Your chance to decide the winners of ConservativeHome.com's 2007/08 Conservative Movement Awards

Please click here to vote in the eleven categories.

If you wish to advertise the voting to others, on your blog or in a mailing list to supporters, please use this long internet address:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=mlZ7qhCXsDM3oQcCZtoK7A_3d_3d

The shortlists were based on nominations provided by readers and then refined by the editors and informed figures of the conservative movement. The new Next Generation category has been merged into One to Watch, and we've added Scoop of the Year to recognise investigative journalists.

The nominees and categories are listed below:

BEST BOOK

• The Triumph of the Political Class by Peter Oborne
• Wasting Police Time by PC David Copperfield
• Scared To Death by Christopher Booker and Richard North

OUTSTANDING PARLIAMENTARIAN

• Nadine Dorries MP for her campaigning on abortion and for her blog's insight into the life of an MP
• Michael Fallon MP for holding the Government to account in the Treasury Select Committtee
• Philip Hollobone MP for not using his Commons staff allowance but still being a very active constituency MP and parliamentarian

BEST WRITER

• Jeff Randall for his business-friendly and politically potent Telegraph columns
• Fraser Nelson for his weekly Spectator and News of the World columns
• Graeme Archer for his witty and humane column for ConservativeHome.com

ONE TO WATCH

• Shaun Bailey for being a new kind of Conservative candidate with real understanding of poor communities
• James Forsyth at The Spectator for his perceptive writing on foreign affairs and for overseeing the launch of The Spectator's Coffee House blog
• Ben Rogers and the Conservative Party’s Human Rights Commission

INNOVATIVE POLICY

• Peter Lilley's proposals for 'Real Trade' with rich countries reorientating their trade policies to help the poorest nations
• Jeremy Hunt’s proposal for a small proportion of the licence fee to be used by a broadcaster other than the BBC
• David Cameron's plans for new co-operative schools, run by parents and local communities

NATIONAL CAMPAIGN

• Migration Watch for leading a reasoned campaign for more controlled immigration
• No2ID for coordinating efforts against a national ID card
• The TaxPayers’ Alliance for successful and innovative campaigning on behalf of taxpayers

CULTURE WARRIOR

• Peter Whittle for establishing the New Culture Forum and presenting the weekly 18 Doughty Street programme, Culture Clash
• Douglas Murray for leadership of the new Centre for Social Cohesion
• Jeremy Clarkson and the Top Gear team for defying the BBC monoculture

NEW MEDIA

• The Conservatives Abroad website and its targeting of ex-pat voters
• The Tax Pacman game launched by the Conservatives at Party Conference
• Guido Fawkes for the viral video, watched by hundreds of thousands, of Gordon Brown picking his nose

LOCAL HERO

• Stephen Greenhalgh for, as Leader of Hammersmith & Fulham Council, reducing taxes and improving services
• Cllr Peter Golds OBE for a lifetime of service to the London Conservative Party
• Zac Goldsmith for his referendum campaign against a Sainsbury superstore in Barnes, Richmond-upon-Thames

INTERNATIONALIST

• Ben Rogers for tirelessly campaigning on human rights issues, notably Burma which he has visited 18 times
• Linda Whetstone of the International Policy Network for continuing the work of her late father, Sir Anthony Fisher, in helping spread freedom around the world through the active creation of a global network of think-tanks
• Philippa Broom for her work in the Conservative Party's international office, forging strong links with sister parties around the world

The eleventh category does not reward the conservative movement but investigative journalism:

SCOOP OF THE YEAR

• Andrew Gilligan for exposing Mayor Livingstone's financial support for Lee Jasper's organisations
• David Hencke's investigation that revealed that Labour spent £1m on preparations for the election that never was
• Jonathan Oliver for uncovering the David Abrahams' funding scam

In addition to the eleven categories above there will be a special lifetime contribution award on the evening of the awards ceremony.

Comments

[Moral minority]

Graeme Archer one of the three best writers? You must be joking!

How about John Redwood, a prolific writer in his blog, in magazines and books?

He is certainly not better Matthew Parris, Michael Brown or Simon Heffer who are also passed over.

[Moral minority]

"David Cameron's plans for new co-operative schools, run by parents and local communities".

They were Michael Gove's plans! He has rescued our schools policy after Cameron and Willetts' grammargate fiasco.

[Paul Oakley]

What happened to the "next generation" category?

[Deputy Editor]

Paul: As referred to above, after reviewing the proposed nominations we felt it was too similar to One to Watch. Most of the Next Gen recommendations were for people who had done a lot of work for CF - which is worthy but something better done by CF than a Conservative Movement award.

[Paul Oakley]

Thanks Sam. You're probably right although it's a shame that those who aren't seeking CF office are unrecognised.

[James Maskell]

Vote Top Gear!

Internationalist was hard to vote on since I hadnt heard of them before...

[Sally Roberts]

I am strongly supporting my two "local" heroes - Cllr Stephen Greenhalgh and Shaun Bailey! I am also voting for Graeme who has kept me well entertained - and occasionally very moved - over the year!

[Iain Dale is a copycat]

I see that a few hours after you have voting on awards Mr Iain Dale does something similar.

He also copied conhome's monthly rating of politicians.

[Ay Up]

Oh goodie, my boss can't wait to get the "Iain Dale Award for Politician of the Year".
He should stick to doing what bloggers do.
While i'm on my high horse why does Guy Fawkes get a mention he didn't do anything somebody else wouldnt have done!

[London Tory]

A couple of other categories:

Worst Mayoral Candidate In Living Memory: B.Johnson MP

Most Invisible Chairman In Living Memory: C.Spelman MP

Most Stupid Tory Policy Soundbite Of The Year: Greg Clark MP pandering to Polly Toynbee.

[Chantelle Osili]

"As referred to above, after reviewing the proposed nominations we felt it was too similar to One to Watch. Most of the Next Gen recommendations were for people who had done a lot of work for CF - which is worthy but something better done by CF than a Conservative Movement award."

I do see your point, but I also think that it's often very difficult for young Conservatives to get involved any further than CF; that's usually the only avenue open to us, and so not recognising people's hard work within the organisation seems a little unfair. The innovation and commitment shown by a lot of CF members really does mark them out as the next generation of Conservatives.

[London Conservative]

Peter Golds for services to the London Conservative Party? Can think people who have done a heck more than him. He's always been in the right place at the right time.

I would like to recommend, although it's too late, Doreen Miller (Baroness of Hendon).

[Carolyn]

The service to the party awards shouod be considered nationwide.There are many who have given unstinting service and have gone completely unrecognised.With the changes to the honours system this path has been stopped up!!
One sometimes wonders if the Party would prefer to forget most of us!
There are NO thanks in politics.

[Devil's Kitchen]

You seem to have missed out the "Politician I would most like to see hanging from a lamp post."

Shome mistake shurely?

DK

[Geoff]

DK: if you had that category who would you vote for?

I could narrow my shortlist down to just-about-all-of-them but would struggle to choose after that.

[dizzy]

"Shaun Bailey for being a new kind of Conservative candidate with real understanding of poor communities"

I couldn't possible imagine what the subtext is in that description :rolleyes:

Jesus wept.

[Julian Melford]

What about a mention for David Gauke MP for getting the Statistics Commission to find that some claims made by G Brown esq's Treasury were unsubstantiable?

Or Cllr Phil Taylor for his research exposing how much money for investment the London Kengestion Charge hadn't made?