Conservative Future » CF backs NO2ID

Aged 16-24? Live in London? Don’t buy an ID card

Michael Rock — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:17:51 +0000

Once again, the Labour Government lets down young people and, without a hint of irony, those most closely monitored, surveilled and heavily taxed in the country: young people in London.

I had the great benefit of studying at UCL but living in ‘Zone 7′, not withstanding the eerie 1984 connotations that has, I had the misfortune of being forced to have a photo ID Travelcard. Needless to say, as soon I was no longer eligible for my student discount, I discarded the wretched monitoring tool and opted for an anonymous Oyster card.

Low and behold, after years of trying to force photo IDs for everyone, young people can now “voluntarily apply” for Identity Cards because:

“They offer a convenient way to help prove your identity in everyday situations and, because they lock you as an individual to one identity through use of details like your name, address and fingerprints, they’re also highly secure. Identity cards cost £30 and, like a passport, they are valid for 10 years.”

Anyone who has followed the ‘boiling the frog‘ approach to the Identity Cards and National Identity Register will understand this for exactly what it is: an underhand way of unwittingly handing over an enormous amount of ones personal details to a government that has been reckless, careful and shamefully dismissive of our right to privacy.

CF Backs NO2ID and backs young people in London rejecting this slippery slope to a database state.

Do you live in North East London?

CFTV captures the spirit of CF activism once again

Michelle Donelan — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:54:35 +0000

CF is leading the way in encouraging young people to take an active interest in politics and has produced an inspiring video highlighting this.

As you know our forward thinking organisation is now technologically savvy with it’s own dedicated CFTV Officer. The video captures the sprit of CF activism – showcasing our passion and commitment at the N02ID rally on Tuesday 6th October at the Conservative Party Conference. The rally had a fantastic turnout of people willing to defend their civil liberties and personal freedoms and was organised by CF and NO2ID.

The piece highlights the failure of the Labour government to guarantee security within it’s database state and features Damian Green, Shadow Minister for Immigration, calling for ‘freedom fighters’ to rally against the National Identity Card Scheme. CF is really utilising new media technologies to communicate it’s activity and message and CFTV Officer Raheem feels that video is one of the best ways to do this and states – “we’re really excited about how the rally went, with a great positive reaction from the public. The video truly captures the passion and determination of activists in pursuit of their cause.”

This latest video is once again engaging, vibrant and sums up our organisation’s energy. CF is truly leading the way amongst all the political youth groups to encourage young people to actively participate in politics and our new videos are an excellent way to showcase this and engage more young activists.

A successful Party Conference for CF

Michael Rock — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:30:49 +0000

It has been another very successful Party Conference for Conservative Future. For those who couldn’t make it to Conference I thought I should offer this post to summarise what we got up to:

SUNDAY

CF training conference

For the second year running we held a training event the day before the main Conference started. We want to offer CF members as many opportunities as we can to improve their media skills and at the event the focus was on TV training.

By the end of the afternoon another 40 members had honed these skills and I want to thank the Young Britons’ Foundation for assisting us with this. In the evening we held a pre-Conference party and this saw us pack out a bar just south of the Conference hall with many excited CFers looking forward to the week ahead.

MONDAY

GMCF curry night

To welcome CF members to Manchester the ever efficient Greater Manchester CF hosted a curry night down on Manchester’s curry mile.

Open to all CFers, this was a great opportunity for CFers from different regions to meet and network, as well as enjoy a cracking meal!

I think the photo shows what a successful event it was – well done GMCF and specifically Luke Springthorpe for organising an awesome event!

TUESDAY

CF debate

This year CF & the Freedom Association hosted a debate in the Freedom Zone.

We had two very high profile, intellectual speakers debating “Is there a place for libertarianism in David Cameron’s Conservative Party?”. As ever, Jesse Norman, PPC for Hereford and South Herefordshire and Bruce Anderson, political columnist, provided a rousing and engaging platform for one of the best received debates in the Freedom Zone.

As well as the debate, CF also had a stand in the Freedom Zone, which allowed us to shift some more of the freshers’ fair materials & to signup a few new people! I also represented CF on the panel of Tories Got Talent, which had a particularly impressive turnout and speakers from the CF fraternity.

I would like to say a personal thank you to Simon Richards, of the Freedom Association, for all the support he gave, and continues to give to CF.

NO2ID rally

Having hoped for good weather for our rally, it was fairly disappointing to wake up on Tuesday morning to heavy rainfall, but we weren’t going to let this dampen our spirits!

At 12:30pm we assembled with our friends from NO2ID in Albert Sq, outside the magnificent Manchester Town Hall, in front of the entirely apt Gladstone Monument. Damian Green MP came along to support the rally and spoke to the assembled CFers. It was great to see the Party supporting the work we’ve been doing with NO2ID, now for over 18 months. I shouldn’t mention the police attendance….

