Tory Youth

It's all very well to say that you are as young as you feel, but age is more than a number - and I'm happy to pay tribute to the relative strengths of my juniors. At their best, youngsters can exhibit optimism, bravery, flexibility and brilliance which are rarely seen in older specimens. And with all the talk of Cameron and the Tories appealing to yoof I've decided to put them in the spotlight.

Before I start, I think that the Leftie/Grauniad view of youngsters is erroneous at best. An alien from the planet Zog would conclude from that propaganda that the political youth of today are wholly alienated by previous generations, hyper-liberal on social issues, interested in the environment above all else and fairly selfless. That's not borne out by my experience. Independently minded, many feel that their ambitions are frustrated by the high cost of housing and high levels of taxes in the UK and definitely have issues with the nanny state. Generally fun-loving, most express deep concern about general standards of behaviour - more than the baby-boomers seem comfortable articulating. I certainly find a lot in common with young Conservative bloggers and want to put a few of them in the spotlight.

Youth Blogfathers

I'm going to start by mentioning two bloggers who in their different ways are making a great contribution to the young conservative network. First of all I must mention John Moorcraft who is doing a PhD research on Conservative Future and must have the greatest amount of Young Conservative blogroll of anyone. I'm going to call his webiste CF Links Central in my blogroll, not that his posts aren't worth checking. Next up is Mark Clarke - in his role as CF Chairman he is getting his hands dirty and enthusing and managing the troops in a way that is sure to contribute to the wider cause. Young Conservatives seem to be responding very positively to his initiatives especially the marginal seat campaign programme.

Uni Students

Next, I'm going to mention two 21 year olds. Thunderdragon has been on the scene from before I started and I like the way he handles a broad range of subjects in an engaging and friendly manner. Definitely one of the good guys. Fairly new to the scene Tejus Ramakrishnan moves in similar blogging circles to me and is a sharp guy - in the best sense. He is developing an interesting blogging style and he doesn't shy away from ideological positions.

Teen Idols

Finally, I'm going to mention two teenagers. They are the next generation. The impressive historical knowledge they both demonstrate in their blogging goes way beyond a history GCSE syllabus and surely indicates their effective manipulation of the Internet as a resource. I'm feeling particularly well disposed to 17 year old Will B at the moment. Not only are his use of graphics excellent and his blog coherent, but I particularly appreciated his (unsolicited) support during the Piper debacle. Finally, I'll mention the youngest of my recommended bloggers Sam Tarran aged 15. A Midlander, Sam tells it like it is. I'm sure he has Lefty teachers and their like pulling their hair out.

Other Favourites Already Listed

Whilst on the topic, I will mention the excellent Bimingham Uni CF site (which I have listed under Midlands in my links). Also, Martine Martin's Lebwog and Chris Palmer of Political Crossroads are young bloggers. They have been on my blogroll for a while and are worth regular visits.

Which of the above do you think are the best and what have I missed? And what impact do you think that the under 30 Tories are having on the party at large? I'll sort the blogroll out once we've had a discussion.