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For this week’s Saturday Interview TYC spoke to Kingston councillor and Conservative Future activist Robert-John Tasker to discuss his university’s ban on the Territorial Army, how the Lib Dems won’t stand up for our troops, and geo-politics.
TheYoungConservative: Let’s to do obligatory background questions first: Why did you get involved in politics, and how?
Robert-John Tasker: I joined the Conservative Party when I was 16 years old. I remember Quentin Davies (who has now defected to Labour) visiting my college and giving a talk and I came away highly impressed. Mainly, however, it was a mixture of studying history and politics which led me to the views I hold as well being mesmerized by Jefferson and Burke. I stood for public office simply because I was sick of watching our country being treated like a constitutional football as well as progress being so slow and limited. I simply felt I could do a better job than many of those who held positions on my local authority.
TYC: Of late you’ve come to prominence for endorsing the efforts of Kingston University students to overturn a Student Union ban which denies students the freedom to engage with the Territorial Army on their own campus. What do you think of the sort of people who bring these bans in the first place?
RJT: The problem with these people is they are incredibly unreasonable and see the world in an unrealistic, undimensional and irrational sphere. Many of them, and I’m talking specifically about those who would like to see for example the destruction of Israel, will regard our security services with contempt and disdain. What is most interesting is that some of the people who would have voted for this measure are from countries where our forces will protect their fellow or ex-countryman. Liberia, Bosnia and Sierra Leone are good examples.
TYC: Your Council is led Liberal Democrat Derek Osbourne, whom you challenged to denounce the aforementioned TA ban. He failed to do so. What do you make of that?
RJT: Cllr Osbourne often doesn’t bother to turn up to Civic Remembrance Sunday services so it doesn’t surprise me he failed to back our campaign. Many of the Lib Dems abhor our relationship with America and treat our traditions and customs with contempt so I couldn’t really envisage the two local Lib Dem MPs and Lib Dem ran Kingston council supporting us in our efforts to overturn the ban.
TYC: In 2007 Liberal Democrat leader of the Council Derek Osbourne also scorned your proposal for a homecoming parade to honour our troops currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Do you think this belies a general Derek Osbourne/Liberal Democrat anti-British Armed Forces tendency?
RJT: Most certainly. In fact I’ve argued this for a long time. Many of my own colleagues didn’t just think it was just political bias on their part but it was rather spiteful and nasty. Although there is little appetite in the Lib Dems for an interventionist policy in terms of foreign policy one would think they would commend our troops for doing a superb job abroad in some of the most harsh and difficult terrain against an anonymous enemy. Unfortunately the Lib Dems aren’t interested in doing that.
TYC: Staying with that theme, what do you think British, and American, foreign policy should be? Do we take a hard line on terror, or Obama’s ‘talking to our enemies’ rhetoric? Should we follow the American lead, or strike out on our own – or even hand our foreign policy over to the EU?
RJT: We certainly shouldn’t hand over our foreign policy to the EU. We’ve given too much away; foreign policy would be the final straw. The intervention in Iraq ultimately will prove to be successful in years to come and one very positive aspect of the Bush/Blair partnership has been to get Col Gadaffi of Libya to surrender his nuclear weapons programme and support for international terrorism. I don’t see how we could take a soft approach to Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, Hamas in Palestine or even domestic Republican terrorism in Northern Ireland. Obama has become more hawkish on the war on terror although his naivety on Iran has exposed his inexperience, his dealings with the Pakistanis over the Taleban remain to be seen.
TYC: Trident – our insurance policy in 21st century geopolitics, or expensive, rusting Cold-War hangover?
RJT: The first rule of Government is to protect the people. Trident partly provides that protection but it would be foolhardy to suggest the job is done there. We need robust defenses and modern 21st century intelligence and security agencies to deal with those elements who seek to target British citizens around the globe and harm our national interests.
TYC: Localism, Council Tax and Reform of Local Government are three issues which go hand in hand – give us your ideas on how we should go about them. How do we set about delivering value for money to rate-payers? Is Government at all levels more a problem than a solution? What should limits of local government be? Which central powers should be given back from Whitehall to communities?
