Something for the weekend...

Poor Darling

Maybe TB is going soft in his old age but he can't help but feel sorry for Darling. It's a new low for the man banned from most pubs in the country when he can't even order a second bottle of wine in a restaurant without being public rebuked by a waiter. You have to feel sorry the guy, especially given the position he is in...

Darling's

interview

in the Guardian today shows a different side of the man trapped in his own loyalty: "For Brown to repay his friend's loyalty by sacking him would be brutal - even Shakespearean. But then, politics can be like that. Darling is one of the most experienced politicians in the country. And yet, more than once, I find myself wondering how much of a political animal he really is."

Of all the characters in this unfolding tragedy you have to wonder when Darling will reach breaking point - he has taken the fall for Gordan's mistakes in the past and he continues to take the fall now and still his boss has the audacity to brief against him. The loyal friend and ally is being stamped and trodden on and you have to wonder if he will be a

Stamper

to Gordon's Urquhart?

A Howe moment from Darling and it's curtains for Gordo...

Campaigning, Conference and Wales...

TB is off to Wales for the weekend, never been before... not quite sure what to expect. Sadly he will be missing the

Tooting Campaign Day

but do go along and help Mark - 10:30 Saturday morning at Tooting Broadway Station - as ever your hard work will be well

rewarded

.

Tickets to the must attend event of conference will go on sale early next week. Keep the Tuesday night in Birmingham free from nine until the wee hours. TB's bash will include a high profile guest speaker, live music and a hell of a lot of booze...

Real booze unlike the normal warm glass of conference wine!

While on the topic of conference, did anyone else resent having already forked out an obscene sum of money for the pass, having to pay the ridiculous £3 carbon offsetting? It's not the money that is the issue it's the blatent hollow gesture politics that has to change. TB demands pictorial evidence of the tree that will be planted with that three quid.

Might post again tonight but weekend will be very quiet.

Business as usual Monday.

The fight back begins...

www.vpilf.com

has been registered...

Shame she has a slightly irratating voice...

Excellent News + VPILF!

McCain could have pissed on Obama's parade last night and released his

fantastic

VP choice during "The Ones" ascendancy but instead he released this:



Legend.


UPDATE: 16.23 - Congratulations to Mr Peterkin for coining the phrase VPILF:

After checking out

Miss Wasilla 1984

TB is inclined to agree...

Lib Dem lies...

Found these in a Facebook group, they are by a chap called Tim Fell...

"Fed up with hearing the Fib Dems crow about how many areas in Britain have no Conservative councillors.....maybe this will dispel the myth. The yellow on the left marks the local authorities with no Lib Dem councillors, and the one on the right does the same for the Conservatives. Twice as many for them as for us, and if you consider that in the highly rural areas of the celtic fringe Conservatives have a tradition of standing as independents it makes it even better for us!

So....what were you saying again Mr Clegg???"

Quite...

UPDATE: It has come to TB's attention that he just shamelessly ripped this story of

ABB's blog

... great minds etc

Toga...Toga...Toga...

One for TB's buddy

Shane

.

News from the North

Former President of Conservative Future Scotland Maurice Golden has been selected to fight for the Tories in the completely unwinnable Glenrothes by-election.

Maurice stood for Central Fife in the 2007 Scottish Parliamentary election and gained 2000 odd votes to the SNP's 10,000.

He must beat the Lib Dems to take third - a hurdle of some 2000 votes.


Having cut his teeth editing the Dundee Student Times, or "'Life in Dundee according to Maurice Golden" as it became "affectionately" known under his tenior, he then took over Dundee University Students Association. An impressive feat for any Tory, especially in Scotland.

TB has spoken to a fair few Calidonian co-conspirators today and the general consensus is the Party didn't exactly choose the most inspiring of candidates. The word dull came up more than once. Maurice was CF President in Scotland for three years and to be fair by the end of his time in office had made some enemies. TB imagines he will be hard pushed to get some of the older members of CFS, who remember the

cliquishness

of his last year or so in office to hit the streets for him.

CFS is very different from CF in England. One thing that binds the members in England is the prospect that we will more than likely be in government soon, or at least that is an achievable goal.

In Scotland things are very different.

The Conservatives won't be forming a government in Holyrood and there seems little to fight for. It's hard to unite the youth behind a banner that has the prospect of coming fourth. Because of this, little things like supposed cliquishness or bitchiness is taken so much more seriously instead of members looking to the bigger and brighter prospects of a successful campaign. Grudges are held in the quagmire of endless defeat.

The situation CFS and the wider Party in Scotland is in at the moment needs a massive kick up the arse and has been playing on TB's mind for a while now... Any Party that doesn't notice a hundred grand going walkies in in a pretty shoddy state.

Livingstone to work for mudering, corrupt, racist, anti-semetic communist dictator...

Got home late to discover this on the BBC:

Former London mayor Ken Livingstone is to work as a consultant for Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

"Mr Livingstone, who has long been a supporter of Mr Chavez, will advise pro-government mayors in the capital Caracas on urban planning.

He said he was "proud and honoured" to be part of the city's transformation.

As mayor, Mr Livingstone struck a deal to swap cheap Venezuelan oil for city planning advice, but it was cancelled by his successor Boris Johnson.

After a meeting with Mr Chavez in Caracas on Wednesday, the former mayor said he was pleased that Venezuela would now get the "advice that we promised".

The BBC's James Ingham said the two men, who share left-wing political views, hugged each other like old friends."

TB is lost for printable words.

Guest Post 3 - Clare Hilley

Why CF is the future

For many young people the world of politics is viewed as archaic, out of date and uninviting. Years of spin, deception and deceit at the hands of the Labour Party has helped galvanise this view into the minds of a generation of young people.

