ConservativeHome

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ConservativeHome is a British political website started by Tim Montgomerie prior to the 2005 United Kingdom general election campaign,[1] that aims to represent UK grassroots conservative opinion.[2][3][4]

The site took a leading role in co-ordinating grassroots support in opposing Michael Howard's attempt to abolish the 'one man one vote' rule in the 2005 Conservative Party leadership election.[5]

ConservativeHome is critical of the A list and believes that Conservative Party Leader David Cameron is in danger of alienating working class Tory voters,[6][7][8] and has pressed Cameron for specific pledges on tax cuts.[9]

It was credited with the most accurate record of MP affiliation during the 2005 Conservative Leadership election, and it also was the first to reveal the names on the "A-list" of candidates.[10][11] The Conservative chairman Francis Maude described it during the leadership election as "the only place to find out what’s going on".[12]

[edit] Controversy

A Lefty Lexicon, a satirical article published in August of 2006 on the site and written by Inigo Wilson, a man described as a "community affairs for a large telecoms company", [1] was soon criticised by the Muslim Public Affairs Committee UK (MPACUK) [2]. MPAC members discovered that Wilson was Community Affairs Manager for phone company Orange, and pressured the company to dismiss him. Mr Wilson was initially suspended for the comments,[13] but later reinstated. [3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Bloggers ready for general election debut Used to raise campaign, Sunday Herald, The, Apr 10, 2005, by Steven Vass, hosted by FindArticles
  2. ^ ConservativeHome
  3. ^ Tory activists may get blog spot - BBC, 8 June 2006
  4. ^ Battle of the conference blogs - BBC, 15 September 2006
  5. ^ Home boy - Progress Magazine
  6. ^ New Leader Tries to Update Conservatives’ Image - New York Times
  7. ^ Tories vow to learn over A-list - BBC, 31 May 2006
  8. ^ Tories 'failing to recruit women' - BBC, 14 July 2006
  9. ^ Cameron set to avoid tax giveaway
  10. ^ Too narrow, too wet, too dim - William Rees Mogg, The Times
  11. ^ To Blogdom, A Book, Weblog with Adam Boulton, Sky News
  12. ^ Home boy - Progress Magazine
  13. ^ Orange spokesman suspended over 'racist' comments - Daily Telegraph