“No government can be long secure without formidable opposition. “

(Benjamin Disraeli)

CUCA is the University’s largest and most active political society, both socially and politically. As Campaigns Officer, it’s my job to organise campaigns and events aimed at promoting the Conservative cause, as well as offering practical assistance for the election efforts of local Tory candidates.

Watch out for bulletins about Campaigns Sessions in your inbox - otherwise, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.  All volunteers are welcome, regardless of whether or not they have any experience. Campaigning really isn’t difficult or scary, and it’s a great way to find out about and become involved in the Party on a grassroots level . A typical day’s volunteering will involve leafleting and/or canvassing with the local City Conservatives on a Saturday afternoon, usually ending up in a pub. However, as our membership grows and the national party goes from strength to strength, I hope to greatly expand CUCA’s contribution in turning Cambridge blue.

Campaigning Easter 2009

Tragically coincident with exam term are the elections to the European Parliament and the Cambridgeshire County Council. Although we romped home in the European elections, we failed to take Coleridge or Trumpington and James Sharpe only made a little headway in Newnham division. Nevertheless, I’m very grateful to everyone who contributed in any way, and the national result justifies making a real effort in the coming months to help make sure we turn Cambridge blue.

If you need to register to vote in Cambridge, click here. You need to be registered on or before 19th May 2009.

Campaigning Lent 2009

As well as the usual canvassing and leafleting in an around Cambridge on Saturday afternoons, I was particularly pleased with two acheivements this term.

Firstly, we managed to expand our horizons and get a good team of six out to Milton Keynes to help canvass with Iain Stewart, PPC for MK South. Secondly, my trial mid-week Campaigns Session on a wednesday evening managed to coax out a record number of volunteers (although could be attributed to the promise of Pizza afterwards). I look forward to doing more of this sort of thing next term. If you can think of anywhere that would appreciate help from the CUCA “flying-squad”, please let me know.

Thanks to all my volunteers,

Callum Wood

Campaigns Officer 2009

 

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Campaigns 2008

Campaign sessions can take a variety of different forms, from distributing election material in Colleges and the local area, to canvassing support on the doorstep. In the past CUCA has worked closely with the Cambridge City Conservative Association. Occasionally we move further a field such as during the last general election, when we did some canvassing in Bedford with the local candidate.

Most recently, we have helped Boris Johnson in his campaign to be London Mayor, and have been very active in Cambridge City Council elections, where we helped elect Chris Howell in Coleridge Ward, our first councillor in four years. The Conservatives are the only party to have increased their vote across the city in each of the last three local elections, while the Liberal Democrat and Labour votes have gone down.

Our new Prospective Parliamentary Candidate (PPC) is Richard Normington. (Pictured)Richard used to run the international relations department at Conservative Central Office. He was formerly a Deputy Chairman of the Party here and has lived in Cambridge for some time, so no doubt some of you who have been out canvassing before will know him.

He, and many of the others in the local party are looking forward to working with CUCA again in the near future to ensure that Cambridge becomes Blue once more. The local party wants to have many more campaigning sessions now we have a PPC and I hope that as many of you as possible will be able to help out as and when we are needed. The target for May is to have several councillors back on the city council and we should work as hard as possible to ensure this.