From the horrific ten pence tax debacle, which slammed some of the poorest people in the country, to the stomach churning lies on Iraq, the Labour Party has caused catastrophic damage to the public perception of political life.

Mercifully, the Conservative Party is developing the remedy to the Labour sickness in the form of Conservative Future. Already the largest political movement in the UK attracting over 15,000 members, Conservative Future is leading the way as a modern and accountable vehicle for ambitious young people keen to get stuck into politics.

From campaign days up and down the country to late night social events, CF opens up a wealth of opportunities to young people looking to make a difference. The organisation offers a variety of diverse events from LGBTory to social action projects, whatever your interests you will find like-minded people here.

I first joined Conservative Future when I was fourteen years old and have been an active member ever since. During this time I have seen members come and go and political careers flourish as years of hard work and commitment to the cause pay off. I have made lifelong friends and learned much about policy, life and people, which has been invaluable to my personal development.

Conservative Future is the engine of the Conservative Party, producing and training some of the party’s brightest young stars. In no other organisation will you find young people so committed, so diverse and energetic ready to get out onto the doorsteps and spread the message.

Playing a key role in the election of Boris Johnson in London and the Crewe by-election, wherever they are needed CF activists loyally work - and work hard. Conservative Future is the key to winning marginal seats and the perfect way to show the public that life is better under Conservative Government.

In the 2005 election Conservative Future was the key to winning vital marginal seats. The extra leafleting and activism was the undoubtedly helped us win the extra votes.

We have come so far so quickly, but there is much more to be done. We need a centralised membership database, more recognition for outstanding campaigners and more attention and funding from the wider party.

Conservative Future is the home of some of the brightest thinkers on social action and the breeding ground for a generation of party leaders. We are in touch and up to speed with what this country wants in a Government.

But we are only effective when we are united as one.

So let’s pull together, forget our differences, work hard and kick this tired and ineffective Government out of Downing Street.

Let’s get out on the doorsteps and show the whole country that there is a better life waiting for them and that the future’s bright, the future’s blue.

TB interviewed...

TB was interviewed for the

YBF website:

"YBF tracked down Tory Bear – a prolific blogger on the CF scene – to find out what makes him (or her) tick. The Bear talks openly about what the blog aims to do, his (or her) relationship with CCHQ, his (or her) plans for the future and why he’d (or she’d) bring back fox hunting.

Tell us why you created the blog - what did you set out to do?

TB was bored of getting his regular hits of 14 readers a day and some of the best advice about blogging I’ve ever been given was find a niche - CF was lacking a regular blogger that had comedy, so that’s the direction I took my blog in! I also get frustrated with the careerists so it’s nice to bring them down a peg or two from time to time.

Why did you decide to be anonymous?

It was more a decision to write in character than to be anonymous. If you look at

The Devils Kitchen

,

Guido

or

Dizzy

you can see how effective this can be. The identity of Tory Bear also generated a lot of interest in the first few weeks that got people talking and ultimately drove up the traffic. Lets be honest though, it’s hardly anonymous…

Do you feel there was some kind of learning curve? Has the blog changed at all since you started it?

Like I never imagined, not just on the technical side but in terms of the blogsphere too. TB is trying new things every day and trying to rewrite the rule book in some ways. In terms of the blog changing, well people have said that it has calmed down a lot since the early notoriety or leaked documents. That isn’t necessarily a decision by me to tone it down but the fact is that people are a lot more wary of getting involved in a leak witch-hunt and seem to be a lot more guarded. There is a rumour going round that I got threatened by the Party Board, that’s just not true. If the worst that happens is a certain CCHQ official googleing my life and then sending it to other bloggers then I’m not exactly shaking in my boots.

Are you planning any other developments or changes to your blog?

Absolutely! The site is due to go under a significant renovation before conference - where I will be live blogging. Tory Bear is also throwing a party in Birmingham. More details on that soon. In term of long term goals and directions to take the blog in, I am looking to expand the focus from just CF to a broader look at the grassroots and coalition.

As well as the luxury of saying what you please, do you think a blogger has any responsibilities too?

With an influence of a readership that is made up of the public as well as party faithful, of course there is a certain amount of responsibility involved. Ultimately there is one enemy and that is Labour and TB doesn’t want to give them ammunition. However, that can’t stop CF needing a “critical friend” from time to time. I have to weigh up posts I make and any story I do put up that could be construed as negative, I believe has been in the interest of the members and fully sourced. I am yet to regret a post.

In terms of comments well it’s my sandpit, so my rules. My moderation policy is fairly random and if I find something tedious I won’t publish. Racism and homophobia as well as general abuse that isn’t obviously a joke is not allowed. People moan that I don’t publish there thousand word essays on the Common Agriculture Policy or why TB is “ruining CF” but if you don’t like it, start your own blog.

Tell us about your observations of CF today - how is it reacting to the rise of CF bloggers?

It’s not political enough. People back their mates at elections, candidates promise the world and rarely talk about their political beliefs. I want to see CF being the political force it once was. The party has shifted to the centre yet CF represents all of it’s voters under 30 - a formidable force if we were to start calling for the libertarian ideals to be listened to again!

The Tory Bear blog is I believe having the right effect, people are beginning to lighten up a bit and stop taking everything so seriously. Obviously there are still a few out there who whine about bloggers but they are normally the ones with the most to hide. The positive responses far outweigh the negatives that have been thrown my way, though the fact that CCHQ IP addresses top my hits, one computer in particular, makes me think that the powers that be are going to take a little more persuading.

Where can CF improve?

CF needs to take a good hard look in the mirror, if the members spent half as much time and half as much energy sweating over minuscule internal problems and instead focused that energy on campaigning we would be the formidable force that we once were. In terms of the direction we seem to be going in recent months, I think that any reforms of CF need to be done openly and under the watchful eye of the membership, who for some reason care deeply about these issues.

