ConservativeHome
 | |
Type of site | Blog |
|---|---|
| Created by | Tim Montgomerie |
| Editor | Paul Goodman |
| URL | conservativehome |
| Commercial | No |
| Launched | 2005 |
| Current status | Active |
ConservativeHomeis a British centre-right blog which supports theConservative Party.It was first established byTim Montgomeriein 2005 with the aim of arguing for a broadconservative spectrum,which is serious about bothsocial justiceand a faircompetitive economy.[1]A second aim of the blog is to represent grassrootsConservatives,[2][3][4]and is supportive of the Conservative Party.
Editors[edit]
ConservativeHome was first edited by Tim Montgomerie, prior to the2005 United Kingdom general election campaign.[5]In November 2008, Jonathan Isaby joined as a co-editor.[6]In 2009,Paul Goodman– the former Conservative MP forWycombe– became the executive editor of ConservativeHome.[7]
In February 2013, Montgomerie announced that he would leave the site in April of the same year to become comment editor ofThe Times.[8]Goodman succeeded him as editor, andMark Wallacejoined the site as executive editor in May 2013.
Content[edit]
The site took a leading role in co-ordinating grassroots support in opposingMichael Howard's attempt to abolish the "one man one vote" rule in the2005 Conservative Party leadership election.[9]
ConservativeHome was critical of theA listand believed that former Conservative Party Leader David Cameron was in danger of alienating working class Conservative voters,[10][11][12]and pressed Cameron for specific pledges on tax cuts.[13]
It was credited with the most accurate record of MP affiliation during the2005 Conservative Leadership election,and it also was the first to reveal the names on the "A-list" of candidates.[14][15]The Conservative chairmanFrancis Maudedescribed it during the leadership election as "the only place to find out what's going on".[9]
"A Lefty Lexicon", a satirical article published in August 2006 on the site and written by Inigo Wilson, a man described as someone who "manages community affairs for a large telecoms company",[16]was criticised by theMuslim Public Affairs Committee UK(MPACUK).[citation needed]MPAC members discovered that Wilson was Community Affairs Manager for phone companyOrange,and pressured the company to dismiss him. Wilson was initially suspended for the comments,[17]but later reinstated.[18]
In February 2012, ConservativeHome called forAndrew Lansleyto be replaced asHealth Secretaryand for theHealth and Social Care Billto be abandoned.[19]
The site supported aLeavevote in the2016 EU referendum.[20]
The site records a fortnightly podcast with Conservative MPJacob Rees-Moggcalled "The Moggcast".[21]
Business[edit]
In September 2009Lord Ashcroft,the then-Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party, took a controlling stake of 57.5% in PoliticsHome, the politically-neutral sister-site to ConservativeHome.[22]In 2011, Ashcroft sold PoliticsHome toDod's Group,which he co-owns, and retained ConservativeHome.
In 2017, the blog stated that it gets over two million unique visitors a year.[23]
ConservativeHomeUSA[edit]
In 2010, ConservativeHome launched an American site,ConservativeHomeUSA,which is edited byRyan Streeterand Montgomerie. Contributors includedJohn Thune,Roger Bate,Herbert London,David Frumand many otherRepublicanand conservative think-tank and media figures. On 17 May 2012 the site announced its closure.[24]
See also[edit]
- Iain Dale– columnist
References[edit]
- ^"About ConservativeHome".ConservativeHome.
- ^"Conservative Home".ConservativeHome.
- ^Tory activists may get blog spotBBC News, 8 June 2006
- ^Battle of the conference blogsBBC News, 15 September 2006
- ^Bloggers ready for general election debut Used to raise campaign,Sunday Herald,10 April 2005, by Steven Vass, hosted byFindArticles
- ^"Introducing Jonathan Isaby".ConservativeHome.28 December 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 1 February 2009.Retrieved27 February2016– via theWayback Machine.
- ^"Paul Goodman – Conservative Home".Conservative Home.
- ^"Conservative Home founder and editor Tim Montgomerie to edit comment pages of The Times".Press Gazette.Retrieved24 October2017.
- ^abHome boyArchived30 September 2007 at theWayback MachineProgress Magazine
- ^New Leader Tries to Update Conservatives’ Image–The New York Times
- ^Tories vow to learn over A-list– BBC News, 31 May 2006
- ^Tories 'failing to recruit women'BBC News, 14 July 2006
- ^Cameron set to avoid tax giveawayBBC News
- ^William Rees-Mogg."Too narrow, too wet, too dim".The Times.Archived fromthe originalon 22 May 2011.
- ^To Blogdom, A Book,Weblog withAdam Boulton,Sky NewsArchived14 June 2006 at theWayback Machine
- ^"Platform: Inigo Wilson: A Lefty Lexicon".ConservativeHome. 2 August 2006. Archived fromthe originalon 16 January 2007.
- ^"Orange spokesman suspended over 'racist' comments".The Daily Telegraph.Archived fromthe originalon 4 September 2006.
- ^"ToryDiary: Inigo Wilson reinstated".Conservative Home.10 October 2006. Archived fromthe originalon 28 October 2006.
- ^"Tim Montgomerie, the man who takes the Conservative pulse".The Observer.12 February 2012.
- ^"If you want to Leave, vote with your heart today".Conservative Home.Retrieved24 October2017.
- ^"The Moggcast. Episode One." Austerity in the NHS…will be very hard to continue with, however much there are limited resources. "".Conservative Home.
- ^"Lord Ashcroft buys into Tory site".BBC News.22 September 2009.
- ^"2016 was another record-breaking year for ConservativeHome – here's to 2017!".Conservative Home.Retrieved24 October2017.
- ^"conservativehome".Conservative Home USA.Retrieved24 October2017.