Young, Sane & Tory

Wed, 03 Jan 2007 13:50:11 GMT

Hullo all! Nice to see that this community is such an, 'er', ~hotbed of activity~..! My New Year's Resolution is to think of lots of highly stimulating topics to write about on here.. Honest.

Starting off as I [do not!] mean to go on, I just thought I'd share news of quite an amusing happening in the lunch queue in Parl just before the winter recess...

Was in the queue for Christmas dinner and all the trimmings in the Terrace Cafeteria when Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott pushed in. Cue the guy next to me quipping loudly, "Ooh look - chipolatas with the turkey!"

Prezza, chipolatas.. HAHAHA, genius! I'm not sure if Prezza himself heard - but most of the rest of the queue did...

bon voyage self! Just a little.

Thu, 24 Aug 2006 01:03:45 GMT

Numero Uno... I'm off to Canada to York University in Toronto for a year! But I'll always still be around here, even if action is a little slow. Still... I'll be missing out on all of the Conferences and Forums and Dinners everyone else is lucky enough to be able to attend. Yes, I'm pointing many fingers in your direction, sparkledolly!!

And secondly, everyone should go out and buy Boris' new book, Have I Got Views For You. It's a rather excellent humourous take on what Amazon.co.uk calls, "a witty anthology of pieces comprising Boris Johnson's thoughts on everything from the presidency of Tony Blair to the idiosyncrasies of modern British culture. Focusing on Diana, the age of self-expression, the end of culture, the moment of the Yuppies, and liberty versus freedom, Johnson takes us on a rollercoaster ride through contemporary Britain."

Wed, 23 Aug 2006 02:09:10 GMT

Coo, I've been rather neglecting this 'ere community (as well as LJ as a whole) lately. Bad me! But a belated hullo to those who've joined (er, yes - all three of you..!), and a big thanks to those who've posted so far!

Excellent news regarding the latest opinion polls - apparently we're now on 40%, compared to Labour's 31% - enough to win us a small majority, according to ConservativeHome.com. Hoorah. Although supposedly we have a marked shift away from Labour towards the Lib Dems to thank, which strikes me as a bit concerning.

In other [saliva-inducing] news, dear Boris J is currently advertising for a Parliamentary Researcher (see www.w4mp.org's jobs section for details) - duties to involve research, &c. &c. .. "and other parliamentary wonkery". My my! If it wasn't for the fact that one has to submit, along with CV, an essay on A Journey In A Space Ship, A Country Ramble, or The Taj Mahal, I would probably apply. Anyone else going to give it a go?!

And is anyone here going to conference this year? I am, and I'm rather looking forward to it, I must say. Exciting speeches + glittering cocktail evenings + mass media presence + time off work (it's recess at the moment, so nothing much is happening in W'minster) = quite brilliant. (FYI: I'll most probably be the obsessed-looking fangirl gazing lovingly at Cammers et al from the front row!)

On that note, to end this somewhat pointless entry, I bring you.. an ever-so-slightly adorable picture of our Dave!

New Politics Forum

Tue, 11 Jul 2006 09:44:16 GMT

Hi,

I have set up a new Politics forum to discuss, well, Politics. Please feel free to join and comment.

The link is http://forumspring.com/forums/?mforum=debatepolitics

Alex

The Wossy Scandal...

Mon, 26 Jun 2006 00:26:49 GMT

I presume at least most people have seen/heard/read about Davey C being on Jonothan Ross last week and it all getting a little bit too dodgy for comfort...

Just to recap...
Obscene: Ross makes Thatcher slur to Cameron.

The BBC sparked a major political row last night after Jonathan Ross was accused of making 'disgusting' remarks about Lady Thatcher in an interview with Conservative leader David Cameron.