What do you think of the relationship between CF and YBF?

CF needs strong ties to all aspects of the broader coalition. I think it is fantastic that CF understands that YBF are at the forefront of activist training in this country and rather than trying to rival them, calling on them to work together instead. People moan about a potential conflict of interest that arises in having a senior CF figure working in a senior position at YBF but I can see very little harm in this as long as YBF remains neutral in internal elections. The coalition needs strengthening and the YBF relationship should be a model for CF to follow with the rest of the movement.

Do you have any thoughts on the next set of CF elections?

I hope there are another set of CF elections ; )

Joking apart they are a long way off and only time will tell who has the stamina to go all the way. People shouldn’t start campaigning yet, they will only exhaust themselves and people will get bored of them. If the elections are held next August the final months of the campaign will be very different from previously due to the fact the universities will all be on holiday. The whole dynamic of the get-out-and-meet-voters campaign will have to change.

What are your plans for the future?

TB struggles to think about his next meal let alone any long term plans… The blog has opened up some interesting opportunities though…

If you could repeal one law, which would it be?

Just one? Hunting Act 2004 if we are being specific. TB is big fan of legalising lots of things as well…

If you could make a law, what would it be?

Any person who pays tax in this country should have the vote. It’s disgusting that there are soldiers and sailors who are under 18 yet fighting for their country and paying tax but do not have the vote. I am not calling for the voting age to be lowered, there are a lot of 16, 18 and even 21 year olds who aren’t mature enough for a vote – but there should be no taxation without representation. Whatever your age, and only if you pay tax do you get the vote."

Interesting that the following line was the only one cut out:

"The potential for a split in CF over these reforms is very real, not necessarily because of the content of them but the way in which they are being imposed."

Press Release: If you go down to the beach today...

He walked bare-foot along the beach, paw-in-paw with his wife Mrs Bear, as temperatures soared.

Dressed in trendy shorts and a blue t-shirt, Tory Bear hardly drew a glance from the hundreds of holidaymakers enjoying the sun and sea as the summer began in earnest.

Talking of his shorts on a radio station last week, Tory Bear said; “I think Mrs Bear bought them; I think they’re quite nice. They’re Boden, that catalogue company. She said, ‘You need some shorts’, and she makes the major decisions, of course. They’re all right, aren’t they?”

An onlooker, impressed that the power couple looked so at home on the beach, said:

“It was great to see them having a normal family holiday. They looked so happy and relaxed, so different from the stage-managed photo-calls they often appear at. Tory Bear was having a go at body surfing and his wife enjoyed playing with the baby bears.”

Tory Bear certainly gave surfer dudes a run for their money. Trading his bike for a bodyboard it seems he’s in pretty good shape and doesn’t mind flexing his pecs.

### Ends ###

Guest Post 2 - Ed Kozak

Are you tired of politics these days? Tired of a New Labour that is old and stale? Or a Tory party that supports a neo-socialist like Obama, a party whose claims to be right wing can be called seriously into question? Maybe you are just fed up with the whole charade that is the national political scene? Well we were, and that is why we established the Edinburgh Institute. More than just a think tank, the transatlantic Edinburgh Institute is dedicated to the revival and protection of that once mighty concept: British Liberty. For too long governments on both sides of the Atlantic have trashed the very concept responsible for their existence. Whether it is the welfare state, income tax, health and safety, or even cannabis prohibition, these infringements are the very antithesis of protecting life, liberty, and estate.

Ah, life, liberty and estate! Remember those? We call them natural rights. A few hundred years ago they were important enough that protecting them resulted in regicide, regime change, and, in the American colonies, revolution. What about today? Today we live a daily existence that sees our rights trampled on. We’re told what we can or can’t do to our own bodies and where, the level of government spending is irresponsibly astronomical - which of course results in an obscene amount of taxation, and we have governments that would see the right of their own people to free speech traded in for the rights of foreigners to spread anti-western hate.

This is why we established the Edinburgh Institute. If we can remind not just the governments, but people on both sides of the Atlantic as well, where it is we come from, why the political systems are as they are, and why the American Founding Fathers and those responsible for organising the Glorious Revolution are turning in their graves wondering why we haven’t starting shooting back, then maybe we can begin to dismantle the oppressive nanny states and political correctness that plague western liberalism.

Right now the Edinburgh Institute is basically an idea. Yes it exists, and yes it is active. But if we want the Edinburgh Institute to make a difference, to start changing peoples’ minds across Great Britain and across the Atlantic, we are going to need your help. If you believe in our right to free speech you can help. If you believe in the right to control one’s own body you can help. If you believe in the free market, or legalising most drugs, or ending welfare, then you can help. The Edinburgh Institute needs volunteers to write policy, exposés on ideological enemies, politico-philosophical essays, and to do PR work. If you are a believer in freedom pure and simple, then please contact us, and help bring Liberty back to Britain.

Ed Kozak is the Policy Director of the Edinburgh Institute

Any one who is interested should drop TB and email and he will pass on your details.

The Book of Dave

Dylan Jones – Cameron on Cameron

Tory Bear has been lying on the beach sipping cocktails so haven’t seen how the weekend papers have treated it, but just finished reading

Cameron on Cameron

. It would be easy to attack it and can imagine what the more hardnosed critics will say - it isn’t probing enough and DC gets an easy ride from a clear fan etc etc but TB couldn’t help enjoy it.

The introduction sets you up for “The Book of Dave” and that is exactly what it is. The learned teachings and words of the golden child.

