Blog winners 2007

Several bloggers have beaten us to announcing our own awards, but in our defence we were duty-bound to stay out until the hardcore bloggers finally went home!

The winners of the first Conservative blog awards, as voted by you, are:

Best Young Conservative Blog  -  Birmingham Uni CF 

Best Anonymous Blog  -  Archbishop Cranmer

Best Local Government Blog  -  Maida Vale Conservatives 

Best Newcomer Blog  -  PragueTory

Best Parliamentary Blog  - Nadine Dorries MP 

Best Conservative Blog  -  Iain Dale's Diary 

Unfortunately but understandably, Cranmer ("owing to the lack of a corporeal state") and PragueTory (due to being in Prague) couldn't be there in person but statements were read out on their behalf (see below).

Thanks to all who came and filled out the bar, as with the conservative movement awards last year there was a genuinely friendly and positive atmosphere. Nadine Dorries even thanked the Whips Office for their daily encouragement.

Conservative bloggers need to communicate with eachother if we are to stay ahead of the curve. ConservativeHome will continue to encourage such communication - you can start by joining the "Conservative Bloggers" group on Facebook.

Deputy Editor

Update: We've put together a short 4 minute video of some of things attendees said about blogging, blogs the awards and ConservativeHome. Featuring, amongst others, regular CH commenters malcolm and Justin Hinchcliffe...

Archbishop Cranmer's message:

"His Grace apologises that he is not able to be with you in person, owing to the lack of a corporeal state.  He is both honoured and humbled to have been voted ‘Best Anonymous Blog’ by the evidently discerning readers of ConservativeHome.

Both in the pulpit and at the despatch box, it is increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to articulate one’s views on sensitive issues without them being purposely misrepresented.  Thus the church embraces ‘multi-faith’, or else it is bigoted; and politics embraces ‘multi-cultural’, or else it is ‘racist’. 

And to take a contrary view from the prevailing religio-political zeitgeist is to invite ridicule, isolation, and other forms of persecution. 

Those who insist that politics and religion should not mix understand neither religion nor politics.  And in today’s world, it is naïve to assert that the one has nothing to do with the other.

His Grace is proud to be (in this order) Christian, English and Conservative.  He prays that the importance of the philosophy and foundations of all three might be rediscovered by the Conservative Party, and that a period of righteous government might begin in the UK in 2009."

PragueTory's message:

"Unaccustomed as I am to winning awards, I’d like to take this opportunity to share a few words from darkest Prague. Firstly, thanks to Tim & Sam of Conservative Home for running this excellent competition,

Secondly to Iain Dale and William Luckman of Croydonian whose work inspired me to start blogging. And finally thanks to those readers of Conservative Home who voted for me as Best Newcomer blog.

It’s been a great time to be involved with centre-right blogging. I believe that there’s a real sense of shared purpose in our community. We’ve all been so successful that even Conservative MPs are trying to prevent proper scrutiny of their activities in Parliament… but I digress.

My personal perspective is that the Praguetory website provides me with a stimulating way to bounce around ideas that are not necessarily given a platform in the mainstream media – and on a topical note, it’s never pointless to have a debate with fellow Conservatives about important policy issues.

But the potential impact of internet-based political activity in the UK is, I’m sure, far greater than we have already seen. I believe that we can successfully challenge the existing consensus. Let’s aim to be advocates for and leaders of the next generation of British voters.

As right-minded thinkers we can not and should not accept the cronyism and incompetence of the Labour government. We can build something better and have fun in the process."

Comments

[Comstock]

That Cranmer guy sounds a right nut-job.....

Or should that be "eccentric in the finest British tradition" :D

[Matthew Scott]

Congrats on such a good event last night!

[Deputy Editor]

A very wise eccentric at that, Comstock!

The event has so far been blogged by these guys if you want more info:

Birmingham CF
Cranmer
PragueTory
Iain Dale
Caroline Hunt
Cally's Kitchen
Robin Millar

[Vote Freedom]

At what point will Iain Dale be changing his "Just for men" photo on his Blog ?

[Graeme Archer]

Congratulations to the winners and to Sam and Tim for putting on such a fun evening. I haven't been out so late for years. And I met Malcolm! Malcolm is fantastic!.

