Gazette

Welcome to ConservativeHome's Gazette

On these pages we want to be able to report news that might be of interest to the 'Conservative family'. The sad death of a much loved grassroots member. The retirement of a dedicated party agent. The appointment of a CCHQ staffer to a new job outside of the party. It's a bit of an experiment but email us with any news that you think might be of interest to the wider party. It's the usual address: Jonathan or Tim.

Lord Ashcroft announces his support for a £1m appeal for bomb disposal heroes

By Joseph Willits 
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In an article for the Sunday Telegraph, Lord Ashcroft has stated the reasons why he is supporting the launch of Felix Fund, a new charity being created to assist and support bomb disposal experts and their families.

Lord Ashcroft talks of his admiration for the courageous work of bomb disposal experts, and how it was brought about during a training exercise at Melville Barracks, Essex.  He spent a day there, researching for his new book, 'George Cross Heroes' with 621 EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Squadron, part of 11 EOD Regiment.

To launch Felix Fund, Lord Ashcroft will be hosting a reception at the House of Lords on September 15th, to begin the campaign to raise £1m for the charity.

Lord Ashcroft highlights the role that members of 11 EOD regiment are playing in Afghanistan, where in recent years, 6 bomb disposal experts have been killed.  At present, in Afghanistan, bomb disposal experts can be called to detonate up to 40 lethal devices each day, which is some indication of the huge risk and responsibilty involved in their day to day work.

It is not only in Afghanistan, where the the role of bomb disposal experts is imperative.  In 2010, there were 3,000 incidents in the UK and Northern Ireland, where the service of bomb disposal experts was required.

In raising £1m, Felix Fund would be able to ensure several things.  Bomb disposal experts will be able to be sent on "normalisation" breaks on their return from Afghanistan.  Individual needs will also be met, through Felix Fund Hardship grants, and general facilities for the servicemen and their families improved.

Launch of Tory Hoose, a blog to debate Scottish Conservatism

By Joseph Willits 
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A new blog has been created by a group of Scottish Conservative Holyrood candidates, senior party officials and activists.  Tory Hoose was launched yesterday, and will focus on Scottish politics, and in particular, Scottish Conservatism.

Already, in the next coming days, Tory Hoose has contributions lined up from the three Scottish Conservative leaderships contenders - Murdo Fraser, Ruth Davidson and Jackson Carlaw - aswell as from other MSPs, councillors, candidates and senior party officials.

Tory Hoose will be welcome to contributions from across the political sphere, and we all wish them well in their start-up.

They will be tweeting from @toryhoose and have a Tory Hoose Facebook page.

TRG North to be launched this evening

By Paul Goodman
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In Opposition, the Party made new efforts in the north, setting up a Northern Board.  In Government, there've been questions about what's happening to them (and it).  So it's interesting to note that the Tory Reform Group is launching a new venture, TRG North, this evening.  The move displays a confidence that its brand of conservatism has an appeal outside the Conservative heartlands.

The stalwart of the party's centre-left, Damian Green, will speak at the event, which is taking place in Ilkley, Yorkshie, and is being hosted by Kris Hopkins, the MP for Keighley and Ilkley, a long-time TRG member who spoke powerfully on Libya when the Commons first considered military action. (Hopkins is a former solider and leader of Bradford Council.)

Green is making the most of the launch by warning that the party mustn't sub-contract caring to the Liberal Democrats, and has trailed his remarks this morning.

Guy Opperman MP marks his return to good health after brain tumour with 70 mile Hadrian's Wall walk

By Matthew Barrett
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Back in May, we reported how the MP for Hexham, Guy Opperman, was diagnosed with a brain tumour - by fellow MP, Daniel Poulter.

Guy Opperman on the Hadrian’s Wall Charity Walk in Northumberland.

Tim Chatwin to leave 10 Downing Street

By Tim Montgomerie
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PR Week's David Singleton has broken the news that Tim Chatwin, the Prime Minister's Head of Strategic Communications, who has worked closely with Steve Hilton since the start of the Cameron project will be leaving 10 Downing Street after this year's Manchester Party Conference. Chatwin will be moving to work for Google in California.

Singleton also reports that James O'Shaugnessy may be moving on too. O'Shaughnessy is another person who has been inside Team Cameron since its early days.

North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson gets engaged

By Matthew Barrett
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News has reached me that the MP for North Swindon, Justin Tomlinson, announced his engagement in very modern style - on Facebook!