You budding Cameroons out there should instantly get a copy and learn the great chunks of pure Dave. Like the policy guide produced by the CRD for every general election, this book could easily be used as a dictionary of Cameron soundbites. The useful index at the back gives ease of access and the potential to learn a corking one liner on any subject you can think of, just it time for conference.

Joking apart the book takes you on the political journey from the miserable Ealing by-election to all change at Crewe. It is never a bad thing to pause and remember how far we have come as a party in that year and how close the shit was to hitting the fan this time last year. You wouldn’t believe it, if we hadn’t all just witnessed it. Jones is clearly a big fan of not only DC himself but the entire Cameron project and there are only one or two passages and comments in the entire three hundred and fifty pages of unlimited one on one access, which could be construed as negative.

Dave was grumpy one morning apparently.

Party faithful will lap it up freely but Tory Bear recommends you get a copy of this book for that friend who hasn’t come round yet to loving Dave or someone who claims he is a bit a bit of a fake… Yes it’s pure propaganda but at the end of the day you are left feeling just how good it could be with DC in No. 10.

You can get it, if you really want it here.

Blog Meme: What Were You Doing When...?

Hello from the beach... ah the wonders of a 3G dongle...

Miss me yet kids?

This little question thing has been buzzing around the internet today. TB was nominated and so duly provides…

Where was TB when...

Princess Diana's death - 31 August 1997
TB had just got back from holiday and landed at a very silent Gatwick. It was very disconcerting walking through a crowded but silent terminal.

Margaret Thatcher's resignation - 22 November 1990
TB was four so was probably in the playroom…

Have hazy memories of buying champagne in the grotty bar in student halls the day Blair finally named the day he would be going. That was a great night.

Attack on the Twin Towers - 11 September 2001
It was on a very windy rugby field doing Tuesday afternoon training and a guy notorious for making up stories was telling everyone that the Pentagon had been attacked. No one believed him it wasn’t until a couple of hours later that TB got to the car and to Radio 4…

England's World Cup Semi-Final v Germany - 4 July 1990
Again the years a showing… Football’s Coming Home was the first single TB ever bought though for Euro ’96 though.

President Kennedy's Assassination - 22 November 1963
Will have to ask Mummy Bear about that one…

TB nominates:

TheBlueGuerilla
Guido Fawkes
Tory Heaven
Shane Greer
Alexandra Swann

Conservative Liberty launches...

A few weeks ago TB discovered the beginnings of the relaunched Conservative Liberty blog...

The site has now gone live it seems.

Guest Post 1 - Christian May

Exclusive: Christian May on the CF Reforms

The Exec have been watching all sorts of comments fly around on various blogs concerning 'proposed reforms' to CF. Comments have varied from the mild ("who will stand for election?") to the extreme ("Rock is parachuting in his 12 best friends to run CF"). We have yet to see an accurate comment on the ideas we're working on. The reason for this is simple; we haven't proposed any changes yet. Michael stood for election on a very clear policy of regionlisation - a policy which I very quickly signed up to as I think it will sort out a lot of the nonsense in CF. Before I talk a little bit more about our ideas, let me make one thing perfectly clear: there will be no unelected appointments. I shall say that again for the slower ones amongst you: there will be no unelected appointments.

In a nutshell, our idea is this: CF will comprise of Branch Chairmen (elected) Regional Coordinators (elected) and a National Chairman (elected). Please note that none of these positions are appointments. The reason for this proposal (and I stress again that is is simply a proposal) is to make CF more effective at a local level and to increase its accountability. In replacing Area Chairs with regional Coordinators our aim is to remove the ambiguous "second layer" between Branch Chairs and the National Exec. We all know that a well run Branch often constitutes CF at its best. We also appreciate that there are many superb Area Chairs - and we think that they will function more effectively as Regional Coordinators, overseeing a larger area. Of course, if a collection of branches held an AGM and decided on the need for a figure in between themselves and the Regional Coordinator, then they could vote one in. However, this decision should be made at branch level. Again, it's about promoting accountability and grass root level effectiveness.

We anticipate that there will always be a few (largely anonymous) criticisms of this plan, but this is the 10th anniversary of CF and I think we should mark such a milestone by shaking things up a bit and giving more responsibility to the Branch chairs.

More details will be announced as and when this proposal is put to the Party. It might go ahead, it might not. Either way, your Exec are only ever working with the best interests of the members in mind, and we'd never undermine the democratic nature that is so highly valued within our organisation.

Bye Bye

Tory Bear is going on holiday.

There might be the odd guest blog post if you are lucky. Got a couple lined up over the next week and TB might even blog one day if it rains. Oh and look out for the interview TB just did, that will be published on

Tuesday.

Lots to look forward to in the next few weeks - There will be a big poll next week about the proposed reforms as well as this months NME ratings.

The site will be changing in the run up to conference and TB is even having a party...

Watch this space.

Land of Hope and Glory

Hat-Tip:

Donal Blaney

The censored version..

Well it's lacking in the booze and AK47's but YBF has just realeased this video:



Get involved here...

A worthy cause

General legend and

MSP John Lamont

is running the Great North Run for the Friends of the Borders General Hospital...

John is a great guy, if you've ever heard him speak you'll know what a laugh he is, it's very refreshing to get the odd politician willing to crack a joke that is actually funny.

Anyway he has been a good friend to CF and do sponsor him generously...

(Here)

Tory Bear is angry.

This has got to stop.

Granted there are only eleven people so far in this group but TB urges each and everyone of you to consider your membership of the Conservative Party. What made you join the Tories? Why are you involved now?

Is it just the shiny, glossy, fresh campaigns that both the Conservatives and Obama are running, because that is where the common ground lies.

TB has said it before and will say it until he goes blue... oh wait. Well he will say it again;

Obama is a socialist.
Tories don't like socialists

Obama has the most left leaning voting record of any Senator.
Tories don't like left leaning voting records.

