Conservative Future » RC South West

Help bring change to South West England

James Morton — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:46:18 +0000

Cometh the hour…

Gordon Brown has called the General Election – in doing so he presents our generation with its greatest ever opportunity to change our Country for the better. Throughout the South West, from Swindon to the Scilly Isles, Conservative Parliamentary candidates are preparing to fight the closest election for twenty years and they need your help.

Labour and the Liberal Democrats are throwing all they have into the South West, determined to prevent a Conservative breakthrough. They are terrified that the young activists of the Conservative Party will propel scores of West Country Conservatives into Westminster and thus help put David Cameron in 10 Downing Street. It’s time to make their fears into a reality; it’s time to get campaigning.

Any time you can contribute, knocking on doors, making phone calls, delivering leaflets, will be hugely appreciated. You don’t need previous political experience, enthusiasm is the only qualification required! Your local CF branch will be delighted to have you onboard; working together we can secure better representatives for the South West and a better government for Britain. Now is your chance to stand up for what you believe in and to effect real change, contact us and get campaigning.

Don the blue rosette, fight for change and help us make history.

For further details on where and how you can help, please email nowforchange@sw-cf.co.uk with your contact details and we will be in touch.

CF’s General Election kicks off in Wiltshire

Edward Hallam — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:39:51 +0000

On Wednesday 14th April the CF team in Wiltshire will hold a huge Time To Get Involved event in Swindon and Chippenham, firing the starting pistol for CF’s campaigning, and setting a textbook example of organisation and commitment that we want to see replicated nationwide.

I can do no better than borrow heavily from CF’s Wiltshire AC Toby Elliott, who has submitted a detailed and comprehensive plan for the day. Wiltshire contains seven seats, three of which are crucial target seats in which the local team will be looking to make a big impact.

The day has been structured to offer campaigning, socialising, canvassing and social action in an effort to entice a large crowd down from both local membership, CF groups in the surrounding area, and other groups who are supporting the effort. The timetable looks like this:

Arrive into Swindon around 10am – campaign in Swindon centre and a
social action project with Justin Tomlinson, Robert Buckland and (hopefully)
Andrew Lansley.
Go onto Chippenham for the afternoon (in cars > anyone arriving by
bus or train will be transported to and from) – canvassing in Chippenham and
Bradford-on-Avon with Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones.
Depart for those with a busy following day OR evening entertainment

We wish the team in Wiltshire every success with this, and strongly encourge anyone who can get away from work to head to Swindon – it really isn’t far from the likes of London, Oxford or Bristol.

If you’re planning an event tell us and we’ll publicise it; if you need help planning an event we’ll assist.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=105707506130743

South West CF Christmas Ball

James Morton — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:00:50 +0000

On the 11th December we are going to be holding the first ever South West Conservative Future CF Ball in partnership with Exeter University Conservative Future.

The evening will be held at the exclusive St Olaves Hotel, Exeter.

The evening will include:

Complimentary Champagne Reception
A Three Course Meal inc Wine
Raffle and Other Prizes
Entertainment & After Party

The Evening is for those who are not involved in politics as much as it is for those who are involved in politics. It is an opportunity for us to come together, raise a glass and toast to the efforts we are going to have to put in for the General Election in 2010.

See you there!

Click here for more info and to book tickets

Bath CF sets the standard!

guest author — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:11:48 +0000

By James Tricker (Chairman of Bath CF)

Last Wednesday the University of Bath CF hosted Chris Grayling, who gave a short speech and Q&A session to students of the University. The speech was attended by over 120 people, packing the lecture theater to capacity and was, according to witnesses one of the largest political events on campus in recent years.

With only two days to fully organise the event, the Committee lept into action, preparing a wine reception, booking a lecture theater and advertising to students studying politics, economics and social science degrees, in the end contacting around a quarter of the student body.