Senior Tories called for the presenter, who recently signed an £18million three-year deal with the BBC, to be sacked after he made a series of obscene comments when Mr Cameron appeared on Friday Night With Jonathan Ross.
Ross asked Mr Cameron if he had schoolboy sexual fantasies about the former Prime Minister 'in stockings' when he was a teenager.
When Mr Cameron tried to change the subject, Ross persisted with the same line of questioning. Referring to a lewd act, he asked him: 'But did you or did you not have a **** thinking "Margaret Thatcher"?'
The BBC did not bleep out the word even though the interview was recorded the previous day and Ross's repeated use of the 'f-word' and an even more obscene word were bleeped out.
Furthermore, the corporation made a deliberate decision to broadcast it: The interview was cut from nearly 40 minutes down to ten, but the most offensive section was broadcast in full.
Initially, Mr Cameron burst out laughing, along with the shocked audience. But as the full impact of Ross's extraordinary remark dawned on him, he squirmed with embarrassment, lost for words.
A triumphant Ross taunted Mr Cameron: 'See? I'm like Paxman.' He later admitted the quip was 'a bit low', adding with a smirk: 'I apologise.'
But then, shockingly, he referred to the sex act again, saying: 'I tried but it was a challenge even for me.'
He also then tried to dupe the Tory leader, who has refused to say if he took cocaine, over his stance on drugs. Ross suddenly invited him to do a 'high five' salute agreeing to legalise drugs and Mr Cameron withdrew his hand just in time.
Berating Mr Cameron for refusing to say he would make all drugs legal, Ross told him to 'f****** listen' and said: 'I'm f****** right.'
Senior Tories last night called for Ross to be sacked. Lord Tebbit, Tory chairman when Lady Thatcher was Prime Minister, said: 'If I had been on the show I would have told Ross that he was a slob. It is a pity that Mr Cameron didn't tell him so and leave the show.
'The BBC ought to take action against Ross, but they won't. The BBC was always against Lady Thatcher; now it is stooping to childish abuse.'
Gerald Howarth MP, a former adviser to Lady Thatcher, said: 'This is the pits. The man should be fired. What he said was absolutely disgusting.
'To refer to the most distinguished Prime Minister since Winston Churchill in this way is beneath contempt. Unless Ross is challenged he will get worse and worse. He and the BBC are paid by all of us.'
The BBC said it had received 27 complaints about Ross's programme, but defended the decision to broadcast the lewd exchanges featuring Lady Thatcher. And it refused to censor it when the show was repeated at 1am today.
A spokesman said: 'Jonathan's style is well known. He's got a tongue-in-cheek approach and his interviewing technique features a certain amount of innuendo. The programme goes out after the 9pm watershed and should be seen in that context. David Cameron said afterwards that he was pleased with it.'
Viewers can lodge their concerns with Ofcom, the broadcasting regulator. It oversees standards for all TV channels, and will investigate if it receives complaints about issues relating to taste and decency.
In March, morality campaigners attacked the BBC it for a growing trend in using the c-word on air. It featured 12 times during The Chatterley Affair, a drama about the obscenity trial over D.H. Lawrence's novel, and also during the BBC4 sitcom The Thick Of It.
In each case, the use of the word was approved by Margaret Hill - sister of Tony Blair's official spokesman David Hill - who is the BBC's Chief Adviser, Editorial Policy, responsible for taste and decency matters.
Ross's outburst - and the BBC's decision to broadcast it - will also fuel Tory claims that the BBC is biased against Lady Thatcher.
On Friday, BBC2 is to screen a drama about the attempted coup plot in Equatorial Guinea involving Lady Thatcher's son, Sir Mark - coincidentally just before Ross's next show. The Mark Thatcher film is said to portray his mother as a whisky-soaked warmonger, who urges the coup leader to 'go in and sort out' Africa's 'tin pot dictators'. Tory peer Lord Bell said the corporation was being 'deliberately offensive'.
Mr Cameron's interview also highlights the risks of his determination to appeal to younger voters. A similar tactic by Tony Blair in New Labour's 'Cool Britannia' heyday backfired when Noel Gallagher of the rock band Oasis attended a Downing Street reception and then said taking drugs was 'as normal as having a cup of tea in the morning'.
But there was no sign yesterday that Mr Cameron had any regrets. A spokesman said: 'Jonathan Ross has a particular kind of style and when guests go on the show they know this is something to expect.'
Ultimately, complaints about programmes are dealt with by the BBC Governors Programmes Complaints Committee.
None of the governors contacted by The Mail on Sunday had seen the Cameron interview, though several expressed concern. One, Ranjit Sondhi, said: 'If that was what (Mr Ross) said then I shall be making enquiries straight away with the BBC to find out exactly what happened. As a BBC Governor I am here to uphold its standards.'
Governor Anthony Salz said: 'If people wish to complain it will be dealt with in the appropriate manner.'