[Cranmer]

That Cranmer guy sounds a right nut-job.....

Mr Cornstock,

If you had endured what His Grace has had to endure, you might understand the depths of his religious and political concerns.

'Nut-job' he is not; 'right' he most definitely is.

[Deputy Editor]

Always a pleasure talking to you Graeme.

[Editor]

A great evening - it was great to meet so many people who'd just been a name and email address before - we'll organise another get-together soon...

[jailhouselawyer]

Isn't it a bit rich Prague Tory referring to the cronyism of the Labour government, which I agree with him on, and the seemingly cronyism associated with the Tory blogging award?

[justin Hinchcliffe]

Congratulations to all the winners. And thank you to Sam and Tim for hosting such a fabulous evening - enjoyed meeting so many new faces (especially Sam, Malcolm and Graeme). A really good evening - from what I can remember. Thank you.

Sore head today...

[Comstock]

"If you had endured what His Grace has had to endure, you might understand the depths of his religious and political concerns."

:D

I have to admit it is a very funny blog, although I think there is a wider joke I don't quite 'get'.

Still think you are mad though....whatever will we have next, people assuming the persona of lead characters from obscure George Orwell novels?

It's COMstock btw, although I admit the font is a little small for a 550 year old to read

:D :P

[Deputy Editor]

What's your latest conspiracy theory jailhouselawyer, dare I ask?

[Deputy Editor]

Nadine's written a good post on it as well (which is very glowing about CH!):
http://www.dorries.org.uk/Blog.aspx

[Vote Freedom]

Having just seen the video I can never see the Conservative Party being taken seriously in the north of England or in the working class communities. You are dedicated in what you do but I feel you are detatched from the reality of what is happening in the real world. There is indeed a life outside of the winebars of London.

And you may put your commentary on UK life as much as you wish in a witty or concise style but it does not connect with 90% of the real world. You agree with each other so believe yourselves to be correct but unless you truly change you will not see a Conservative government be elected.

[The crushed ego of Graeme Archer]

Nice use of the subjunctive, 'Vote Freedom'.

However! I can't believe you (YOU! ie Cons. Home TV) didn't include my masterly overview of the blogosphere in the above snip, and left me in only as a bored looking head floating to the upper left of the screen while David made his very sensible points.

[Deputy Editor]

I laughed out loud at your name on the other thread, Graeme! I was going to email you about that when I realised a minute ago, honest. I did't make the video but the reason you didn't make it in there was because the camera went into auto-focus. Sorry!

[Mr Eugenides]

Sorry not to be present. It looks like a good time was had by all.

I thought I spied Devil's Kitchen there... are we allowing UKIP-ers in these days? Even a broad church must have its limits...

[Traditional Tory]

'Malcolm' looks - and sounds - exactly as I had pictured him.

Further comment would be superfluous.

[malcolm]

A belated thank you to Tim and Same for a most enjoyable evening. It was great to meet you too Graeme. Most impressed with Andrew Boff who had some very good ideas on how to campaign outside the Tory heartlands. You should get him to write a platform piece Tim.
Are we really sure that the good Archbishop wasn't there? I did meet a couple of guys that refused to reveal the names of their blogs!

[Simon Chapman]

Malcolm,

Do you have a strategy if your Boss discovers Conservative Home?

[Praguetory]

The Archbishop was supposed to be there - it said so on facebook - but maybe he was only there in spirit.

[malcolm]

No Simon I don't. Any ideas gratefully accepted!

[Andrew Woodman]

Crash the computer would be my advice Malcolm.

Congrats to all the winners. Would have liked to have been there but living North of Watford and all that.

[Deputy Editor]

He was there in spirit on Wednesday PT, not in person, although he got the dates mixed up last week and was in spirit then too! :

"Being somewhere in spirit on the wrong day is something of a waste of ectoplasm, but since it is not subject to the laws of finitude, he can be with you again this Wednesday."

[William Norton]

Question for Cranmer: is "ectoplasm" scriptural, then?

[martin cakebread]

Any chance i could throw my own into the ring? :)

[James Jenkins-Yates]

Have the blog awards stopped?