UPDATE:

WEDNESDAY

CF Conference Party

The final night of Conference saw Party For Change, with the Party taking over a 3,000 capacity nightclub in the town centre. Just before the main event started we held the CF Conference reception, which allowed CF members to get in the venue before the main party kicked off!

There’s not much I can really add to review it – other than it was a great party and a nice way to end the Party Conference! You can ask your fellow CF Comrades for the gossip..!

‘CF backs NO2ID’ Conference Rally

Michael Rock — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:21:27 +0000

Tuesday 6th October at 12:30pm
Albert Square, Manchester

Conservative Future has been supporting NO2ID, the campaign against the ID card & National Identity Register, for 18 months now and we’ll be helping to host a rally in Manchester during the Conservative Party Conference.

At the rally we will also be supporting the new campaign to ‘Reclaim Your DNA’. There will be several speakers including Damian Green MP.

So join us at 12:30pm in Albert Square – 5 mins north of the Midland hotel.

All welcome!

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=154685901092

http://www.no2id.net/
http://reclaimyourdna.org/

Would you like some freedom with your popcorn?

admin — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 09:22:02 +0000

As you know CF backs NO2ID and I enclose below some details on an upcoming event they are doing:

NO2ID is launching a London-wide activist group to help raise the profile of NO2ID within London.

The first of these quarterly gatherings will be a FREE showing of the excellent documentary film ‘Taking Liberties’ followed by a talk and a call to action from Phil Booth, NO2ID’s National Coordinator.

This evening will be on 18th June from 7pm at 29A Chamberlain House, Phoenix Road, London NW1 1EU (Entrance on Ossulston Street).

Click here for more information.

If you would like to be kept up to date on the London NO2ID activist group and opportunities to get involved, please join the mailing list at: http://www.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/id-action.

http://twitter.com/LondonNO2ID

The Freedom Zone

I rolled out of bed into 1984

guest author — Thu, 07 May 2009 22:03:49 +0000

By Nic Conner

Is it just me or are we living in Orwell’s 1984? Jacqui Smith has taken time out from shopping with her taxpayer’s credit card to take our freedom away. I try to do this without sounding like Mel Gibson in Braveheart but ‘they will never take our freedom!’ Oh wait they have.

I’m talking about the silly ID cards and the DNA database. Firstly the ID cards. It is something which has been on the table for sometime now but we are about to see it come into play in Manchester first.

Let me remind you why we are going to have ID cards, it’s because of terrorists, well isn’t? Yesterday the government told us they are going to do this so they can be more proficient and have all our private and sensitive information in one card and of course to help younger looking student get into the pub, they added. So it not because of terrorists, this is Labour’s attempt to try to stream line their bureaucracy and roll in some of the red tap they made. I would think it would be easier and cheaper if they just scrap some of their bureaucratic targets and red tape. This would not just stop you being another number in society but also stop £200 in personnel tax cost (that’s just to set ID cards up). If you like to know please read Ed Hallam excellent piece yesterday to know more.

The DNA database is criminal. The government is going to find you guilty, even before you are proven to be guilty. Labour has all but torn up the Magna Carta but this is taking it to the next step. To hold you on a database as a suspect even before you have done anything wrong is not something which happens in a democracy. I know we have an unelected PM who take almost all of our money in tax and spends it on his lavish homes, but I like to think I am still in a British democracy.

Just look at the figures of the DNA match’s they are already falling from 21,098 in 2003 to 17,614 last year. In the same time, the number of profiles on the national database has more than doubled.

Not only will this new computer system fail and cost us £300 million (the good people at the TPA tell me) but it will also go against anything that a free society stands for and all things which our country stands for.

Chris Grayling said:

“The Government just doesn’t get this. People in Britain should be innocent until proven guilty.. Ministers are just trying to get away with as little as they possibly can, instead of taking real action to remove innocent people from the DNA database. It’s just not good enough.”

I agree it seems to me that both ID cards and the DNA database are there because of the failings and laziness of the Labour government. Maybe they think they cannot U turn from the silly ideas as they will just look even weaker. As I think this is the case that shows Brown and Labour are all about trying to hold on to power even if it means your freedom.

If you like to do more read Ed Hallam’s piece or go to no2id.net. Watch this Video to see why the DNA data base is not a good idea:

How are YOU resisting ID Cards?

Edward Hallam — Wed, 06 May 2009 19:39:49 +0000

Today in Manchester Labour’s expensive, unworkable ID Card scheme was rolled out. The government is oblivious to the illiberal nature of requiring people to carry ID Cards, their own incompetence at securely holding our data, or the fact that any and all ID documents have been forged by those with sufficient impetus to do so. ID Cards will be no different. They’re an expensive imposition on every Briton’s liberty which won’t make our nation safer.

On the same day the University of Manchester Students’ Union tabled a motion, backed by UM Conservative Future, condemning the ID Card scheme. Unfortunately the meeting wasn’t quorate, and so the motion never made it, but it raises the question: What is YOUR branch doing to resist ID Cards?

Students will be amongst the very first people to be affected by ID Cards, and Conservative Future joined forces last year with NO2ID to resist this hopeless Labour initiative.