The guy is a lightweight - Obama sat on a beach sipping cocktails firing off the occasional press release about the situation in Georgia, while Dave flew out there. (Granted he was going to Turkey but TB likes to think he would have gone anyway...)

There are a million and ones reasons not to support Obama, heck TB doesn't care if you don't support McCain either. To be honest (and it does need spelling out to some people - THIS-IS-NOT-OUR-ELECTION!) your support doesn't count for anything but why nail your such shallow and ill thought out political allegiances so blatantly to the mast?

The Conservative Party should not be a haven for people who support massive increases on middle class taxation, pulling troops out of Iraq before they can finish the job started and ripping up the rule books and shredding Constitution under a lame banner of so called "Change".

A text book politicians answer

London Spin

is going to be running an interview with Ed Hallam later today... TB has best bits though.

Interesting to note he does not rule out a leadership bid...

Q. How long do you think CLWCF will be your home ground, any ambitions to move to an area chair role or another branch?

A. My future will, I expect, always be with CLWCA for as long as I'm living in this region - and I have no plans to leave London! I'm still only a couple of months into my role as chairman so it's a little early to speculate on the future. I don't have any plans to go for an Area Chairmanship - so Oli Cooper can breathe easy, for now!

Q. London Spin is still receiving tip offs that you are due to launch a CF chairman campaign in early 2009, can you confirm once and for all that you will not be standing? Or is there more news to come on that front?

A. I'm afraid your sources are incorrect. I've set absolutely nothing in motion for a national chairmanship bid. Michael Rock is a close friend, and as well known I worked on his campaign, which is more my style and where my interests are. Those experiences have shown me just how much time and effort it takes to win the position, and then do the job. I applaud Michael for finding the time. Personally, I'm more interested in focusing on my career for now

reads like something Jack Straw would say...

What do you think?

EUSAless Wilf

TB can’t help but laugh at the fact Gordon is

bringing

the disgraced former Smith Institute director

Wilf Stevenson

into his Downing Street high command.

The words deckchairs and Titanic come to mind.

What tickled TB though was the fact Wilf is a former President of

EUSA - Edinburgh University Students Association

. A caledonian co-conspirator informs TB that this “bunch of kit-kat banning hippies... a fucking ridiculous organisation...” is attempting to work it’s way out

of some million quid in debt “overdrafts”, has been the strangle-hold of firstly commies (Brown’s followers actually wore uniforms- Brown shirts haha!) then Labour Students and now a coalition of militant socialist, green nationalists. This years President and

baronet heir

Adam “man of the people” Ramsay was only duly elected because he could afford (and cared enough,) to drag the process into thousands in legal fees to have his disqualification for sustained cheating overturned – The organisation is both almost financially and completely morally bankrupt. EUSA put out good stock in bonkers politicians – and TB has little doubt Wilf (famous for being totally useless!) will have cut his teeth at EUSA and be yet another spectacular cock-up for Brown.

In 2006 when Boris Johnson was standing for the

ancient position of Edinburgh University

Rector

, (Gordo was the first and last student to hold the office in 1974,) EUSA ignored their constitution and their charitable status (

sound familiar yet?

) to divert thousands of pounds of Association funds – money meant to be spent on improving the lives of students - to fighting their campaign against “evil” Tories, entitled “don’t wake up with a dumb-blonde.”

Then it just got nasty

Seems Wilf left quite a legacy at EUSA.

conservativefuture.com

Apologies for the lack of posts, going to be a light week as TB is all over the place. It's annoying when websites aren't updated isn't it? Given the fact that Tory Bear hasn't exactly been given his blog much attention in the last few days this point might be a bit cheeky, but has anyone else noticed the shocking state of

conservativefuture.com

?

The last update specifically about CF was from mid-April and anything that has subsequently been put up has just been pinched from Webcameron on

Conservatives.com

.

What is the point?

The

CF Executive blog

on the other hand is updated regularly and is a very welcome addition. It's professional, sensible and on message. If it is CF news you are after or information about what is going on nationally then the Exec blog is where you will find it. But again what is the point if it's not linked directly from the main site? Any young person interested in joining Conservative Future will simply stick that into Google and of course the first thing to come up is the .com site. The Exec blog comes up half way through page two behind countless local branch websites and eminent blogs about teddy bears. It's all very well maintaining a useful tool like the exec blog but it's a waste of time if no one knows it exists or can get to it easily and quickly.

TB has it on good authority that his daily hits are far higher than conservativefuture.com and the Exec blog put together. Here's an idea you can have for free- why not just redirect the .com address to the new blog and update it to include the resources available. It would take five minutes to do and make things a lot simpler, heck TB will even do it for you if you like?

TB can see absolutely no reason why this shouldn't be done, unless the exec aren't trusted to blog directly onto an official party page?

If that is the case, TB wonders which unelected, unaccountable coordinator thought that one up...

Revenge?

While the NUS is indoctrinating this year's student union sabbaticals with cold tea, curled-up sandwiches and the occasional sit down protest outside Heathrow,

The Young Britons' Foundation's

indoctrination in the USA sounds much more fun. Wild nights of passion, copious numbers of cigars and beers, shooting handguns, AK47s and MP5 sub-machine guns and yesterday it seems, renting a jet boat and buzzing around the bay at Santa Barbara at 60mph.

Not all of the YBFers went on the boat though... Part-time CCHQ Press Officer Richard Jackson thought he would do things with a Cameroon twist and hired a segway (top speed 12mph,) boasting of its environmentally friendly credentials. Having explained how impossible it was to fall off this ridiculous gadget, bad-boy Joseph Lynch managed to do precisely that - breaking his elbow in the process.

