YBF Activist Profile
Emma Carr
- When did you first become an ‘active conservative’?
I have been an active Conservative for about three years and I have known I am a Conservative for about five or six years. It wasn’t until I went to University that I found opportunities to become involved in local campaigns and Conservative Future.
- Describe yourself in 5 words
Outgoing, friendly, hardworking, caring and ambitious
- What’s your favourite political moment in history?
That’s a really difficult question. I think I would have to say the Berlin Wall coming down which happened the year I was born. I think people of my generation owe a lot to the politicians of that time, in particular Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, for providing us with freedom that we may not have had otherwise. It’s something that I don’t think my generation are educated enough about.
- If you had to name the single biggest problem that Labour government has caused, what would it be?
For me it would be people becoming even more reliant upon the government. Its something I’ve seen happen all around me in the North East and I think it has been incredibly detrimental to society. This has occurred through people becoming reliant upon the welfare state and relying on the government to tell them what to do and when to do it. There just isn’t any emphasis on individual responsibility anymore.
- If you could meet any political figure from past or present, who would it be?
I would love to meet Margaret Thatcher. She is a massive inspiration to me in terms of being a woman in politics. She taught people that you have to be yourself and not try to be what others think you should be- something that politicians today could learn from. She also made some incredibly difficult decisions in difficult times while facing criticism but she also stood by what she thought was right.
- What are your favourite blogs?
Tory Bear, Guido Fawkes, Iain Dale, Blaneys Blarney and ConsHome.
- What do you hope to achieve in life?
I would really like to have a happy and healthy family. I would also love to further my career in politics by either working behind the scenes or even running as a Parliamentary Candidate. I am also working on setting up a think tank at the moment with a couple of friends who are also based in Newcastle and would love to see that become as established as some other well known think tanks. Hopefully I will be able to achieve all this at the same time as remaining true to my Northern roots.
- Tell us about Conservative Future in your area
Conservative Future in the North East has gone from strength to strength over the last couple of years, as has the main political party. I work with some incredibly talented and hardworking people who occupy various roles in CF who have helped to almost triple the number of branches that we have in the North East. We have been working on making sure that every Parliamentary Candidate has a CF branch who are dedicated to helping them run their campaign.
- How best would you describe what it is to be a conservative?
Belief in the individual, freedom and free and open markets.
- Why do you think we have seen such a large increase in Conservative Future members these days?
Because being a Conservative has become a little bit cooler than it once was. Young people also have a lot to say and CF gives them the stage and the ability to go out there and voice their opinions.
- Tell us about your experiences of the Young Briton’s Foundation
I have attended two YBF conferences which were both very important to me in terms of growing as a Conservative. The first inspired me to come back to the North East and try and create as many opportunities as possible for others to become involved with Conservative Future. These have ranged from visits from people like Roger Helmer MEP to social events to organising action days and social action projects. The second was in October 2009 and I won the Eric Forth memorial award for activism- this was a huge moment for me and I feel it reflects the progress we have made in the North East thanks to the fantastic team of people that I work with. YBF have also visited us in Newcastle so we could partake in some of their media and campaign training which was invaluable when it came to the local and European elections. I also joined YBF in Washington DC for two weeks over the summer. These two weeks have had a huge influence over the way I know view myself as a Conservative and provided me with new skills that I have been able to pass onto other Conservative activists back in England.