We want every university CF branch to help fight ID Cards. You can start by putting a motion to your Union condemning ID Cards. Unions tend to be receptive to these motions, and we’ve written a draft one for you to use. All you need to do is replace the necessary details with those of your university and make sure it complies with your Union’s rules and regulations.

If you need any help or guidance with fighting ID Cards, tabling the motion, or hosting a NO2ID speaker on your campus then contact me directly: edward.hallam@conservativefuture.com

More details and resources on our campaign page.

CF @ Spring Forum – a review

admin — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:48:10 +0000

This year’s Spring Forum was one of the best yet; we had over 2,000 people down in Cheltenham and a lot of them were CF members! Below is a summary of the activities that CF was involved with over the weekend.

Saturday

Cheltenham Surge – several CF members, including myself and Michael Rock, arrived early on Saturday morning to help deliver a special conference leaflet for Mark Coote, the PPC for Cheltenham. By the end of the weekend 22,000 leaflets had been delivered to residents of the constituency – a great effort!

CF petition against ID cards – following lunch CF members gathered on the High St to get signatures for our petition against ID cards and the database state. Joining us to help gather signatures was Mark Coote and the Party Chairman Eric Pickles. We thank them both for coming along to help. The Gloucestershire Echo also came along and collected info and pictures for a piece on the event. Click here for photos

Afternoon tea @ Thatchers – we went to Thatcher’s tea room for a break before the evening’s activities!

‘Free Spirits’ – CF in association with the Freedom Association – For this Spring Forum the CF social was organised with the Freedom Association (TFA) and held at the D-Fly bar in the centre of town. We had speeches from Dan Hannan MEP, Roger Helmer MEP, the National Chairman Michael Rock & Simon Richards the Director of TFA. The Politics Show were at the event covering Dan’s speech. We would like to thank TFA for all the help they gave and give to CF. Click here to watch the speeches from Dan and Roger. Dan has written a review of the night here.

Sunday

The whole of Sunday was spent up at the racecourse watching speeches from George Osborne, Dan Hannan and David Cameron.

Give us a referendum – following the end of DC’s speech a team of CFers gave out leaflets & car stickers related to the campaign the Party has launched, on getting Gordon Brown to u-turn back to have a referendum of the Lisbon Treaty. Details about the campaign here.

All in all a great Spring Forum and we look forward to Manchester! Don’t forget to register for CF’s Conference @ Manchester 09

‘CF backs NO2ID’ campaigning @ Spring Forum

admin — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:42:18 +0000

Many of you will be aware of CF backs NO2ID: our support of NO2ID, the campaign against the Government’s planned ID card and National Identity Register.

In the coming months you will see this campaign step up a gear as we prepare for the General Election. Many of our branches have been working hard to pass student motions against ID cards on their campuses; we will soon be launching a map to show these. We will also be working to push for many more University branches to do the same. It is crucial we make as many students aware of the cost of having this system implemented, with students being one of the first groups to be targeted for ID cards.

Many CF branches have also being getting out and about to collect signatures for petitions against ID cards (see here) and we want to utilise the large CF presence at the Spring Forum to alert the public in Cheltenham to the cost of ID cards.

‘CF backs NO2ID’ campaigning session @ Spring Forum

Saturday 25th April @ 3:00pm

Join us during the Saturday afternoon of the Spring Forum to hold a campaigning session on Cheltenham High St. We will be collecting signatures for a petition, as well as alerting members of the public to the cost of ID cards. Mark Coote, the PPC for Cheltenham, will also be joining us.

All the materials will be provided – just show up and help!

Location: meet where the High St meets Pittville St (google map)

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=80692815101

Students from Cornwall act to oppose ID cards

guest author — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:29:40 +0000

By Nicholas Galvin.

On a grey misty morning, twelve young and rather drowsy conservatives roll up on the 05.42 from Penzance carrying with them not just a hangover, but an important petition. This petition contains hundreds of names collected from the Combined Universities in Cornwall, demanding the government drop the outlandish, exorbitant, and worryingly invasive ID card system and its database. Many students were shocked at the plans that have been outlined, and especially irritated that the Labour Government are aiming the initial roll out of cards at students themselves.

After emerging from our stupor, we enjoyed an excellent breakfast in St. James Park followed by a tour of the Palace of Westminster, a very worthwhile and excellent experience. For Lunch, we were treated to both aptly named London Ales and the company of George Eustice, ppc for Camborne and Redruth and head of CF, Michael Rock where much was discussed. Refreshed and reinvigorated we again departed for Westminster. On arrival we presented the Falmouth and Exeter students’ petition against ID cards to Chris Grayling MP (Shadow Home Secretary) who kindly agreed to pass the petition to the appropriate authority. Twelve weary students then headed back to the far west, buzzing with new ideas and with a certain dreaded respect for the term ‘sleeper train’.

If you want to find out more about why we should reject Labour’s ID Cards then click here.

50% of Students will not vote