Rumours that a vengeful Ed Hallam had anything to do with this incident are strenuously denied.


UPDATE 00.17: Texts from Richard Jackson -

RJ: "You git."
TB: "Check out the update."
RJ: "Thanks and it actually goes 14mph..."
TB:"Oh god that is going to have to go up too!!! haha tb has sources everywhere"
RJ: "I don't care - it was so much fun to ride!"
TB: "haha and that.... Ah this is gold dust."
RJ: "No comment."


PS can someone out there bring Tory Bear a John MacCain '08 t-shirt back please?

An unexpected departure...

Anyone even contemplating getting involved in Conservative Future at a national level should read this farewell piece from CF guru and sage John Moorcraft:

"The new generation of national CF activists are so careerist it’s frightening. Fortunately, the organisation retains a certain charm below the national level and it is here where some of our best activists operate. Indeed, I would say the three most talented people I have met in the organisation have never been involved beyond branch level."

Read the rest

here

.

Seems John has emigrated to New Zealand. His research tome into the Conservative Party youth movement will be available very soon.

May the force be with you old bean...

Letters from America 2

TB's source across the pond got in touch again to offer another instalment of gossip from the Young Britons' Foundation USA Lads/Ladettes On Tour Activist Training 2008....

After Oliver Cooper's previous "activities" on the first half of the trip in Washington, TB learns that fellow travellers also did their best to cement the Special Relationship in their own special way. Indeed the late night antics of YBF's very own Christian May so offended a religious nutter that he is currently receiving hate mail for his 'lack of Christian morals."

Indeed Oliver "the stud" Cooper managed to ensnare his second American lady of the trip - something my co-conspirator tells me he'd be hard pressed to do back home. TB has been promised and will be publishing a special USA Totty-Watch in a couple of days. He is reliably informed it is worth the wait but we shall see eh boys?

But it hasn't all be McLovin, indeed there was a distinct lack of love and harmony yesterday between Joseph Lynch and Ed "ZanuCF" Hallam. While two YBFers frolicked in the pool, Lynch pushed Hallam in - fully suited and holding his phone, cash and passport etc…

TB understands that Lynch's punishment will involve some kind of waterboarding.

What the hell is he playing at?

Our esteemed Shadow Home Secretary is putting a bit of stick about today. He apparently speaks for all the party with his desire to give the police the power to:

-Use covert video or listening devices in premises or vehicles.
-Watch premises to identify or arrest suspects.
-Conduct visual surveillance of public locations.
-Patrol, in uniform or plain clothes.
-Use thermal imaging and X-ray technology.
-Conduct surveillance using visible CCTV cameras

TB nearly choked when he read this, he expects this sort of quasi-fascist big-brother bullshit from Gordo's lot but not from our side. Plain clothes goons on the roam? Doesn't this all sound just a tad

familiar

?

Even before Grieve has got his black leather gloves around the nation’s throat, there are already 266 separate provisions granting the state power to enter homes without permission, how did we let this happen?

Our Party should be the ones fighting this. Today's speech made a mockery of the DD4Freedom campaign.

The idea of "political obligation" is that there is (at least under certain circumstances,) an obligation to obey the government and its law even if, apart from this, there would be no moral obligation to do so. Well the circumstances in which these obligations are void has been reached.

We should be fighting the fact that innocent people have their DNA held on a database for criminals. We should not accept or that there is one CCTV camera for every 14 people. Or that you are photographed boarding a domestic flight.

“That which is not just is not law, and that which is not law ought not to be obeyed”

We should be wrenching the microchips out of our dustbins, spray-painting CCTV cameras and standing up together against this dominance of the liberal-fascists. The legislation that outlaws the right to stage a silent, one-person protest within one mile of the Palace of Westminster would not be much use if a million people turned up.

Come back DD.

"we must put our country's interest first"

Hilarious story on the

BBC website

...

Pin in the arse...

London’s Pin

is a new blog that has popped up over the weekend. It first came to Tory Bear's attention via a Facebook friend request.

Normally TB wouldn’t be too bothered about yet another CF blog emerging in his wake but this one is different…

It’s pretty personal and pretty nasty.

Written from the perspective of a supposed CCHQ “drawing pin” accidentally relegated from DC’s office to CF, the Pin is a funny concept. However something tells TB there is something slightly more malicious behind this blog.

Obviously it’s a clear rip-off/piss-take of

London Spin

, the brainchild of Steven George and the supposed “Broadsheet Tory Bear" - The bloody cheek!

Mr. George has now passed the editorial reigns to one Frank Gallagher. Frank apparently graduated from the University of Manchester with a 2:1 in journalism and cultural studies. Though he does not appear to be on Facebook. Which is a bit odd.

Despite the “Pin” being live only a matter a days, half of its posts directly attack, or at least take the piss out of either Steven George, Croydon CF, (to which he is personally and professionally very close to,) or London Spin itself – “a 'well respected' Blog, who has a readership in its 'tens'”

Now there is no denying that there must have been some bad-blood in Mr. George’s acrimonious departure from CWLCF and London’s Pin is clearly involved in CLWCF and focuses on the branch, his longest post yet has been about Ed Hallam’s hair. The only clue.

Let the witch-hunt begin.

A Tory Bear t-shirt to the first person to email the Pin’s true identity.

Don’t forget it’s now editor@torybear.com

www.torybear.com

In preparation for big pre-conference changes on this site you can now access it simply by going to www.torybear.com rather than the old blogspot address.

New email address - editor@torybear.com

Exciting stuff eh?

The Ed Hallam Phenomenon

Not content with his new position as Chair of CLWCF it seems Ed Hallam is already preparing for his next "election":

(click)

Lets hope he remembers his YBF training...

