Your suggestions in the comments below please, as to what is the best way to record members who don't have a ballot this year.

There is a serious worry that the elections are undermined by the lack of ballots, this could be a factor in the pitiful number of candidates who bother to stand and the general lack of enthusiasm for the election.

CF Diary is now off the front page of ConservativeHome, possibly due to a lack of interest.

Sign Up Campaign: Update

Update: For everyone who is worried about not receiving a ballot (again) this year rumours have reached me of good news.CCHQ may be persuaded that members, (who can prove that they are members) who were not included on the list can get a ballot. More details when I get them....

Sign Up Campaign: URGENT!!!!!

I had intended to do a gradual campaign urging people to make sure they got a ballot paper, (and highlighting the fact that most of our members never get the chance to vote), but I've just had a tip-off that CCHQ will only accept membership data until Monday.

THEREFORE - if you are the chairman of a branch who has not yet sent in your members details, you could be disenfranchising them.

Register now!!

To check if you are a member or not ring CCHQ and ask for the membership department - 020 7222 9000

Update: The deadline has now passed, however, if you don't get a vote make sure you register for next year.

Conference Campaign: 2 Days to go

Time to wrap up this campaign to make way for the next and perhaps more important one.

The aim was simple; to get away from what Thatcher would call 'picking winners'. Poorly judged authoritarian decisions dressed up as an attractive, trendy idea for what is still a worthy goal.

Making students the scapegoats for our failings with graduates is wrong. We must attract more graduates, not deter students.

Regardless, if you are going to the conference - enjoy! It is our best funded event and luxurious isn't the word.

I will shortly give you my take on training, but just for your attention, I will be proposing the most extensive programme of training events yet seen. Simple one day training days, on a regional basis, hosted by a combined effort of the CF branches and Areas in that region.

In addition to training, I'll propose that NME will seek to enhance the education of its activists, beyond skills - to critical thinking about political issues, to address the future need for intellectual depth in the MPs and councillors of the future.

Update: Interesting that no other candidate opposed this on principle when it could have done some good. This isn't the most important campaign, but it does beg the question, when next year's Chairman is elected, what sort of principles will underpin their time in the post.

I suggest that the Chairman should be pursuing positive policies of inclusion, and NOT negative bans or micromanagement.

Conference Campaign: 4 Days to Go

Quick update: No word from Caroline, but Andy Strang left this on Conservatives inTouch (got an account there today)

QUOTE (AndyStrang @ Jul 25 2006, 02:30 PM)
16 year olds and 29 year olds don't mix. (rest of the comment deleted for being weird)

Beg to differ, price a training conference at £140 and that's unlikely to be a problem. Plus, let's be honest, if we can't trust people to sort their own social lives out at an event, we might as well give up now and call in the Politburo to regulate us all thoroughly.

Second Update: More student members have put themselves forward to attend the CF Conference -well done guys!!

Conference Campaign: 6 Days to go

Still no word from Caroline or Andy as to whether or not they support banning students or any other groups from certain events. Don't be shy guys - leave a message in the comments or email me.

I was reminded that Zoe Aylward (who proposed me last year) organised an event on a party boat on the Thames. This required, as all social events do, a lot of time and effort. Anyway, Zoe headed off on holiday only to return to find that the event had been cancelled because there was some confusion over whether the event was Student Life or Working Life.

Student Life or Working Life???? What's wrong with getting the boat, filling it with CF members of all shapes and sizes, adding alcohol and setting sail?

Zoe took the news with tremendous good humour and patience, but it was a shabby way to deal with someone else's work.

Getting hung up on the student question is counterproductive - providing good events smartly targetted is the way to attract Working Life members.

(Manifesto is nearing completion expect it soon)

Conference Campaign: 7 Days to go

Update: Success!!

A student rang RE the conference yesterday and thanks to one post on this blog no-one was able to say no. No excuses, no 'You should've gone to Manchester' - just a quiet backing down and acceptance of the money.

Let's be honest - any member who is willing to fork out £140 should be allowed to go. After all this is our best funded event and it doesn't benefit the organisation to start playing silly beggars with the student ban.

Question is...will any of the other candidates for Chairman support the principle of equality for all members? Caroline? Andy? We already know where the Clarke/Palmer camp stand on this issue.

Comments in the comments section, or email.

Conference Campaign: 8 Days to go

Students aren't a bad bunch of people.

True, they can get away with working a three hour week and one or two can go through the 'questionable personal hygiene' phase, but look at the facts. Our most active members in CF are students, and of those, more describe themselves as a 'committed activist' than for our graduate members. (Precise figures to follow)

That is why, when we are running our most expensive and best training conference in a week's time it is wrong to exclude students.

Cherry picking attendees, inviting non-members and encouraging a working-life only policy may seem like the best way to build up our graduate membership, but when all the poor students got was a single, rainy morning in Manchester before conference started it seems a bit harsh.

No doubt some students will have escaped the sift and they should enjoy what is perhaps our most luxurious conference ever, but in my experience with running training sessions for the Copywriters team at CF.com, the mix of ages isn't a problem - the winning strategy will be to offer something that is attractive to our older members, not to regulate against the students.

Will student applications be welcomed for the last few places at conference? Time will tell...