RJT: I would answer yes to the last three questions. It is vitally important that councillors and cabinet members control the councils themselves. Equally one has to have a good working relationship with senior council officers, it is, after all, the councillors who are accountable to the general public and therefore those elected need to make sure they run the show. A policy of rolling back departments in terms of head-count, proper due-diligence on who council grants is sent to and a firm grip on capital borrowing and public spending. Devolving health, education and large aspects of policing and justice would provide local people with real faith in our local democratic structures again. I long for the day that our local and parish councils have more influence over our lives than the European Union. That should be the aim of all our politicians.
TYC: Expenses have caused an earthquake in Westminster these past few weeks, and David Cameron has generally been acknowledged to have shown decisive leadership on the topic. How would you set about reforming the Westminster gravy-train and dealing MPs would misuse taxpayers’ money?
RJT: An awful lot has been said on this. I’ve always defended MPs – I’ve believed from day one that many have made personal sacrifice in entering parliament and thus the cynicism from the general public is often unfair. However, it is clear that some MPs have thoroughly abused the system, some to such an extent that surely prison sentences are only a fair way of sending out a message that this is unacceptable behaviour. Cameron has been swift and to the point, much more so than Gordon Brown, and that has resonated with the general public. As I’ve stressed before, MPs expenses are only the tip of the iceberg, drastic constitutional reform must be introduced, the bloated client state heavily reduced, scrutiny and accountability over public sector salaries visible and in the public domain, a withdrawal from political union of the EU, and a radical shake-up of local government. All would help save our badly wounded parliamentary democracy.
TYC: In your view, what are the biggest threats to the liberty of Britons today?
RJT: Gordon Brown and the Labour Party.
TYC: Finally, anything your time as a councillor has taught you which you wish you’d known at the outset? Any advice for would-be councillors reading this?
RJT: Yes, it’s incredibly easy to get frustrated about local politics as change doesn’t come quickly. However, you do learn an enormous amount and I would urge as many of our young supporters and activists to stand in their local area. I’m in a good position in a sense, I got elected as the youngest in the country back in May 2006 and it has helped to spot where in local government we need to dramatically reform things. I wish I knew how unbusiness-like local government is run from the outset. It would have prepared my colleagues and I for the challenges ahead as well as attempting to remove a stubborn and hypocritical Lib Dem administration. I’m looking forward to David Cameron; hopefully, implementing some of those much need decentralist policies he’s spoken about so local government can become relevant again and local people can feel proud of their councillors.
If you’re interested in standing as a councillor, you could do worse than to check out the Conservative Future guide.
The cold evenings of last November seem distant, what with all this Spring sunshine, but it’s only a few months since Conservative Future activists from the Cities of London & Westminster CF (CLWCF) were out on the streets every night for two weeks and weekends, collecting for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal 2008. This is the second year that the branch has taken part in the Poppy Appeal. Last year they raised over £3,100.
This year the branch beat that total – raising an astonishing £3,796!
Branch chairman Edward Hallam commented, “I think it shows acutely that even in these worsening economic times the British value their Armed Forces more than ever.“
He added, “I’m extremely proud of my activists who came out night after night, even in snow storms and lightning, to do their bit. We had some 30 activists out in total, many signing up for consecutive nights. Without our participation many central London stations and locations would have had no collectors at all.
This project has been our most popular of the year, with people coming along for one night and enjoying it so much they came back for more. I hope more branches will take part in this most worthy of campaigns in November 2009“
CLWCF have already pledged to support the Poppy Appeal in 2009, hoping to take their collective fund raising total over £10,000.
If your branch is interested in taking part and needs any advice feel free to contact Edward – chairman@clwcf.co.uk
Kingston University students received fresh support today in their campaign to overturn their Union’s military ban with prevents the Territorial Army from visiting and recruiting at freshers fayres.
Councillor Robert Tasker, a former Kingston student, criticised his alma mata, saying “I think this decision is wholly regretful and an utter insult to those serving abroad currently. What is interesting is that the British armed forces play a key role in peace keeping efforts around the world – including Sierra Leone, Liberia and Serbia.”
He added: “We rely on the TA recruiting at fresher fairs so that our armed forces are able to protect innocents in other countries.”