Mr Tomlinson told local news magazine, Link, about the engagement itself:

"I put the question on The Peak which is the highest point in Hong Kong. I was pretty nervous as you'd expect, and I don't like heights. So I was quite dizzy when Jo said yes; it's a good thing she was holding on to me otherwise I might have fallen off the mountain."

Advertise your fringe event in ConservativeHome's Party Conference newspaper

The News of the World may be dead but ConservativeHome is launching its own dead tree newspaper... 5,000 copies per day and for four days only.

The full colour ConservativeHome Conference News will be printed overnight and will be ready for each morning of next month's Tory conference.

It will be distributed by a Manchester-based team of eight professionals from 7.30am each morning of the Conference - at key hotels, fringe meetings and outside the exhibition halls.

Half of its sixteen pages will be prepared well in advance and half will be written over the previous 24 hours and include conference commentary, a summary of the overnight political news, fringe guide reviews, photo galleries and a daily competition.

It will be printed by Trinity Mirror in tabloid size and to industry standards.

Contributors will include leading members of the Government frontbench.

For £95 you can advertise your fringe event in this newspaper. That £95 will buy you an eighth of a page.

OTHER ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES:

The back page can be bought for £1,250
The bottom quarter of the front page for £550
A full inside page for £666
A half inside page for £400
And a quarter page for £250

Discounts are available for multiple adverts.

If you would like to reserve space please email [email protected].

Stephen Crabb, Fiona Bruce, Brooks Newmark and Andrew Mitchell review Project Umubano 2011

By Matthew Barrett
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In the above video, MPs Stephen Crabb, Fiona Bruce, and Brooks Newmark, as well as the Secretary of State for International Development, Andrew Mitchell, review this year's work on the Conservative Party's overseas social action project, Project Umubano, which is based in Rwanda and Sierra Leone. In particular, the video shows project volunteers providing healthcare for the local population, teaching Rwandan Senators how to hold the Rwandan government to account, teaching local people business skills in order to increase employment, and educating local children - especially girls.

The project, which is now in its fifth year, is entirely self-funded and was set up in 2007 by David Cameron and (then-Shadow) Secretary of State for International Development, Andrew Mitchell. It is led by Conservative MPs and, since its foundation, hundreds of volunteers - from students to Ministers of State - have participated, with many choosing to return to the project.

Eurosceptics debate with Euro-enthusiasts; An invitation to attend a European Reform debate

By Matthew Barrett
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A debate between leading Euro-realists and Europhiles is to be held in the Grand Committee Room in Westminster Hall on Monday, 5^th September.

Speakers will include:

• Bill Cash MP, Chairman of the European Scrutiny Committee
• Charles Kennedy MP, former leader of the Liberal Democrats
• Charles Grant, Director of the Centre for European Reform
• Barry Legg, Chairman of the Bruges Group and former Chairman of the Treasury Select Committee
• Roland Rudd, founding Chairman of Business for New Europe
• Bernard Jenkin MP, Chairman of the Public Administration Select Committee
• Howard Wheeldon, senior strategist at BGC Partners
• Denis MacShane MP, former Europe minister
• Nick Witney, Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council of Foreign Relations after having served as the first Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency in Brussels
• Jacob Rees-Mogg MP, Member of Parliament for North East Somerset
• Tim Congdon,  influential UK economist and economic columnist for Standpoint
• Hugo van Randwyck, author of ‘EFTA or the EU?’ 

The Prime Minister wishes Muslims "a very happy and peaceful Eid ul Fitr"

By Matthew Barrett
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The Prime Minister, David Cameron, has released a message wishing Muslims "a very happy and peaceful Eid ul Fitr" - the holiday that marks the end of Ramadan:

“I want to send all Muslim families in the United Kingdom and around the world my best wishes for this very special time of Eid. The ending of the Holy month of Ramadan is a joyous time as families and friends join to together in celebration. This year many of you will come together to contemplate the appalling scenes we have witnessed on our streets and how our communities have been affected. Community spirit however remains strong in this country. I was particularly moved by the scenes of a united community coming together in Birmingham, not only to mourn the deaths of three young friends, but also to issue a strong message of unity and cohesion with people of other faiths. Peace, forgiveness and unity are the spirit of Eid. They are important messages now and will remain so long into the future. I wish you all a very happy and peaceful Eid ul Fitr. Eid Mubarak.”