BUCF Chair, Sahar Rezazadeh is blogging live from the Conservative Party Conference this week. Watch this space for updates.
@ 00:36 on 9/10/09- I got back from Manchester about an hour ago and here is a taster of some gifts I bought for my committee who have been working so hard ever since we took up our roles in May. I really appreciate their support and enthusiasm, and we, as a team, look forward to doing our utmost for the Conservative cause.

@ 17.12- I’ve really enjoyed this year’s conference. It’s been a great experience and has helped boost the morale of candidates particularly so that they will enter the election on good grounds ready to go that extra mile to serve the people of this great nation.
@ 16:11- The Leader’s speech brings the conference to a close but delegates, candidates and MPs including the shadow cabinet members are still about taking questions from the media while posing for the cameras. I have just seen George Osborne give a live piece to Sky News.
@ 15:29-

David Cameron and wife leave the auditorium after his speech welcomed by a crowd of media representatives.
@ 15:07- “This Party is the Party of the NHS, today, tomorrow, always!”- DC
@ 15:02- “We must stop treating adults like children and children like adults!”- DC
@ 14:59- DC attacks the incompetent Labour government and receives a whopping standing ovation. Wow, loved it! Go DC!
@ 14:58- David Cameron pays tribute to the fantastic work of Iain Duncan Smith in the Centre for Social Justice.
@ 14:57-

@ 14:44- Ken Clarke looks tired, I think he had a late night at the Tory Reform Group reception last night. :p
@ 14.42- David Cameron sends out an intellectual message by recognising the Labour Party’s achievements! One would never hear that from a Labour leader…
@ 14.39- “Politics is about we not I”- DC
@ 14:34- A massive standing ovation for the armed forces!
@ 14:28- I’m sitting in the Exhibition area watching David Cameron’s speech! The Party morale is high!
@ 11:08 on 8/10/09- The internet connection in Manchester Central is very slow unfortunately. Yesterday, I spent a bit of the afternoon visiting various stands that I hadn’t been to and engaging with exhibitors. The representation is diverse and that adds a whole new dimension to the conference experience and gives delegates the opportunity to learn more about groups from all interests or with various concerns. From the Conservative Friends of Turkey who offer you Turkish Delight on your visit to the NSPCC where one can find out how to take an active role to support vulnerable children.
Then in the evening, David Cameron came to visit the Birmingham stand which was greatly received as his time at conference is always rationed! It was lovely to meet him in person and he was as delightful as I had imagined.

Myself, David Cameron and Mike Whitby at the Birmingham stand.
@ 15.24- I got back from Radcliffe Centre earlier, having done my fair share of work, before attending the Birmingham fringe meeting on the Big City Plan.


Vic-Tory against Boredom from Gordon...Brown!
@ 10:01 on 7/10/09- This year’s Conference Social Action Project is to renovate Radcliffe Girls and Boys Club into a vibrant centre for young people. Party members have been busy since Monday getting their hands dirty and today there will be a community festival for the launching of the newly designed centre and that’s where I will be this morning!
@ 20:18-

@ 20:07- David Willets, too, is fed up of the negative potrayal of young people in the media! According to Willets, generational mixing is increasingly limited and this feeds the unfair stereotypes developed by one generation about another.
@ 20:02- The panel are now taking questions. Any questions?
@ 19:42- I’m currently sitting in a fringe event organised by the Bow Group on ‘The Challenges of Young People Today’ with David Willets, Shadow Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills and David Goodhart, the Editor of Prospect Magazine. It’s a very inciteful discussion on the ways in which adults and young people can engage with eacho other through trust in order to benefit both generations. It is widely agreed that young people are facing greater challenges today than the previous generation.
I attended the Conservative Friends of Israel earlier with His Execellency Ron Prosor, the Ambassador of Israel, Dr Liam Fox MP, Shadow Secretary for Defence and James Clappison MP. There was a really good turnout and as usual some good food for thought.
@ 13:23- I just came across a witty food stall! Enjoy:

Gordon Brown makes the best porky pies!

@ 12.53- There are over 100 exhibitors at the conference this year so I think I will need some good hours to check them out before attending fringe meetings and events later in the afternoon. I’ve spent far too much time on the Birmingham stand this morning, with valid reason of course but now it’s time to explore! The exhibitors come from the private and public sector and are political or commercial or just social. There is also a Market Place behind the exhibition area which is convenient for any quick shopping in the security zone.
@ 12:14- George Osborne is fed up of the “feckless iresponsibility” demonstarted in the past 12 years by the Labour Government but Britain has a choice to bring better change. Listen in here.
@ 10:12- The Birmingham stand is looking good, and difficult to miss as you walk into the Exhibition area. Here check it out:

The 'Global City with a Local Heart' is one of the first stands that capture the eye as you walk into the Exhibition area.

From Left: Myself, Oliver Cooper from Keep Right Online and Iain Taylor, Commercial Director of Marketing Birmingham.
@ 9.09 on 6/10/09- It’s raining outside which means I can use my new umbrella!
Last night, I ended the evening at a private reception with Caroline Spelman MP Shadow Secretary for Communities and Local Government along with the Leader of Birmingham City Council, Cllr Mike Whitby and the Leader of Manchester City Council, Cllr Richard Leese. Caroline Spelman reaffirmed the Conservative calll for distribution of power to local councils and the grass roots. Real change where it’s needed!
@ 18:41- The National Union of Students welcome the Tory pledge to secure 10,000 university places.
@ 18:21- Listening to some fascinating findings presented by the Chairman of Reed, James Reed, which suggest that mindset is more important than working skills and that education needs to mentally train young people to be ambitious and motivated. Any questions?
@ 17:57- I’m now at the fringe event on Youth Unemployment.
@ 17:24- Francis Maude proposed radical plans earlier today in order to reform the civil service which will help restore responsibility and accountability back into government and ensure a ‘more for less’ practice is implemented.
@ 17:00- Sitting in a fringe event on ‘The Age of Responsibility’ hosted by the think tank Reform with Francis Maude MP. It began with some great finger food! Hehe! A significant issue since the Labour Party’s nanny state has been detrimental to individual responsibility in recent years and we all know what political and economic irresponsibility can do…
@ 15:26- David Cameron ’60 million people resting on our shoulders, we must not let Britain down!”
@ 15:05- I met our very own Andrew Mitchell MP earlier who said “Conference is going great, just listening to a brilliant speech by Kenneth Clarke which has a tremendous contrast to what we heard coming from the Labour Party conference last week”.
I will be attending a fringe event on ‘Youth Unemployment: A lost generation?’ with speakers including Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke QC MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Wes Streeting, NUS President. If anyone has questions that they would like me to raise for them here, feel free to post a comment and let me know.
@ 14:11 on 5/10/09 – Feed started, watch this space!
– BUCF Blog Editor, Alex Yaffe