Deputy Membership: Cllr Clare Hilley
- Clare’s record is as legendary as her banter. I cannot say enough good things about Clare – I just bloody hope she wins.

Appointed Officer – ridiculous position. Patrick has been a friend for a long time and his reputation and presence within CF is unparalleled – he really is one of the beasts of the young Tories – therefore I offer him my full support and endorse him 100%. Despite this, I hear from many people that Anshul has been a dedicated grass roots campaigner and you cannot argue with that – I wish him luck in this election.

Devon CF – Ben Corbridge

There are some serious reasons for backing Ben which I am not going to talk about here because a) lack of time and b) it’s dull – these include his solid, well thought out policy papers; his long term dedication to CF at grass roots level; his experience working with MPs & MEPs; and the fact he, unlike many, has a career in his own right outside CF.

These are bonuses but not why I am backing Ben. Ben and I have been friendly acquaintances since 2006 when I met him at an action day in Guildford (because Ben campaigns at local level at times other than in the run up to an election…) and then again when he travelled down to Exeter to meet EUCF members at our ball. When I took on Surrey Area Chairman Ben was one of a solid handful of people I could trust to attend every action day and every social.
When Ben decided to run for CF Chairman I wasn’t sure who to back – I didn’t know Ben outside of action days and the odd party so didn’t feel a particular loyalty– so I watched for a few weeks to see how it progressed. It became obvious very quickly that Ben’s commitment to CF and the party was eclipsed only by his desire to visit as many branches as possible and return CF to its members.

The way Ben has been attacked throughout this campaign is appalling. The dirty reverse smear campaign fuelled by anonymous comments on blogs and insidious claims by his former opposition has repeatedly put him in the terrible position of being unable to defend his clear record and clean campaign – over the past few months I have not seen a single negative remark made by Ben or his team despite the full on abuse he has received. Ben has at all times remained (if not calm behind the scenes) outwardly calm and incredibly dignified – he has repeatedly reached out to other candidates to maintain friendships and keep it clean. This is why I am voting for Ben. He has the ideas, dedication and commitment to make a fantastic and unifying chairman for CF but more importantly he is a genuinely wonderful person who I personally feel very lucky to now count as a close friend.

Back Howlett, you won’t regret it.

London Spin announced they are endorsing me for Deputy Political, saying:

IN the first of a series of major announcements, London Spin, the leading political blog has formally endorsed Alexandra Swann for the role of Deputy Chairman, Political. Alexandra has consistently delivered strong Conservative Future branches in Exeter and Surrey and made a huge contribution to our organisation. She has also helped lead the charge in critical by-elections across the country and delivered consistent leadership that has helped raise CF’s wider profile. This election needs a strong team to deliver the kind of CF we all want to see, and this newspaper wholeheartedly believes that Alexandra will deliver the kind of results we so badly need. Alexandra is easily the most qualified candidate for the Deputy Chairman Political role, both in terms of track record for campaigning and ability to project our organisation onto the national stage.

Full article here… :http://www.londonspinonline.com/2010/09/london-spin-backs-swann.html

I’m putting out my own endorsements in a few hours but now must work… xx

“Deputy Chairman (Political) is an easy one. Loyal readers will know TB has always had a soft spot for Alexandra Swann and who wouldn’t want her leading a protest…”

Thanks love.

http://www.torybear.com/2010/09/cf-elects-tbs-endorsements.html

Full article here where he also endorses Clare Hilley and Patrick Sullivan among others.

From Chris D Kelly, Conservative Mp for Dudley South:
Ahead of the General Election I contacted numerous CFers inviting them to visit Dudley South to campaign in my battleground seat. I was delighted with the immediate & positive response I received from Alexandra Swann who did indeed come to Dudley South for several days during the GE. Alex was a valued member of my team & campaigned with energy and commitment. I was also very impressed with her inter-personal skills talking to voters on the doorstep. Alex has a great range of skills to offer an organisation such as Conservative Future & is clearly a committed campaigner for our Party with a strong track record. I urge you to vote for her.

From Kit Friend, GLA Student Volunteering Coordinator and leaad CF candidate in the NUS elections this year:

“I’m in no doubt Alexandra will make an extraordinary Deputy Chairman (Political), I’ve been behind her since the beginning and am confident she is the right person to lead us in our battles over the coming months. With our government in power, we need solid people with proven ability to lead CF. In Alexandra we find an abundance of all these qualities, political awareness across campaigns and parliament, and a firm grasp of our identity as a party. No one else is better placed to take us forward in this role.”

More to come when I’m not at work… xx

None of this matters if I don’t have the ideas or drive that will fashion CF’s future. I am passionate about making the changes that will turn us into the movement we have the potential to be. My three visions for CF are 1) localism; 2) communication; and 3) an end to factionalism and internal bickering. I will go into these in greater detail at hustings but please get in touch if you want answers directly.

Most important is localism; as a firm libertarian, I believe that the best decisions can 9 times out of 10 be made at a local level and this translates to CF. As a former Area Chairman, I understand the importance of having strong, self-sufficient branches and want to lead a CF where branches are able to run themselves and decide when and where they have their campaign days – rather than have this dictated from London – but where support is always provided, whether that be assisting with booking guest speakers or helping to co-ordinate large-scale action days across the area. We know that our biggest upcoming campaign will be fighting the ridiculous, unwanted and unnecessary AV system; as DC Political I will provide support to branches, keep communication clear and concise, but above all I will refrain from presuming I know regions better than their regional chairmen.

One thing that strikes me is the huge resource of talent within CF. I understand the difficulties that many of us face after university in the current job market and believe that bringing business representatives and MPs together with CF members who are looking for employment opportunities, or simply to improve their CVs, would be incredibly beneficial for all; for this reason I will establish the CF Networking Forum. If elected I will work with regional and area chairman to hold regular events – across the country, not just in London – where young, smart CFers can meet those who would benefit from their enthusiasm.

If elected, I will work tirelessly with the new Chairman, DC for Membership, Appointed Officer and Regional Chairmen to ensure that those who feel disenfranchised want to get back involved with their local branches while promoting a positive, efficient and fun CF that we and, as importantly, the party can be proud of.