Cox Statement

TB seems to have kicked things into action. These statements were meant to be coming out tomorrow morning apparently:

Today it has been announced that my former opponent, Simon Cavalier Jones, has pulled out of the race to be the next CF Chairman. In addition, it gives me great pleasure to note that he is throwing the whole weight of his campaign team behind Cox2010.

Firstly, I would like to thank Simon for really contributing to the debate about CF's future. He has shown himself to be truly committed to the future of our party and the election campaign so far has been a testament to this. Work for anyone in the current climate must be a priority and I think, though being a difficult decision, Simon has shown great maturity in coming to his conclusion and I wish him the best of luck in his new job.

The fact that Simon has chosen to support me means that one thing is absolutely clear: Cox2010 is the best choice for CF. It has the right values in which to shape CF, it has the determination to succeed, and it has the support to match to act as.

CF is no longer purely in the mindset of winning elections. The Conservative Party is now in government. As a result, as I have said all along, we need to act as an effective pressure group within the party to make sure that we are listened to seriously. That means taking a firm line in opposing the AV referendum, avoiding at all costs the introduction of a grad tax, supporting young people starting up businesses, and making sure CF is a force to be reckoned with.

We must not forget that CF is also a body that needs to foster a sense of fun, and we must be clear that we are all young people. Although politics is important, we must always remember that CF is a place to meet new people, make new friends and have some decent banter. Cox2010 has always encouraged this mindset, and, tempered with my experiences at Nottingham, CF will continue to offer the best there is.

Simon Cavalier Jones has now supported my campaign to become the next Chairman of CF. He, and his campaign team, are now fully on board and helping Cox2010 in anyway they can. I urge you all to follow Simon's lead and support the only campaign that has the experience, dedication and values to make CF an even better organisation. That campaign is Cox2010.

It will be interesting to see how Howlett plays this. He can't ignore it and the SCJ backing brings a northern team and infrastructure to the London based Cox campaign. If Cox wants to take advantage of it, this could be just the shot in the arm that his campaign, and this race, so desperately needed. And that's meant with no offence to Simon. TB wishes him well in the new job. Oh and thanks for lunch.