 15:04
I would like to nominate Damon Lord and John Moorcraft, both of which I would consider to be excellent blogs.
Posted by: Andrew "Smurf" Murphy | January 19, 2007 at 01:16
I nominate Ross Cowling's blog 'Tory Boy Ross' (http://toryboyross.blogspot.com/). An excellent blog, always insightful, and always thought provoking.
Posted by: Shane Greer | January 25, 2007 at 12:24