Nod to

Iain Dale

for the software.

Working Strife

"There will be no Working Life conference this year. We will be looking to hold events later in the year, but the cost and lack of interest in working life conference last year, means we are not going ahead this year.

However, we will be ‘re-launching’ Working Life shortly. The question is, what exactly we will be re-launching? That is where you come in. I firmly believe CF is at its best when we operate as a member led organisation, so I will be taking my led on Working Life from you - the members" writes Owen Meredith on the

NME blog

.

Over the last year the rumour-mill has generating all sorts of banter about last year's

cancelled conference.

Senior officials claimed to the incoming NME that that Party lost "thousands" through the cancellation, but TB has been talking to a source close to the former Chairman who has shed some light on the matter- "...there was literally zero support from CCHQ for the entire time I was on the exec." The conference was cancelled at a cost of £600 due to the fact that despite an impressive range of speakers, only eleven people applied. ("

There are still some places left!

" haha!)

TB's source said "I thought that Karen [Allen] and her team did a great job and had they had even the slightest bit of support from CCHQ they would have delivered but the fact is that CCHQ don't want to know about young professionals unless they are in donor clubs"

It is reassuring to know that the the web address

www.cfwlconference.co.uk

is clearly still owned by Conservative Future however the main reasoning behind this post was a call to arms more than anything. Member retention after university and increasing membership of those aged 25 to 30 is a vital part of CF's role. Something has to be done.

Owen's post gives more than a smack of desperation.

If you feel you can help, why not get

in touch

? Whatever the reasons for lasts years cock-up - and it doesn't strike TB as a lack of effort, the same mistakes can not be made again. TB fired off some emails on this subject and the response from those who should be keen Working Life members was not exactly a resounding thumbs up;

"it's been 6 months since they started, I am a young professional in London and this is the first time I have heard from the NME on working life...and I bet I'm not the only one."

Let us not forget that Karen Allen failed to get re-elected to the NME after taking the poisoned Working Life chalice, having previously topped the ballot.

Better pull your finger out Owen, you were 33 votes from the top...

It's Alive!!!

Russia Vs. Georgia

Congratulations to both Russia and Georgia who rather ironically both won medals at the Olympics today...

For shooting!

Interesting to note the Russian beat the Georgians for the silver.

No one beats the Chinese it seems.


Thanks once again to "the Barrister" for his ever dry humour.

Freedom isn't Free...

A tip-off from someone who has been asked to contribute led TB to Conservative Liberty - a website very much under construction.

Apparently it's the relaunch of a blog once run by Patrick Sullivan nearly five years ago. A little googling turned up very little content of this old blog but TB did find this on Samizdata:

Why Eastenders leads to Big Government

It's a great little article and hopefully Con-Lib will follow a similar path.

Just a week ago TB was calling for more for more factionalism and discussions about ideology amongst CFers, this alone would have been a welcome addition to the blog networks. However in what appears could be a double whammy, click on the picture below to see what else has recently been registered:

Are two libertarian blogs set to go head-to-head? This is a fantastic development if it is the case... nothing like a bit of competition to ensure high quality.

OK so the tables are turned on the Thatcherites, Pro-NUS folk and the Cameroons... where are your blogs?

Hold on a second....

Thank you to the ever useful "CFer" who pinged this into TB's inbox as soon as the last post was published:

(Click to enlarge)

Seems ABB is slightly more bothered by The Blue Guerilla than she let on in that interview. Yes that comment was appalling and totally beyond the pale and it's for reasons not dissimilar from this case that TB has comment moderation, but is threatening legal action the answer? A simple phone call would have been far more effective than hollow threats.

TB would like to think that this issue could be resolved amicably and the need for threats of legal action disappears from CF.

Exclusive: ABB and London Spin

Seems it's a flurry of interviews in the CF Blog world today... London Spin has be given a Pravda style Q and A with Anastasia Beaumont-Bott. It's billed as an exclusive "My Story":

TB hasn't seen it all yet but hears that it covers all sorts and can reveal first and once and for all that ABB will not be running for Chairman of Conservative Future.

Here's what she had to say about TB:

Q. -What do you think of current blogs and their content (TBG, TB) do you think it does damage to the Conservative brand?

A. I think Blogs have the potential to be an amazing tool in gauging the CF membership, engaging the CF membership and involving them too. TB and TBG are the two most talked about ‘anonymous’ (though I guess my definition of anonymous and theirs slightly differ). When they report on something factual or find a discrepancy in something, it is right to bring it to the attention of others. As long as the facts are presented then the debate can be held but there must also be a willingness to admit when they get something wrong.

We have also got to remember, as recently shown in a post by tBg that it isn’t just members of CF that read these blogs. While I must stress that we should be able to air our views, the one thing that saddens me is that people use the apparent anonymity to simply attack – that only makes us look like we inhabit the schoolyard. We need to show a united front, but we also need to be united in our aim to get the Conservative Party elected.

Perhaps this is something the NME need to look at and possibly develop a way in which CF can air its grievances and concerns? The Blogs can then be used to discuss the more immediate concerns and worries – like what Labour is doing to this country, but gives the Bloggers more ability to do what they set out to, to hold proper debates.

The rest of the interview can be found on

London Spin

at some point today.

The Bear Necessities - Michael Rock

Tucking into a dim sum lunch Michael Rock is looking remarkably relaxed for a man trying to juggle a full time job, what should be a full time job and his marriage. TB found his famed easy-going style lived up to its reputation, but don’t let that fool you. Beneath that Michael is articulate and astute, a man with a plan…

From a man whose interests on Facebook are “lamenting the loss of liberty” you would expect him simply to do just that – lament, but Michael is one of what he calls the “new generation” on the libertarian wing of the party. Instead of being all talk over cigars and port in the Carlton Club, Michael is adamant he will stamp his lasting influence on Conservative Future. His libertarian, small government, no nonsense outlook on life is the backbone to his intended restructuring of CF. Using Europe as a vague analogy he claims CF “needs a better structure, needs to be more independent from CCHQ, and we need to be in a position where branch chairs have more autonomy.”

