+++EnviroFacists storm Parliament+++

Enviromental protesters complaining about something have attempted a rush on Parliament.. The plan was for them all to descend and try enter at the same time.

The footage is pretty cool...

TB's parliamentry source says all staff were warned by the Sarjeant of Arms:

Sent: 08 October 2008 13:02
Subject: CLIMATE RUSH - 13 October 2008

CLIMATE RUSH

On Monday 13^th October a number of environmental groups are associating themselves with the 100^th anniversary of the ‘Rush on Parliament’ by the Women’s Sufferage Movement in an event entitled ‘Climate Rush’. This will involve a demonstration on Parliament Square during the afternoon and a planned ‘Rush on Parliament’ at 6.00 pm.

A number of security measures will be implemented in order to maintain access for Members of both Houses and to mitigate disruption to Parliamentary business. Some of these - such as increased police presence within and around the Parliamentary Estate, a heightened search regime and the closure of the Victoria Embankment and Derby Gate Library entrances all day on 13^th October – may inconvenience Members and staff. We would be grateful for your understanding.

Jill Pay Sir Michael Willcocks

Serjeant at Arms Black Rod

It seems the heavy police prescence seems to have held off the hippies.

They are using old school castle security by barracading the doors with planks better get a tank next time...

Introducing TBtv

TB is very excited about the launch of the new site this week and would like to introduce you to his next venture that will be on the up and up in the next few months - ToryBearTV. This video is the first in a series of conference diary type vids. This is one of the best speeches of the week and the rest of the video gives you a feel of the mood in the Hall in the run up to DC's big speech...

Come back soon for more TBtv - including some very funny vox-pops from the Conservative Future 10year Anniversary party...

TV's Shane Greer...

You can now become an

official fan

of TV's Shane Greer on Facebook... you know you want to.

TB is thinking he ought to get himself one of these fan clubs...

Whose car is TB sitting on?

Usual rules apply - first to email editor@torybear.com with the correct answer wins a TB merchendise freebie...

There will be a clue in the first TBtv video that will go live tonight...


UPDATE: 16:30 - Congratulations to

LondonSpin's

"Staff Writer" Mandy Maguire who got the correct answer first. TB goodies are in the post...

TB's laptop

TB is trying to edit some audio and video on his laptop but it's getting old and is saying it can't detect the soundcard. Any clues anyone?

The conference videos are kind of stuck until TB can get this fixed...

In the meantime keep an eye out in the next few days for the redesign of torybear.com to go live.

Mike Rouse

has done a fantastic job and TB is very excited about the new look. Mike cut his teeth at 18 Doughty Street and should be your first port of call for any online political needs.

Check out his website for more

information

.

Calling Matt Lewis

National Management Executive Elections results 2008:

Christian May - 413
Adele Douglas - 400
Owen Meredith - 380
Steve Ricketts - 378
Anastasia Beaumont-Bott - 358
Patrick Sullivan - 347
Matt Lewis - 339
Karen Allen - 323
Charlie Groome - 320
Craig Cox - 299
Anne-Marie Bray - 273

Surely as the next in line Mr Lewis should step up the mark now there is a vacancy? A Lewis/Meredith combo on NME would be quite the unit and help Owen's potential bid for the top no end.

Will ABB let Matt in the back door?

Guest Post - Matt Richardson

A year after the Forward Together slate launched the longest CF election campaign in the organisation's ten year history, torybear.com can exclusively bring you a guest post from Matt Richardson, it's founder and Chairman candidate.

This piece will no doubt spark quite some debate...

In defence of Michael Rock or The only things that change are the names.
by Matthew Richardson

Today represents 1 year since I came up with the “brilliant idea” that was Forward Together, the concept was simple make sure that a group of people who have all been involved with CF for ages, who have lived, loved, worked for and helped the organisation for years, an get them in a position to run the organisation. It sounds like a great idea on paper and maybe it was but the true test of an idea is how these things are received by the electorate. Of course it is a matter of record that Forward Together was consigned to the dustbin of history.

