Continuing OU’s occasional series on the various unionist youth movements in Northern Ireland, we present the Northern Ireland regional branch of Conservative Future.
Northern Ireland Conservative Future (NICF) is the organisation for those under the age of 30, and those in institutions of higher/further education, who are members of the Northern Ireland Conservative Party. NICF is the regional body of the national, UK wide Conservative Future organisation.
Currently, NICF is led in Northern Ireland by Matthew Robinson as Regional Chairman, and a six member regional executive including three Area Chairs – Greater Belfast & Antrim (Alex Huston), Londonderry, the South and the West (Conal O’Hare) and Down (Simon Warren). At a more local level, NICF at present has two active branches in NI, one at Queen’s University, Belfast and another based in North Down.
The goals and purposes of Northern Ireland Conservative Future are the same as those of CF organisations elsewhere in the UK. The CF constitution lists 6 in particular. These are:‘To advance the principles and policies of the [Conservative and Unionist] Party’ amongst our membership; to actively recruit new members into the Party; sharing particular CF expertise and experiences with the wider Party; representation of the interests of the membership and to promote their profiles; encouraging members to help form new branches, or to get involved in the running of existing branches; to work for the election of Conservative candidates in all elections.
Of course, NICF is keen to help members socialise and to ease introductions to others within the wider Party, and so organises and runs social events for CF members which are frequently attended by members of the senior party and interested guests.
We have been eager to pursue working relationships with other political youth groups within Northern Ireland, and in particular to provide a forum for centre-right political discussion and debate. In turn, members attend events run by the Conservative Party or other groups in order to represent the views and aims of Conservative Future.
Since early 2011, NICF has been working hard to restructure itself after a time of comparative dormancy, and to match the increased presence of the Party in Northern Ireland by developing our own. Recruitment has been a major focus of the organisation, which paid off at the QUB Freshers’ Bazaar on 28th September 2011, where CF members recruited 66 students into Conservative Future.
NICF has sought to build on that success by hosting events for members in the NI Conservative Party Headquarters in Bangor, and in Queen’s University, aimed at facilitating introductions, and encouraging activity.
With the launch of the organisation’s own website at www.nicf.co as well as an active Twitter feed @NIrelandCF and increasing use of other social media, NICF hopes to continue to build a presence in youth politics in Northern Ireland.
Simon Warren is currently Conservative Future Area Chairman for Down, and also serves as Secretary of the North Down Conservative Association. He lives in Bangor, where he campaigned for the Conservative Party at the 2010 General, and 2011 Local elections.