Although the exact details of the restructuring cannot be released to the members until they have been approved by the Party Board, we will know by conference exactly what they are. Michael describes the reforms as “radical – we are the radicals and we will always be!” The reforms however will not come as a surprise to anyone familiar with the Rock4CF manifesto – a document that is being put into action bit by bit all be it “slower than initially anticipated because of the very slow bureaucratic nature of CCHQ.”

At 29 Michael is one of the oldest active CF members, he seems to have taken to his role as the big cheese, the leader, very well. His age provides him with a certain gravitas over the younger members but unlike many of the students who make up the core of the membership Michael has a job. Despite being full-time information consultant his day is dominated by phone calls and anything up to fifty emails concerning CF and that’s just before the social events in the evenings. Friday night is Mrs Rock time though! He brushes away TB’s suggestion that it can’t all be fun and games but is clearly a hard man to faze. Despite certain blogs having emerged focusing on CF in the last few months, the nastier and darker sides of CF come in attacks that are not always meant for the public eye. Just this week Michael has had to deal with a fake document that slammed his record so far and worst of all the attacker falsely claimed it was written by Patrick Sullivan, not only a very loyal NME member but a friend. The attack backfired though,

this sophisticated fake

has failed to sway the determined Chairman - Michael is extremely thick skinned “it’s incredibly hard to insult me. I don’t take attacks personally because most of the things that are offensive are inaccurate.” He is trying to spread this attitude to his NME - “Just don’t worry about it! I guess that the younger you are less thick skinned you are.”

Though he is ambitious for his term in office, Michael is realistic. He constantly stresses his concern with the relationship and role CCHQ plays over the organisation. “We’ll be ok” for a general election if it was called post conference – “the target seats ‘issue’ wasn’t the best way to do it – we accept the fifteen target seats in the same way accept any seat – we need to win.” Michael is adamant that the relationship CF has with CCHQ has to change. Firstly CF still has no access to the data of all its members; the Chairman can not send an email to all its members in one go- “come on this is 2008!” Secondly over yet more dumplings the staffing of CF is discussed. Michael would like to see two full time staff of CF age devoting their time fully and completely to the everyday running of the organisation, something that is clearly needed -“there are members of CF that don’t know they are members of CF!”

Although he is careful not to discuss successor to a job that is not yet vacant, by far the biggest grin of the afternoon comes at the suggestion of the chances of getting David Davis to take over Justine Greenings role as CF’s MP were she to be promoted. Freedom is high up on the Rock agenda and he accepts that as it is “it’s a territory that the party can’t really go… That’s why we need get the independence. We’re the next generation; we need to plan for the next twenty years. There’s nothing worse than a Party troll!” Michael is adamant the “the next generation” is a libertarian one and the structure of CF has to reflect this. He has completely uncomplicated views on tax and government but isn’t the sort to bore you to tears with his opinions on flat tax and cutting red tap.

So what next for Michael Rock? It seems the safe seat in the shires and a couple of rug rats are not on the agenda for anytime soon. He’ll be doing the PAB – but only because the Approved Candidate list will be closing soon, “just so it’s there” he claims. “There is no way in the world I would be able to even think about a seat while I am still Chairman.” Rejecting the idea of moving to a random constituency he dreams of fighting his hometown but still genuinely thinks he is too young to be an MP. Lighting a Marlboro, forced outside by the state he so opposes, Michael looks to the future;

“You can be very influential in politics without being an MP… no kids yet - I'm not that desperate for new members!"

Watching Rock disappear back to work through the crowds of Oxford Circus TB reckons this unpretentious and perceptive man will not only go far, but leave a lasting radical impression, on what is essentially a reactionary organisation.

Thursday

Apologies for the lack of posts today.. been working on something big. Also interviewed Michael Rock over lunch. Will report on that in the morning.

In the mean time

Dizzy

has this hilarious little scoop... Team Brown are preparing to launch Number10tv, no not a cheap spin off of 18 Doughty Street but in fact GB's very own internet broadcasts from the Downing Street website....

You would have thought those running this glorious nation would have the sense to buy the domain name

https://number10tv.com/

though would you not?

Check it out for a laugh!

A very well timed prank by the

Freedom Fighters

Letters from America

Donal Blaney is leading his annual jaunt across the pond at the moment. This time students of the Young Britons Foundation have enjoyed an exclusive tour of the White House, (surely the last for eight years if Obama wins?) as well as having fantastic courses in media training, TV technique, campus activism and campaign technology. All of this can be deployed in the UK to expand CF's presence and activity.

However one young delegate has got himself into a little trouble it seems – nothing like a good sex scandal to further Anglo-American relations. A co-conspirator across the pond has got in touch with this little tale…

While the YBFers stay at George Washington University, Oliver Cooper has taken a leaf out of Hugh Grant or even Clinton's book and much to the apparent surprise of the other delegates, has shacked up with "the hottest girl".

This developing special relationship was however nearly over before it had fully bloomed…

Mr Cooper, 21, a leading UCL Tory, was caught and reprimanded by campus security for "indecent exposure" relating to what can only be described for some sort of naughtiness that took place late a night on a park bench…

The young lovers were escorted back to their separate dorms.

Ouch!

TB is waiting for a photo of the "hotty" - go on send it someone...

All good things come to an end...

RIP the source of gossip, bitchiness and general banter.