At March’s full council meeting Councillor Tasker challenged Liberal Democrat leader of the council Derek Osbourne, who is also on the university’s board of governors, to join him in condemning the Union’s ban. However Osbourne refused, stating that he did not have “any background (or indeed view) on the University Student’s Union decision”.
Whilst not commenting on specifics until fully equipped with the facts is understandable, Osbourne’s inability to stand up for the principle that the TA have a right to be on campus, and that students have the right to choose whom they want to involve themselves with – rather than those rights being taken away - is highly questionable. He cannot have no view or opinion, surely, and thus only a reluctance to express it, from which one can fairly draw inferences as to what it may be.
Kingston students, however, find the issue much less taxing. Chris Dingle who is organising the pro-freedom effort to repeal the ban said, “The ban takes away a massive amount of freedom and choice and determines what students can and can’t join. As a campaign, we do support the military because they do a lot more than gets publicized. We have a comment on our website from an officer in the regional army who talks about the effect a ban like this has on the army, it demoralizes the troops.”
The action to overturn the ban comes on the back of the recent success at UCL which saw their military ban scrapped.
Jo Casserly of the far-left group Stop the War, commenting at the time of UCL’s ban, said that, “our aim, as always, is to give support to those resisting Britain and the US, whether they be in Iraq, in Afghanistan, or in the armed forces.” Make of that what you will.
Tom Parkinson, who organised UCL’s student movement to overturn that ban, commented: “The proponents of so called “military bans” at various campuses consistently claim that they are pursued to register opposition to the conflicts the British military is engaged in abroad. This is deeply misguided. The military is an operational tool of the executive. Any legitimate resentment should be aimed toward the government who make policy, not at our brave men and women on the ground who conduct it.”
Students at Birmingham University also recently gave their support to British troops.
Kingston students should join the effort to repeal the ban and contact Chris Dingle via Facebook.
If your campus is threatened by a ban, or if you’re fighting to overturn one, let us know so that we can publicise your cause.
Make sure, also, that you’re in touch with the Young Britons’ Foundation who can furnish you with FREE advice, resources and support in your fight. YBF has produced a FREE pack to get your campaign started – just ask for one.
Heartening news from Birmingham University, where students have just announced their support for the Young Britons’ Foundation’s ‘Get Behind Our Troops‘ campaign.
This move comes hot on the heels of UCL students overturning their campus military discrimination, and others following that lead; all of which is a grassroots student response to the heinous ‘Kick ‘em Off Campus‘ campaign being run by hard-Left factions on British university campuses.
TYC salutes these Birmingham students.
Are you fighting for our troops on your campus? Let us know. Need support? Get a FREE YBF resource pack here.
In a story which seems to have slipped under the news radar, last week students at the University of Sussex crushed a motion at their Student Union which would have excluded their Royal Navy Unit from Union events and publicity. When holding stalls at the university in the past Royal Navy recruiters have been the target of peacenik activists. In an overwhelming display of pride and confidence in our armed forces students voted 559 to 255 – a colossal 69% vote in favour of the Navy.
Yet again tide and time are on the side of liberty as another student union motion is defeated by those who believe individual students, not politically activist Unions, should decide which organisations students may choose to associate with.
Fresh off the back of UCL students’ victory over their Union’s military ban, news reaches us that students at Kingston University are seeking to overturn a similar prohibition. At tomorrow’s AGM they want to vote down a 2008 Union ban, proposed by Joshua Ogunleye and seconded by Morris Marah. The text of the current ban reads:
This Union notes:
1) This union currently allows OTC, RAF, TA, Navy, and Army forces to come onto university campus and fresher’s fairs to recruit
This Union believes:
2) British troops should be withdrawal immediately from Iraq and Afghanistan
This Union resolves:
3) That the OTC, RAF, Royal Navy, TA, and Army are not allowed promotion or recruiting stalls at our fresher’s fair and on the Kingston University campuses, as is the situation on other student union campuses.
