During the three-day conference we heard from 6 MPs, 1 MEP and many other leading figures from within pressure groups, lobbying, the blogosphere and the media. Practical talks were also given on how to campaign effectively, handling negative information, legal advice and dealing with the media.
Last year’s YBF5 saw practical training in the form of a TV Techniques Training Workshop; this year we had a Political War Game, a chance for us to put the campaign skills we learnt into practice in creating posters, leaflets and inventing pressure groups in order to win the battle over the fate of a fictional piece of land.
Of the speakers a particular personal favourite was Dan Hannan MEP, who gave a passionate and thought provoking speech about the European Union and our country’s relationship with it. Being ever the gentleman, he also very kindly posed for photos with us afterwards, but in truth he must have been bloody sick of us all asking!
The evening’s dinners on the Friday and Saturday night were also speaker packed affairs. On Friday night we had the Eric Forth Memorial dinner, where the winner of the Activist of the Year award was announced and speeches were given by Conor Burns (Conservative Way Forward), the Rt Hon Lord Forsyth (former Scottish Secretary), and Jonathan Isaby (ConservativeHome.com), and on the Saturday we had the Margaret Thatcher Banquet with speeches from Harry Cole (Tory Bear), Iain Dale (blogger) and Matthew Richardson (YBF Executive Director). The dinners were a great chance for us to share thoughts and views (and campaign strategies of course!) with our fellow conservative students, as well as being able to meet a wide range of people, and mingle with some of the guest speakers.
It was particularly interesting to meet our fellow conservatives, particularly as this year YBF had invited members of the Young Americans Foundation. It was motivating to meet not only people with different views to us, but also from a different country, background and upbringing. Despite usually having fundamentally the same opinions as each other, we did manage to start a few debates on issues where there was clear disagreement!
So, not only was YBF6 an amazing experience in allowing us to listen to and meet a vast array of speakers, but also in meeting likeminded people. It was both fantastically edifying and a great social experience and I think that everyone who attended would testify that it was a weekend very well spent!
Thanks must be given to YBF and especially to Donal Blaney and Steven Dent, who organised the event, and special thanks must also be given to Mark Clarke who organised and judged the Political War Game. YBF6 was such a valuable experience, and I’m sure that all involved would also agree that the freebies in particular made the trip all the more worthwhile! I for one carry my TaxPayers’ Alliance “I Love Low Taxes” bag with the utmost pride, and my walls are now adorned with YBF posters and propaganda!
Hopefully YBF7 will prove to be (as appears impossible), even better than YBF6, and once again everyone will be subjected to hearing “Are you from Nottingham as well?” as we invade YBF7 with an even bigger attendance!
Lizzie Hepworth - NUCA 1st year Rep
Last year’s YBF5 saw practical training in the form of a TV Techniques Training Workshop; this year we had a Political War Game, a chance for us to put the campaign skills we learnt into practice in creating posters, leaflets and inventing pressure groups in order to win the battle over the fate of a fictional piece of land.
Of the speakers a particular personal favourite was Dan Hannan MEP, who gave a passionate and thought provoking speech about the European Union and our country’s relationship with it. Being ever the gentleman, he also very kindly posed for photos with us afterwards, but in truth he must have been bloody sick of us all asking!
The evening’s dinners on the Friday and Saturday night were also speaker packed affairs. On Friday night we had the Eric Forth Memorial dinner, where the winner of the Activist of the Year award was announced and speeches were given by Conor Burns (Conservative Way Forward), the Rt Hon Lord Forsyth (former Scottish Secretary), and Jonathan Isaby (ConservativeHome.com), and on the Saturday we had the Margaret Thatcher Banquet with speeches from Harry Cole (Tory Bear), Iain Dale (blogger) and Matthew Richardson (YBF Executive Director). The dinners were a great chance for us to share thoughts and views (and campaign strategies of course!) with our fellow conservative students, as well as being able to meet a wide range of people, and mingle with some of the guest speakers.
It was particularly interesting to meet our fellow conservatives, particularly as this year YBF had invited members of the Young Americans Foundation. It was motivating to meet not only people with different views to us, but also from a different country, background and upbringing. Despite usually having fundamentally the same opinions as each other, we did manage to start a few debates on issues where there was clear disagreement!
So, not only was YBF6 an amazing experience in allowing us to listen to and meet a vast array of speakers, but also in meeting likeminded people. It was both fantastically edifying and a great social experience and I think that everyone who attended would testify that it was a weekend very well spent!
Thanks must be given to YBF and especially to Donal Blaney and Steven Dent, who organised the event, and special thanks must also be given to Mark Clarke who organised and judged the Political War Game. YBF6 was such a valuable experience, and I’m sure that all involved would also agree that the freebies in particular made the trip all the more worthwhile! I for one carry my TaxPayers’ Alliance “I Love Low Taxes” bag with the utmost pride, and my walls are now adorned with YBF posters and propaganda!
Hopefully YBF7 will prove to be (as appears impossible), even better than YBF6, and once again everyone will be subjected to hearing “Are you from Nottingham as well?” as we invade YBF7 with an even bigger attendance!
Lizzie Hepworth - NUCA 1st year Rep
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