Lately I have started going to young conservative events again, YBF, Salisbury Club, Students for Freedom and association organised campaign days. People have started to saying to me “We wish you had been elected instead of Rock!” They go on to tell me that CF has pulled a vanishing act, a great magic trick. Apparently, there are committees, officers, working parties, sub-committees, and titles galore but nothing seems to happen. The campaign days that CF was becoming famous for (300,000 leaflets in a year) have stopped. The visiting that Mark Clarke used to do all over the country just doesn’t happen any more and the flagship new branches scheme has vaporised. The NME are all but anonymous aside from some sniping and intrigue which appears on the blogs. Area chairman are all in rebellion and the massive budget Mark’s exec battled for seems to have been revoked.

Despite all of this I say the same thing to all of them “I don’t wish I had been elected instead of Rock, not even a little.” Here’s why: Michael and I are approximately as capable as one another, in fact, if truth be told Michael has more management skill than me. It would have been just as much of a disaster if I had been elected too, the problem isn’t the chairman and it never has been. The problem is the NME, the fact is that they are useless. Patrick Sullivan, the man with my old job has done nothing. Not one thing! “Scurvy” Steve Ricketts is nowhere to be seen. Where are they? What have they done? Christian has lost interest and is working very hard on YBF very well and frankly helping the cause much more than if he was looking after CF portfolio and although she is working hard Adele is staying in the North. Rock could be the best General in the world but the problem is the troops are useless.

Michael is a dedicated, liberal tory and an excellent manager, the problem is that his exec are morons and life might just have been better if the dedicated people of Forward Together had been elected. We need people who care about the party more than their CV. Michael Rock is one, I am not sure that any of his exec are.

Fancy a pint of freedom?

The credit crunch might be hitting us all, but the good folk at YBF are helping us through it. Thanks to a recent donation, YBF are able to lower to the cost of their excellent conference - YBF5 - to a mere £50 for students. To book a ticket,

click here

.

TB will hopefully see you there for what promises to be an excellent weekend of training, banter and drinking alongside appearances from David Davis, Iain Duncan Smith, Eric Pickles, Ed Vaizey, Iain Dale, Matthew Elliott, Douglass Murray and many more leading Tories.

Sound.

As the dust settles...

So as the dust settles TB's sources reveal that there won't be a replacement co-option onto the National Management Executive as result of ABB's departure. There seems to be little point due to the fact that the NME is almost certainly now going.

As much as TB has a lot of time and respect for all of the elected officials of CF for their own different reasons, it a rare occurrence that a member quits and shows just how frosty NME relations are. TB understands that this issue was the first contact the NME had together since conference and there has been an almost freeze in communications. The resignation was specifically held from the NME until the last minute but seems TB's source stretch further and wider than elected officials. The reform fall out certainly goes deeper than anyone anticipated and future votes will now once again seemingly be a tie without the ABB swing vote. This could lead to a rather messy next meeting where these reforms need to hammered out and the executive evenly split.

TB wonders if any other elected officials are thinking ABB had the sense to get out now...

Tory Bear beats the Press release

Press Release

Conservative Future

Friday 10^th October 2008

Anastasia Beaumont-Bott is resigning from the National Management Executive

Anastasia Beaumont-Bott is today resigning her post on the Conservative Future NME. She immediately gives up her regional responsibilities as well as her voting rights on the Executive. She will keep her role within the CFSAN (CF Social Action Network) to assist with the important handover to the next Executive.

In a letter enclosed Anastasia sets out her reasons for stepping down.

Commenting on her resignation the National Chairman, Michael Rock, said:

"I have today accepted Anastasia's resignation from the Executive. Since her election in March, Anastasia has made an incredible contribution to the Executive and Conservative Future. In particular, her work with Social Action has helped to make a serious mark within the Party as to the influence of our organisation. I am happy though that she is going to stay with the CFSAN role until the handover next year, which will further ingratiate us within the Party and the wider conservative movement.

"Anastasia has also contributed to a significant phase of evolution for Conservative Future, which will enhance the effectiveness and reputation of our organisation. Her role within CFSAN will continue her personal commitment to CF. We have lost a very effective member of the Executive, but I entirely understand her reasons for stepping down and support her in her new endeavours.

"I want to thank Anastasia very much for all the hard work she carried out, the contribution she has made and the effectiveness of her efforts."

ENDS

For more information contact Richard Jackson (

rngjackson@gmail.com

)

Anastasia's resignation letter:

After giving it much thought these last couple of months, I have decided to resign from my position as a member of the Conservative Future National Management Executive. It is with great regret that I have come to this decision and I am grateful for everyone who voted for and backed me during my campaign.