On the day, the hard work paid off as, after a short interview by the Student Newspaper and Radio Station, Chris Grayling was able to communicate his ideas about a Conservative Government to a very large and active audience, with Questions being fielded on everything from Anti-Terrorism and Binge Drinking to Prison Sentences and the current efforts to reduce unemployment in the UK.

As well as being a success in terms of audience size, it showcased Conservative Future as the premier political forum on campus. CF are maintaining their position as the largest political society at the University of Bath (by a factor of two!) and as one of the largest CF branches in the South West of England a position which, if all goes well, will translate as success for Fabian Richter, the PPC for the Constituency!

Epsom & Ewell CF hosts James Arbuthnot MP

Labour have let our farmers down

guest author — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:07:35 +0000

Zehra Zaidi, MEP candidate for the South West, has written for the Blue Blog about her visit to the Devon County Show at the invitation of Devon Conservative Future:

In addition to campaigning, as an MEP Candidate it is extremely important to support events across the South West region and to be visible and accessible within the wider community.

Over the Bank Holiday weekend, I went to the Devon County Show at Westpoint, Clyst St Mary on the outskirts of Exeter. I was pleased to learn that David Cameron attended another classic show this week, the Royal Bath and West Show in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, and held a Cameron Direct session engaging with and allowing locals to quiz him about a whole raft of issues.

The agricultural shows that are held across the West Country during this period are a lot of fun and showcase the best that rural life has to offer. There is a definite rural community: those involved in farming and associated industries, those running small businesses that are the bread and butter of the rural economy and families and individuals who – like me – would list being part of a close knit community, enjoying a relaxed lifestyle and making a home against the backdrop of truly beautiful countryside, participating in rural activities and sports and enjoying wholesome West Country food in village pubs and farmers markets as some of the big plus points of country living. All these various groups are always well represented at agricultural shows.

The invitation to attend this year’s show came from Devon Conservative Future. They organised a stall where visitors from across Devon and the South West could pick up a large quantity of literature (those in rural areas do not always get the level of information that is given to those in built up areas), speak to the MEPs and MEP Candidates in attendance and could sign up to our ‘Sign up for Change‘ petition to hold an immediate general election. As I arrived I could see CF activists from Plymouth and Exeter Universities, led by Ben Corbridge, Devon County Conservative Future Chairman, handing out Conservative Party leaflets, gathering signatures for the petition and generally engaging with locals. They truly did a sterling job!

After helping out at the CF stall, I went on a walkabout with Neil Parish MEP who is Chairman of the European Parliament’s Agriculture and Rural Development Committee. We met a number of local businessmen and those from the agriculture community, visited some of the excellent trade stands and enjoyed a cup of tea at one of the food tents with a ring-side view of the entertainment on offer at the show (including flying motorbikes, falconry, show jumping, performing dogs, vintage tractors and steam engines).

I also picked up a copy of a wonderful recipe book written by supporters of the Devon County Show called ‘The Very Best of Devon on a Plate’. As HRH The Prince of Wales, Patron of the Devon County Agricultural Association, wrote in its introduction, Devon’s “coastlines, moorland, rolling pastures, and sheltered estuaries…are a larder brimming with an enormous variety of produce: fresh fish, top-quality of meat, fruit, vegetables and, of course, an exceptional range of dairy produce – not least, its world-renowned clotted-cream.” I could not agree more!

We also spent considerable time talking to farmers at the cattle shed, which housed some of the finest livestock that the West Country has to offer. It is hardly surprising that many of the issues raised during the course of the day pertained to rural livelihoods and agriculture. British farmers are among the most efficient in Europe, but they have been badly let down by this Labour government – whether it be over continually ignoring calls for a cull of badgers to tackle Bovine TB, issues with the Single Farm Payments, or failing to properly press for further reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

South West Conservative MEPs have worked closely with and stood up for the interests of our farmers. We will continue to push for further reform of the CAP and ensure that their voice – and the voice of rural communities – is heard.