If “their time has come” then it seems more important to know what we’re facing, know your enemy and all that. Not really sure what you’re getting at here Scepticisle: should we just let the young Tories get on with it?

On a similar note I’ve noticed a right-wing drift amongst my peers (early-mid twenties) the past few years, not party political as such – yet – but more inclined to give right-wing ideas the benefit of the doubt rather than critical analysis. Depressing, though makes for good arguments/conversations down t’pub.

I’ve been to plenty of young tory parties during conference season over the years and have had a lot of fun at them. All tories are not swivel eyed loons. Many are perfectly normal people who just happen to have right wing views.

That they also tend to be a bit posh and rather wealthy doesn’t really change that.

There is no defence of young tories.

Are we to take the approval for Mrs Thacher by Young Conservatives to mean that they too think we should be joining the European Exchange Rate Mechanism?

Frankly, I’ve haven’t any clear idea as to what the connotations of “Thatcherite” are, especially after reading Simon Jenkins on: Thatcher and Sons (Penguin, 2006).

Mr S. Pill: I meant it in the context that they’ve decided it’s their turn for power, and the voters, even if not overwhelmingly, decided much the same. It’s useful to know what the enemy’s like when you don’t already know; as instructive as knowing that they’re just as fumbling in making sexual advances as you might have expected, it told us absolutely nothing we didn’t know politically.

I can’t remember the last time I went anywhere and saw non-consensual leg-stroking and bottom-pinching. And that includes some proper dives, let me tell you.

Still, maybe everyone’s just super-ninja-y about it. Either way, it disturbs me profoundly that people who might be hoping to become MPs – of any party – in the future would even consider it.

Surely the article’s just a bit of fun, playing to the New Statesman crowd. I’m sure somebody from the other side of the fence could have a laugh at the expense of young Labourites, proto-SWPers or fresh Greens.

I want to know how the date went

7

”I’m sure somebody from the other side of the fence could have a laugh at the expense of young Labourites, proto-SWPers or fresh Greens.”

They are all weird. As the OP says, youth and politics rarely mixes in structured forms. The Greens at my last uni organised a day to discuss the positive benefits of mulch (or something). Now I’m sure some went along to pull, but they really did just sit around discuss mulch (or s…), before heading home. Not in a car obviously. Weird.

What do they say
” Not a leftie when your young you haven’t a heart
If you are a leftie when your old you haven’t a brain”
Complete bollocks on both counts although you do get a little more right wing as you get older .
These young proud Tories do have a heart for their politics but what do they become when they get older.
Ah cjcjc

Also I think the young are more sophisticated about their politics. They concentrate on issues that either effect or interest them.
They are less tribal.
In fact young Tories, Liberals and Labourites maybe become movements of the past.

4 – I’ve seen you mention this before. Where are you getting it from? The standard historical view is that Thatcher was always opposed to joining the ERM. Which is why she consistently blocked Treasury proposals to join it – to the extent of falling out with her Chancellor so badly he resigned – and was only compelled to accept it in the dog days of her leadership.

The long countdown to Black Wednesday began in the mid- 1980s. The documents recount how Nigel Lawson, then chancellor of the exchequer, decided that Britain should join the ERM. Margaret Thatcher, however, disagreed.

A paper from a senior Treasury official, Stephen Davies, written in 1993 and released yesterday, said the differences between Lawson and Thatcher became so pronounced that Lawson resigned in 1989.

One of the sections removed makes it clear that the removal of the prime minister’s veto on ERM membership “was determined by her own increasing political weakness”.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2005/feb/10/uk.freedomofinformation1

So why did we join the ERM.
Thatcher was weak leader and allowed a policy to go through that she vehemently disagreed with. Unlike the image we have of the “Iron Lady”
You will probably say her position was weak.
Semantics.

Tim J
You must have been young Tory in the eighties
With your “Hang Mandela and fuck the poor ” T shirt.
You have that aura.

Tim J
You must have been young Tory in the eighties
With your “Hang Mandela and fuck the poor ” T shirt.
You have that aura

You’re reading quite a lot into a link to a Guardian article there…

I always thought it was kind of young tories to offer to ‘fuck the poor’. Shows they weren’t only interested in rich girls called Harriet anyway.

In their defence, most young Tories on my twitter timeline were disgusted by the report of the goings on at that do.

@5 Scepticisle

Hm, fair enough. When I read the article it seemed more tongue-in-cheek “look as these silly buggers” than anything too venomous. And Ms Penny did get a date out of it

(*correction: “at”, not “as” above. oh for an edit function.)

OP Scepticisle: “Without wanting to question Laurie’s journalistic integrity, you also can’t help but wonder whether when you go into something with an already pre-determined level of contempt for those you’re about to meet, you’re looking from the outset for confirmation of your view.”

In Ye Olde Days, the Morning Star attended the Conservative Party conference and some poor junior from the Telegraph was sent over to observe the proceedings of the CPGB. Earnest reports were delivered by attendees at both.

In those past times, the serious papers sent their top correspondents to chat up pols at the three big conferences. Plus their wind up merchants to add some humour to reports of three tiresome days. The wind up merchants needed (actually, still need) to deliver better copy than straight writers because the former are more highly paid.

Laurie’s story is a minor story, but she made it interesting. She missed the angle that interests me: when the boring Tory boys ended their speeches, who delivered the shower of pretty Tory girls thereafter?

I am happy for Laurie that she has the opportunity to work with journalists at NS. The two pieces there that I have read were flawed (in my opinion) but better than the solo blogs.

@12

Thanks for that link to the Guardian’s report about released Treasury papers relating to the path we took to joining the ERM in October 1990. As best I can judge – having lived and worked through that episode – the Guardian’s account is a fair summary of events.

Thatcher’s reservations about joining the ERM – prompted by Alan Walters, her personal economic adviser – proved to be well-founded. Nigel Lawson and John Major led us up the proverbial but then, as I recall, Gordon Brown, at the time a Labour shadow Treasury minister, said that joining the ERM was the appropriate course to take.

However, my main point was that I’m not clear as to what I’m to take “Thatcherite” to mean. As best I can tell, it has become just a vague term of abuse.

All these young ones in these political student groups are the weird ones, the represent the rareity of the politically active youth and even then tend to be at the extreme end and they tend to be the only ones who can be bothered to join up to such groups

Actually are the young Tories not reverting back to the days before Thatcher before they became all Tim J like. Earnest and angry
For most conservative middle class lads it was a great way of picking up posh birds and getting a job from their gal’s dad.

@22

Haha that’s true enough; a friend of mine went to Manchester University a few years back, joined a far-lefty society, at the first meeting there was a debate on whether or not raising ones hand to raise a point/ask a question should be allowed because it was a phallic gesture and symbolic of patriarchy. I kid ye not. Needless to say he didn’t return.

“For most conservative middle class lads it was a great way of picking up posh birds and getting a job from their gal’s dad.”

It’s instructive to know that Conservative Students were so infused with Conservative values at such youthful ages. But that presents an intractable puzzle since Norman Tebbit, as Conservative Party chairman in the late 1980s, disbanded the Federation of Conservative Students after their persisting history of fractious and unruly behaviour. There is an account of the circumstances contributing to his decision here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federation_of_Conservative_Students

I thought it was a fun, amusing article.

That said, having (very briefly) been in Labour Students when I was younger, I certainly came across an equal quantity of weirdos and vacuous careerists. Not so much of the casual sexism though, thanks to the high number of feminists present.

I would like to add my voice to the list of people demanding more gossip about how the date went. C’mon Laurie, spill the details!