Dominic McDonough

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    Dominic McDonoughConservative Future Chairman Candidate2011 Manifesto:

    To encourage new membership from outside Universities as well asmaintaining and growing our student base. How would we do it?

    We must link our membership details closer with local associations. Mybranch is informed as soon as anyone under the age of 30 joins the localparty. They are then contacted by phone to welcome them to the local partyand invited to meet myself to discuss what they want out of their membership.This must be expanded as a national policy.

    We must use social networks and press more effectively to raise the profile of

    the party and its activities. Making it clear what CF is, what it does and how itcan help people from all professions and backgrounds.

    Conservative Future has a lot of members which could be seen as a lot ofbusiness for bars, attractions, shops and services through the country. Letsnegotiate with them to give members benefits such as money off and freestuff. This will encourage those who want to get involved to get involved. It willalso reward our hard-working members for their commitment and loyalty tothe party.These businesses could also be encouraged to allow us to try and recruit theirstaff to the party.

    We must also not be afraid to have stands at jobs fairs & out on the street.Recruitment is a year round job, not just at freshers fair.

    Liaise with press & the party more effectively to raise the profile andreputation of CF

    CF has a bad reputation in the party and with the wider public. We are seenas a centre of infighting and the only time we are seen in the news isregarding scandal. This has to change. We must improve the CF brand by

    continuing to grow and publicise social action projects around the country.

    We must also use CF as a tool to encourage more young people to vote.Young people need to be engaged in the political process. Regular debates,social action and social events would help to encourage this.

    Our press liaison is currently a shambles. To raise the brand it must beefficient and well organised. I will appoint one regional chairman as pressliaison officer to deal with the press for CF and publicise the great work we do.

    I will also commit to the creation of a Conservative Future blog, to be known

    as Blue Youth. This will allow members to write blog posts, get them

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    experience in writing and be an outlet for any problems or suggestions theymay have.

    Improve training and career help for all members in all fields using linksto businesses and encouraging MP intern schemes

    In CF we must improve training and career help for all of our members. Theymust know that if they are there for the party, leafleting, campaigning andsupporting the party, that the party is also there for them. CF has started totrain activists but this is on a very small-scale and often centered aroundLondon.

    My plans would bring in experts from both the business and political world totrain CF members in campaigning but also teaching them about policy, mediaand more. We need to make sure that CF members are the best in their fieldand can hold their own in debates up and down the country.

    We must also help CF members to gain careers and training in areas theyreally want to work in.

    I am also announcing the creation of a CF Jobs database. If elected I will workwith various MPs, think-tanks and business to make sure that CF get to hearabout the best jobs first. These experts will also offer help and advice tomembers, improving their CVs and offering internships.CF should be getting the best out of our members and doing the best for ourmembers.

    Run campaigns that address issues of young Conservatives & stand upfor CFers in this coalition government

    I believe that CF should be standing up for the rights and beliefs of youngConservatives. At the moment we are in a coalition government and becauseof this we wont agree with every policy the government puts out. This isntbecause we are not loyal and true Conservatives. This is because we AREloyal and true Conservatives.In many issues young Conservatives will disagree with this currentgovernment and CF should not be afraid to stand up for them.

    It is time that CF ran its own campaigns to put pressure on the coalition inareas we feel they are going wrong as well as exposing Labours flawed ideasand reminding young people of the mountain of debt they left behind.We should not just be a puppet of CCHQ, we should have our own voice andspeak for those young Conservatives who are worrying about governmentpolicy, put their views to the government and listen to the governmentresponse.We must also speak out against Labours scare mongering and pie in the skyeconomic ideas. We can show the country that this party has the biggestyouth movement in Europe for a reason and make our voices heard.

    We can be a real force in the politics of this nation and with my ambition &energy we will be

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    Hold student unions to account and encourage more members to standin NUS elections

    Many CF members are not aware of their rights as a student and dont know

    how to hold their student union to account. Up and down the country we areseeing Unions taking advantage of their privileged position on campus andexcluding & even hindering Conservative groups.This has to change

    We should be making sure our members are aware of the Education Act 1994and standing up for their rights. We should also assure members that CF isthere for them, to stand up for them and help them to fight the battles.During the student riots we did not see the leadership on television speakingout against the assaults and destruction of property. This made us look weakand let our membership down. Under my leadership I would not be afraid to

    speak out against the NUS, holding them to account and exposing bias &corruption.We must also encourage students on campus to stand for positions in theNUS by offering them the resources they need to stand out.CF needs a strong voice on campus and needs to be a strong voice oncampus.

    Using social media and bringing back CFTV to offer a cheap andeffective way to get our messages across to all

    We live in an internet generation. We need to take advantage of social media.

    That is why im announcing the return of CFTV. It is an easy way to get ourinformation across to a huge audience. It is also a cheap way to publicise CF.An iPhone or Blackberry is all a branch needs to publicise their latestcanvassing stint or their latest social. Keeping the whole CF family informedand gaining publicity at the same time.I would also like to announce the creation of a monthly online newsletter. Thiswill be sent to every email account as well as being available on the CFwebsite as a download. This will include branch news, articles, reviews,questions to the chairman and interviews with MPs, MEPs and business

    leaders.

    Making sure CF is more nationally focused by making sure we seeregional exec meetings each month and national events spread aroundregions

    At the moment we see a CF that is too London based. Of course understandthat London is at the heart of national politics but members up and down thecountry feel left out and like they are not being listened to.

    If elected I would break the London clique. Making sure we see regional exec

    meetings once a month that include a suggestions and concerns section.

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    These would be sent directly to myself so I could see the opinions of thosearound the country and bring them up at a national level.

    I would also make sure that training and major events were spread around theregions. We must bring speakers to the likes of Birmingham, Manchester,

    Swansea, Newcastle and more. We are never going to make headway inmembership if CF remains encased in a London bubble.

    CF is for all, in every part of the country and from every background. Letsmake sure people know it.

    Get Boris re-elected in 2012 aswell as encouraging more CF members tostand in local elections

    We must save the capital from Red Ken by organising a well structuredcampaign. We must get more involved with young people around the city,

    showing them policies which will really help them and already have helpedthem.

    We will also continue our fine work around the city. Knocking on doors,leafleting, campaigning and generally working very hard to make sure Borisgets the win the capital needs. Being a councillor is a fantastic way to gainexperience in politics. We must support those who want to stand in localelections by offering training and guidance.

    RegardsDominic McDonough