{{Article by The Daily Mail.}}

Righty, my darlings... Discuss!

Food for thought...

Mon, 19 Jun 2006 10:18:36 GMT

The UK, and indeed, the whole world , is living beyond its means, economically speaking.
Or so a group of economists are saying.

http://www.neweconomics.org/gen/Britainstartseatingtheplanet160406.aspx.

One answer to the problem comes from Cuba, of all places.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1409898.stm

I find it noteworthy that Castro has had to resort to allowing private ownership - because Communism does not really work. However, the ideas of organic farming and self sufficiency are ideas that I think that any sensible person would find worthy of consideration. Perhaps we should be looking at ways to make our own island nation more self sufficient. The world is going to run out of oil pretty soon, and all the agro chemicals that our current food production depends upon will go with it.

Naturally, i am a green party member myself, but i find that Mr Cameron is a sensible and pragmatic fellow, and hopefully, he may take this on board. I certainly hope so.

Thu, 08 Jun 2006 07:45:22 GMT

Did anyone see it in the papers, lately?

the cops are wanting to talk to some young lad about a stoen car. This chap is not some random stranger who gets pulled off the street. He has 'got form', what they call a 'usual suspect'. the young man, instead of answering questions, decides to run and climbs up on a roof, hurling down tiles on anyone who comes near.

The police try to talk him down, of course, but when he gets hungry and demands a KFC and a Coca Cola. Amazingly he gets it. the police have got to respect his ' human rights' apparently.

Now look here, I might be a working class bloke myself, but 'working' is the operative word.
I provide a service to other people and pay taxes for the privilege. I do not go around nicking cars, or selling arms like some people do.

I think that David Cameron needs to start telling people that human rights are there for law abiding citizens, and that once you step outside the law, your rights are no longer applicable.

Not all of them, of course. but if you want a hot meal whilst on the run from the police, your best chance of getting one is to give yourself up. Those who are operating outside the law should not expect protection from it, never mind room service.

So tell me...

Wed, 07 Jun 2006 22:07:14 GMT

So, David Cameron (who leads the Tory Party, don't forget) wants to praise the Public Services ethos. Meanwhile, Tony Blair, a socialist (allegedly) continues to uphold the Private Sector as the answer to all our ills.

The tectonic plates in British politics are indeed shifting under our feet. One may well expect Mr. Cameron to parade his Green credentials. Environmentalism is not gonna lose you any points these days. However, this new statement is a departure from mere populism. He seems to be driving his party in a completely new direction.

Now, this in itself is no bad thing. The leader of the Opposition is there to oppose the guvvermint of the day, and to argue for a different POV. So, if Tony Blair is going to go further to the right than Maggie Thatcher was, it is only right that someone should try and stop him.

The question is, is the Tory Party with him on this? I mean, rank and file Tories - who are they, and where are they coming from on this? Personally, I have no problems with someone who is a genuinely "One Nation" Tory. Someone like John Major, who closed the gap between rich and poor in this country.

But John Major was a guy who did come from an unpriveleged background. He was an ex bus driver, someone who went to night school to study to be an accountant. Such a guy can probably understand my situation better than a bloke who went to Eton ever could. And it may not be his fault, but David Cameron went to Eton, and he leads a party that is perceived to stand for wealth and privilege. What are his chances of keeping the momentum going? Is the row over the 'A List' the shape of theings to come, or can he really drag the Tories into the 21st century? Answers on a postcard to Minto Grubb, please...

not quite Monsoon season?

