Day Six: Liam Fox at Heslington Group

Liam Fox addressed a packed bar of young Conservatives tonight. An event organised by Telegraph columnist Jonathan Isaby and fellow irishman Richard Price, it never fails to attract a crowd. This despite it being a no frills event.

Dr Fox is launching his campaign for the Tory leadership on Thursday. One point he raised, that I thought was worth mentioning here, was the need to stop talking about a vision for the Tory party and start talking about a vision for the country.

On campuses and in workplaces up and down the country being a Conservative doesn't carry much weight. Yet at the same time, young people do agree with what we believe in, and have long since lost any faith in Labour. Why can't we make any headway?

I would like to see CF changing people's perceptions. The best way to do this is to get out there and meet them. I wonder, if Conservative Future were to have a speaker's panel of interesting Conservatives from all walks of life, could we begin, in small meetings, debates and dinners all over the country, to change people's perceptions? By getting out there and talking about a basic message of personal freedoms and responsibilities it may be possible to get people to reassess their political thinking.

It certainly wouldn't hurt membership to be organised at the national level to use our contacts to contribute in the success of our local branches.