I ran on a platform of change. I wanted to put an end to the lies, the bitching and the gossiping and transform Conservative Future in to a professional, responsible and united organisation which this party could be proud to call its future. Those around me warned me against becoming involved in Conservative Future – they warned me of the bad reputation it had within the party, but I stuck to my guns and insisted I wanted to help bring about change – remind us we were all on the same team, remind us what we were fighting for, and help introduce new forms of activism and campaigning through social action. Instead I have found myself at the centre of the very accusations, lies, and gossip which I campaigned to stop – some of them just plain silly, some of them more serious and upsetting to me on a very personal level, but all of which false. I have been shocked and appalled by the calculated level of gossip mongering that happens in Conservative Future and now no longer believe the change I once promised is possible.

In resigning, I want to be able to dedicate more time to my position as founder of LGBTory. We have recently been personally endorsed by David Cameron and I want to be there every step of the way, to watch the organisation grow, to watch our achievements unfold and to congratulate our members who I am so proud off and thankful for each and every day for their hard work and determination. I also wish to continue my work in social action. Social action has taught me the true meaning of politics and is probably what has kept me in Conservative Future for so long. I aim to continue my work there as a social action liaison figure and look forward to developing the many ideas which I am working on currently right across the country with local Conservatives. I don't want to wait for the day after a general election to make the changes our party advocates, and through LGBTory and Social Action, I hope to begin helping to make those changes today.

I thank Michael Rock and continue to offer him my full support as a fellow party member and as a confidante who I admire and respect greatly. I also thank those on the NME who I have grown close to as both colleagues and as friends, and thank them for their continued support and trust. Conservative Future could be an amazing organisation if we would only just let it, get over ourselves and remember we are all fighting for the same thing. The turning point came when I met a Conservative who told me he wasn't renewing his party membership because he didn't want to be a part of Conservative Future. Our behaviour is turning people away and I cannot be a part of that anymore. Please stop and think about what the public gossiping does to the image of our organisation.

I look forward to dedicating more time to LGBTory and social action and maintaining the close friendships I have made through my involvement with C.F. I am also at the beginning of my degree in Medieval Islamic History, and I dare say my resignation will be a welcome move by my tutors as I will be able to dedicate more time and effort to my studies, which by the way are going pretty good.

Lastly, I thank those who have reminded me what we are fighting for and who have made me realise what truly matters – you know who you are and your kind words will never be forgotten. Onwards and upwards to bigger better things!

Thank you,

Anastasia Beaumont-Bott

So there we have it, ABB is gone. There were rumours flying around about this all through conference. TB once again beat the CF press guru adding further proof that torybear.com is your number one place for CF gossip. This release was due to sent out tomorrow afternoon but seems TB might have quickened things up a little...

TB is going to sleep on it before he passes comment or judgement on this development in the reform saga, he will say this though...

This is certainly going to have an impact on future NME votes and will there be a replacement?

At least the ducks of Richmond pond are safe...

+++It's official+++

TB has seen exerts of Anastasia Beaumont-Botts resignation letter:

After giving it much thought these last couple of months I have decided to resign my position as a member of the CF NME

I wanted to put an end to the lies the bitching and the gossiping and transform Conservative Future into a professional, responsible and united organisation that this party could be proud to call it’s future. Instead I have found myself at the centre of the very accusations lies and gossips that I campaigned to stop.

I have been shocked and appalled by the calculated level of gossip mongering that happens in CF and no longer believe the change I once promised is possible.

I don’t want to wait for the day after a general election to make the changes our party advocates and through LGBTory and Social Action I hope to begin to help make these changes today.

+++more to follow+++

+++ABB quits+++

TB can confirm London Spin speculation. Statement due tomorrow.

+++developing+++

Government steps in to avoid bankruptcy in family game of Monopoly

A game of Monopoly being played by the Henderson family of Watford took a surprise twist today when the Bank of England stepped in with a rescue package to save one of the key players, Mr Henderson, from what the Chancellor described as ‘almost certain bankruptcy.’

