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?