Mon, 15 May 2006 05:01:51 GMT

So just to simply add to our ultra-coolness factor (who am I kidding, eh!), I thought I'd tell you all about what is commonly known as "Clarissa's Brolly.. it's Tory Blue!"

When I was going to the Edgbaston Conservative Association Spring Ball thingy at the Winter Gardens in Birmingham a few months back as a guest from Keele Uni and Newcastle-under-Lyme CF with our Chairman, I had to buy a new pair of shoes... which didn't turn out so well, but that's a whole other tale of woe.

Anyhow, I thought it might rain, which it did, and quite rightly bought a new compact Umbrella.
There were a range of colours in Dorthy Perkins, Newcastle-under-Lyme Branch, and it dawned upon me... it would be utterly foolish and not just a little bit idiotic to buy a Brolly any other colour but Tory Blue!
And I still carry my Tory Blue Brolly around to this day.

True story.

View Poll: Are You A Stylish True Blue?

Thu, 11 May 2006 20:57:10 GMT

Does anyone have any opinions on the new Tory A-List?

I'm in two minds, as although I'm squeeing at the inclusion of ~~hotties~~ very talented individuals such as Zac Goldsmith and Adam Rickitt, I can't help think that the whole thing smacks of a PR stunt/cronyism a bit.

I mean, it's meant to be all about ~~inclusion~~ 'n' all that - but all it seems to have done is exclude and thus piss off lots of equally talented and incredibly faithful [yet unfortunately not female, ethnic or disabled] party members who haven't been chosen.

Ho hum. Thoughts..?

P.S. Hezza on Question Time later tonight!

Welcome!

Sat, 06 May 2006 23:25:34 GMT

With a brand new layout and look, sparkledolly and myself, crazy_celebrian, welcome you all to the Community!

new_tories is all about YOU, so make it your own.

We didn't form this community just for the posting of dry dusty news articles all cleany packaged and sterile ready for the consumption of the general masses... no indeed! We created this for us, and all of you, to express yourselves and your passion for british conservatism in a fun and friendly place. Whatever you want to say or however you feel, you can here because everyone has a right to an opinion and a right to feel what they want to feel.

Post pictures, write articles and commentaries, be artistic, link us to things of interest, discuss latest goings-on that effect or concern you, talk about anything and everything Tory!

We're the future of the Party. We are young compassionate Tories and our time is now!

Fri, 05 May 2006 20:04:06 GMT

Hullo! Here be the first post in our new community (which will hopefully gather momentum once we've engaged in some hardxcore pimping!)

To start as we mean to go on...

Hoorah! Click here to watch Cameron's reaction.

Although I just about remember the 1992 General Election, last night was the first time in my politically interested life that I've had the pleasure of seeing quite so many "Con Gain"s speeding across the bottom of television screens across the land.

An all round extremely pleasing result, methinks - the knowledge that people are beginning to see sense (in the way that the Lib Dems produced such a mediocre result as well as in that we're finally winning more of the votes we deserve) makes me happy beyond words!

Hopefully this will be the endorsement needed to convince the disillusioned far-right wing of the party that Cameron CAN win for us, and will therefore begin to quell their sideline mutterings.

Obviously Blair's knee-jerk reaction of a wholly inefficient-seeming Cabinet reshuffle just makes the situation even better for us. Like Cameron says, we still have a long way to go (especially in the inner-city wards of cities like Manchester - where our Spring Forum campaigning evidently had no avail! ;_;) - but the fact is that the tide is turning!

Now - if I can just find a newsagent that actually stocks the DC edition of GQ magazine, my week will be well and truly made!

Signed,

A wholly encouraged but knackered-from-staying-up-all-night-in-order-to-see-Ollie-Letwin-on-telly Emily.