The deal, which had been thrashed out in the early hours between Alistair Darling and Mr Henderson, who was acting as the banker, means that each player will receive a £1 billion pound injection of cash, (although this may take some time to count out what with having to use up all the yellow one pound notes). The short-term borrowing deal led to furious protests from the rest of the Henderson family, who complained that it was unfair to use their money to bail out Mr Henderson so that he could go back to ripping them off.

As Mrs Henderson put it ‘He’s the one who spent recklessly at the start of the game. He was going around in a top-hat buying up properties like Old Kent Road. And now they’re worthless he expects us to get him out of the mess he’s in.’

NewsBiscuit

has more

Bob Friend 1938 - 2008

Just saw over at

Iain Dale

that SkyNew's finest Bob Friend died today after battling cancer aged 70.

Some of TB's earliest news memories had Bob at the helm and who can forget his cameos in Independence Day and Mission Impossible...

PMQs

TB is just catching up on the first PMQs of the new school year...

Dave rose above the party politics and offered Brown the chance to justify and explain the moves he is taking. Brown then spat in his face with a cheap shot showing just what a nasty little man he is. There is a marked difference in Brown's performance from the last PMQs before the summer but the only reason he got one over DC was the fact Dave wasn't on the attack. Was a stinging attack none the less... This is a new enemy, a new Brown - Mandy is back, how long until Campell steps up? The New Labour machine isn't going to go down without one hell of a fight:

After the events of the last week Gordon Brown may well be safe now until the next election and that gives the Conservatives a great opportunity to continuously go for the jugular and drag this idiot through the mud, safe in the knowledge that the Parliamentary Labour Party cannot conceivably get rid of their leader given their Soviet-style pledges of loyalty on Monday.

Let the games begin.. No mercy.

Well isn't this a happy thought....

Guido

has a warning...

"The big lie that we will hear this morning is that taxpayer's money will be "invested" and the government may even make a profit - like the Swedes did in the nineties. Except the Swedes didn't make a profit, Swedish taxpayers lost billions. One bank out of over 114 Swedish banks refused the deal. SEB, Sweden's largest bank controlled by the Wallenberg family, arranged a private sector recapitalisation and returned to profitability within a year. So could the UK banks. British taxpayers are going to get screwed like they have never been screwed before."

Great.

More BBC lies

Just spotted this on the

BBC website

:

"Mr McCain, who is widely viewed as having lost the first debate"

Sorry to make this a bit of a stuck record issue but it's getting ridiculous. Why doesn't the BBC just come out and endorse Obama. It's not like Brown or the government haven't already... why shouldn't the state sponsored, state controlled and state loving BBC?

TB hasn't paid for a TV licence in three years and is proud.. he urges you all to follow suite. Don't pay this ridiculous tax to be told what or how to think.

Anyone who watched the debate knows Obama fluffed it.

Congratulations

TB is very happy with the promotion of Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark to the Shadow Cabinet. Greg will be taking on Ed Milliband with the new Energy brief and will no doubt give him the run around.

Greg is one of the brightest of the 2005 intake and Tory Bear wishes him the best of luck...

CF says yes to NO2ID

Word reaches Tory Bear that Conservative Future, the official youth wing of the Conservative Party is set to officially endorse and tie themselves to the

NO2ID

pressure group. This is fantastic news and something that TB has been talking about to anyone who would listen for awhile. There will be an

event

to mark the occasion and it's great to see CF and the Party embracing and working with the other lynch pins of the broader conservative moment.

A member of the shadow cabinet will be at the "ceremony" and unsurprisingly given the current Chairman's core base and his political beliefs, it will take place at the bastion of freedom that UCL has become.

Excellent news and well done to those that made this happen.

Why we need a cut in corporation tax. Now.

Press Release:

Facebook to Establish International Headquarters in Dublin, Ireland

Company Set to Broaden Operations to Better Serve Users

DUBLIN, Ireland – October 2, 2008 –Tanáiste and Minister for Enterprise Trade & Employment, Mary Coughlan TD announced today (2 October 2008) that Facebook, the world’s leading social networking site, is to establish its international headquarters in Dublin.

Dublin will be the centre for Facebook’s international operations and will provide a range of online technical, sales and operations support to Facebook’s users and customers across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Even Dave's promise of a cut of 3p is many months off.

TB wonders why they didn't choose the UK.

Hat-Tip - Guido