With the end of the Lent Term and the arrival of the Easter holidays, too many young conservative activists see that as the end of their activities until freshers’ week in the autumn. Simply because the students’ union quietens down as students have dissertations to finish and exams to revise for, this does not mean that an activist should relax.

On the contrary, the presumption of downtime is an opportunity for young conservatives to become even more active while our opponents take their feet off the pedals.

During the Easter holidays, consider the five following steps: Continue reading →

One of the wisest pieces of advice I have heard handed out to students comes from Patrick Coyle, the Vice-President of the Young America’s Foundation. Pat reminds student activists that while it is all well and good having views as to who should be the Republican Party’s nominee or what the basic rate of income tax should be, a true activist should be focussing his or her efforts on how deliver the conservative message effectively at the level where they can truly have an impact. More often than not that is at the campus level – and it is too often overlooked by young conservatives in Britain too. Continue reading →

Politics is a bug. Once you catch the bug, it is rare a cure can be found. Even repeated electoral disasters cannot cure you of the disease (Ted Heath kept losing general elections but he was convinced he could have won in the late 1970s).

There will be times when you will wish you attended an event that you chose not to attend. Something else will have cropped up at work or in your personal life. You will have a diary clash, you won’t be able to afford to go or on a particular day you will decide you just cannot be bothered to go to whatever event it is.

And then you will discover that the event was truly memorable in some way and you will regret, sometimes to your dying day, that you didn’t go. Continue reading →

In today’s hectic multimedia age, it is easy only to spend time reading blogs, websites or newspapers with whom you are in agreement. That is a very dangerous course for the conservative activist to take. It is imperative to be as well read as possible – not just so that you know what your opponents are up to but also to get you sufficiently angry and motivated that you remember why it is you do what you do.

That said, time is tight. I would therefore recommend the following ten online resources to bookmark and check either daily or at least once or twice a week. Just hold your nose as you read them..! Continue reading →

I have previously explained that the Education Act 1994 contains a number of provisions that too few universities and students’ unions uphold. I drew attention to the provisions that require students’ unions to hold annual ballots in respect of their membership to outside bodies such as the National Union Students.

I wrote:

“If a students’ union decides to affiliate to an external organisation – such as the National Union of Students – the Act states that the name of the organisation and the details of any subscriptions paid must be published. That notice must be made available to all students – and to the university authorities (section 22(2)(j)). Does your students’ union do this?

At least once a year, students’ unions are compelled to publish a formal report listing those organisations to which the students’ union has affiliated and identifying what sums have been paid to them (section 22(2)(k)). Does your students’ union do this?

At least once a year, the current list of affiliations must be submitted to members of the students’ union for approval (section 22(2)(l)(i)). Does your students’ union do this?”

There are other important provisions of the Education Act 1994 that it is important to ensure are complied with: Continue reading →

Much of the work done by conservative activists of all ages is far too inward-looking and parochial. As a result it is far from welcoming to potential new members.

The Leadership Institute, on whose work the Young Britons’ Foundation is based, has as the basis for its training workshops the principle that “being right is not enough”. There is no point being correct on the issues of the day (be it Europe, hunting, taxes, crime or whatever) if you cannot communicate your viewpoint effectively and persuade others to follow or agree with you.

Barry Goldwater was right in 1964 but he lost in the then largest ever landslide to President Johnson. By contrast Ronald Reagan demolished both Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale in 1980 and 1984. He had the same views as Barry Goldwater but, through his sunny demeanour and ability to communicate to Americans, he was able to win and to win well.  Continue reading →

The English are renowned as being easily embarrassed. Monty Python had a great sketch that asked its viewers: “Are you embarrassed easily? Do any of these words embarrass you? Shoe? Grunties? Wankel rotary engine?” Englishmen, in particular, are shy. Few exhibit the levels of confidence of an Australian or the bombast of a German. Despite the cult of celebrity and the rise of the chav, the English remain a stoic, reserved people. Often this should be the subject of quiet pride. When it comes to political activism, however, it is a hindrance. Continue reading →

The Young America’s Foundation has a superb panel of conservative speakers that it sends out to schools, colleges and universities across the United States. The Young Britons’ Foundation has a similarly sound group of speakers who are willing to speak on a variety of topics at educational establishments throughout the United Kingdom such as:

• Rt Hon David Davis MP – Freedom, Civil Liberties, ID Cards, CCTV, Europe, Law & Order, Conservatism;
• Matthew Elliott – Tax, Freedom, Government Waste, Europe;
• Guido Fawkes – Blogging, New Media, Freedom;
• Frederick Forsyth CBE – Europe, Military Covenant;
• Michael Gove MP – Education, Conservatism;
• Daniel Hannan MEP – Europe, Localism, Direct Democracy;
• Douglas Murray – Jihad, Islamism, Israel, War on Terror, Neo-Conservatism;
• Rt Hon John Redwood MP – Freedom, Tax, Europe;
• Antony Worrall Thompson – Freedom, Smoking, Choice;
• and many, many more…

All of these speakers are available to conservative students throughout the United Kingdom. So how do you go about getting a great speaker to your campus? Here are 10 steps that a committed activist should follow in organising a great speaker event. Continue reading →

For the past few summers, the Young Britons’ Foundation has taken dozens of young conservative activists from Britain over to New York, Washington DC and California to learn from the think-tanks and activist groups in the United States.

The result is that those activists have returned to Britain better trained and highly motivated to promote conservative values in their schools, colleges and universities, on the blogosphere and in their local communities.

During the YBF US Summer Conference Programme students will have the opportunity to attend all or any of the following conferences: Continue reading →