Saturday, February 24, 2007
Welsh Conservative Future Dinner 2007
Many thanks to all those members who attended the Welsh Conservative Future Annual Dinner 2007 with Justine Greening MP (vice chair of the Conservative Party responsibility for youth).
I have to admit the night was outstanding with 5 members of the Welsh Board in attendance inluding Welsh Party Chairman Lyndon Jones, as well as assembly candidates, representatives from Ceredigion and Merionnydd Dwyfor and not to forget Mark Clarke the UK Chairman for CF!! I was overwhelmed by the support that the event had received from across Wales.
As a branch Aberystwyth CF succeeded in holding one of the largest CF events in Wales and it was great to see such a tremendous young turnout.
*on a lighter note our Mid & West Wales Area Chairman Richard Minshull was the closest he's been to having a joint CF and young farmers event, they certainly enjoy their parties and it was interesting to see an opposition candidate from North Wales at what was a very young farmers event in the next room!
Sunday, February 18, 2007
People Power Still alive........
Today (saturday) there was a protest in Aber about plans to grant oil exploration rights to areas of Cardigan Bay. This would disturb the Dolphins & Porpoises that Cardigan Bay is famous for and ruin a truely picturesque area.
People power is still alive tho, this protest just shoes that people still care and that Democracy is still alive and kicking (HARD!) in Aberystwyth.
For more details of the protest check out the next edition of The Courier our uni magazine, it's due out in 2 or 3 weeks. Goto the Courier Website and have a look around........
People power is still alive tho, this protest just shoes that people still care and that Democracy is still alive and kicking (HARD!) in Aberystwyth.
For more details of the protest check out the next edition of The Courier our uni magazine, it's due out in 2 or 3 weeks. Goto the Courier Website and have a look around........
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Events
A reminder that the coming weeks will be an extremely busy time for the society:
Just before all this I am adventuring off to London for 2 days to take part in the mass lone protest and for a media workshop at 18 Doughty Street.
Reports and pictures will follow here after each event to let you how everything went!
- Friday 23rd February - Annual Dinner (with Justine Greening MP)
- Friday 2nd - Sunday 4th March - Welsh Conservative Party Conference (Cardiff)
Just before all this I am adventuring off to London for 2 days to take part in the mass lone protest and for a media workshop at 18 Doughty Street.
Reports and pictures will follow here after each event to let you how everything went!
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
bad IDea
The party today launches its campaign against INGSOC's proposed internal passports for all serfs in the land
Please click the image below to sign the petition to scrap ID Cards to Downing Street (already with 16,050 signatures):
Please click the image below to sign the petition to scrap ID Cards to Downing Street (already with 16,050 signatures):
Monday, February 05, 2007
Young Britons Foundation
I had an e-mail today about opportunities for students to take part in a 'Television Techniques Training Workshop' at the conservative internet TV station 18 Doughty Street. Anyone can apply for the course courtesy of the Young Britons Foundation, the first of which starts on Thursday 22nd February.
For only £50, it looks like a great event, and well worth trying for... I know I'll be applying!
Free to Choose
Clearing out my bookmarked web pages today I am reminded of Idea Channel TV, which is streaming all 10 volumes of Milton Friedman's ground breaking TV Series 'Free to Choose'
Introduced by the legend that is Arnold Schwarzenegger, Friedman offers a compelling defence of the free market, as both the most efficient economic system and as the most conducive to liberty.
Worth a watch if bored
Introduced by the legend that is Arnold Schwarzenegger, Friedman offers a compelling defence of the free market, as both the most efficient economic system and as the most conducive to liberty.
Worth a watch if bored
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Free cigars on the NHS!
Well, why not? The NHS would go bankrupt tomorrow without the contribution of smokers taxes.....
Ok... right... just so this begins to take on something approaching objective relevance and start to form the slightest bit of sense (hello there James) let me elaborate...
On Wednesday 21st February, I am hoping to organise a number of people to come with me and join in with Mark Thomas (who isn't usually my cup o' tea, but 'the enemy of my enemy' etc) and his monthly 'mass lone protest' at Parliament Square in London. The nominal objective is to waste considerable police time by asking them to complete large amounts of paper work, so they can give us permission to protest the sublime and ridiculous (mine is obviously going to be 'Give out free cigars on the NHS').
This is all in aid of raising publicity against the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act (2005), which now means that anyone wishing to make a spontaneous political statement in an area where a politician may actually be in danger of hearing or seeing it will now find themselves on the wrong side of the law.
Speaking your mind should never be a crime, let alone a "serious organised crime". This is a completely stupid law which deserves contempt and ridicule. It hasn't the slightest place in a democracy. (This is also an ongoing issue: just last week the Liberal Democrats introduced a bill in the Lords to repeal the protest restrictions, this while it has been reported the Government wants to expand the restrictions to other areas of the country)
So, I am trying to gauge interest, to see if anyone wants to join me? Would anyone be available for a couple of hours in the evening of the 21st? I will need to know fairly soon, as things need to be arranged, and completed forms need to be sent off and received by the Metropolitan police one week in advance. Please simply add a comment, e-mail me or add me to your msn etc
Please join us! The itinerary is being planned, but we're sure to have a booze up after too!
Boundary changes benefit Tories
New parliamentary boundaries, if approved, will see the Tories gain 12 seats and Labour lose 7 (based on nominal results). The total number of Welsh Westminster representation will be unaffected.
Even with the new boundaries, the Tories still have a mountain to climb to win the next election:
It sounds like good news for the Tory leader, but he still has a mountain to climb if he is to enter Number 10 with an overall majority. The research suggests that his party needs a swing of 6.9%, down from 7.4% on the current boundaries, to re-take power.
But, this is a larger swing than the Conservatives have managed since the war; Margaret Thatcher's famous victory in 1979 was achieved with a swing of 5.3%.
While this may seem difficult, considering the Tories continue to enjoy a lead in the opinion polls, might the smart money now be on a hung parliament?
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Another successful day campaigning!
Today Aberystwyth Conservative Future travelled down to Cardigan to help Trefor Jones promote the Welsh Conservatives' NH Yes campaign. We had another excellent response! Thanks to those members that came along, including David, Graeme, Jason, Rob, and especially Charlie and Anthony for driving us!
(pictured - Rob (left) and Anthony (right) campaigning outside Woolworths in Cardigan)