The logic there is, well, illogical. Quite how they think preventing military recruiters is going to pull troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan is inexplicable. All that bans such as this achieve is the progressive lessening of freedom on campus, and the reduction in opportunities for students. The OTC et al provide students with the chance to gain skills such as leadership and organisation which are valued by employers. Service shows commitment and motivation on the part of students.
The final weaseling line of the motion, asserting that a ban on the military is the de facto situation at other campuses, is flat out wrong. Some unions do have bans, but as we’ve seen, these are strongly opposed and overturned. Bans are not the status quo, they’re at best temporary, fleeting and out of touch with public/student opinion.
Furthermore, it reinforces an inaccurate, outdated and purposefully negative view of the military – that they’re only involved in War on Terror theatres. In truth, the British Armed Forces are employed around the world keeping the peace, protecting civilians and providing humanitarian aid where no other force could. Let’s not forget their involvement in for example Kosovo (with NATO), nor their service in the wake of the 2006 Boxing Day tsunami, where they played a crucial role in the relief effort. Domestically, who else would we turn to when there’s a natural disaster, or the fire brigade strike?
All students at Kingston, it’s imperative you make your voice heard. Speak up for the military and you speak out for freedom. Students on every campus have the right to be involved with the OTC if they wish, just as they do with any other organisation. Students have the right to engage with and hear from the full spectrum of speakers and bodies. Unions have not the right to dictate whose voice is heard, and whose is not.
By voting for freedom you’ll be joining the ranks of successful campuses such as UCL who have in the last few days defeated their military ban and ensured this aspect of freedom remains in their academy.
MAKE SURE YOU TAKE YOUR STUDENT ID IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO VOTE.
The obligatory Facebook group opposing the ban is to be found here.
If your campus is threatened by a ban, or if you’re fighting to overturn one, let us know so that we can publicise your cause.
Make sure, also, that you’re in touch with the Young Britons’ Foundation who can furnish you with FREE advice, resources and support in your fight.
Hopefully we are in the final stages of the campaign to overturn the student military ban that has plagued UCLU for almost an entire year now.
Whilst the ban is politically motivated, the campaign to overturn it is about freedom. Students have the right to have the OTC on campus. The military are a valued part of your society. If a student wants to shun them, that’s their right. Likewise, if they wish to become involved with the OTC then they deserve to have the opinion to do so. Students are adults, they can make informed choices. No students union has the right to dictate which choices are available to students.
The UCLU AGM is today at 3:00pm in the Bloomsbury Theatre, and has a 5pm guillotine. While it does clash with teaching the staff of UCL have been told about it and should be sympathetic to students who request to miss teaching. The military ban motion is also top of the agenda, so if you can’t make the whole event due to other commitments, please come along at 3pm and stay as long as you can.
The motion can be read at:
http://www.uclunion.org/general/downloads/notices/agmarmy.pdf
and the AGM agenda is at:
http://www.uclunion.org/general/downloads/notices/agend.pdf
Please please please help us end this! The response last year was amazing and the ban clearly isnt in the interests of the student population. Its a minority opinion and a farcical political stand that has been a burden on the union for too long.
It’s finally here, acts of God notwithstanding! The UCL AGM has been reorganised and fixed for this Friday, 27th, at 3pm in the Bloomsbury Theatre.
This is your chance to vote for freedom. It’s not about the rights and wrongs of the military or any particular conflict, it’s a referendum on the rights of students, as rational adults, to be given the choice to think and decide for themselves. No Union has any right or rationale to withdrew freedom and choice from its members.
As the crucial vote on reinstating the military at UCL draws nigh, let’s focus on how you can support the military on your campus.
Remember, if you’re a UCL student, you must vote in the AGM on February 3rd. More here.
First stop is the Young Britons’ Foundation, who offer a comprehensive pack of materials to help you support the military on your campus.
The packs include 10 copies of the ‘Behind Our Troops’ poster (shown right), plus:
- Advice on pressuring the University to erect memorials for fallen alumni (of any conflict)
- Advice on holding fundraising events for Help for Heroes
- Advice on working with the OTC to organise welcome home parades for troops
- A draft motion of support to put to the Student Union, or a draft motion to overturn existing anti military policy
- Advice on holding a service of thanksgiving for servicemen and women in the university chapel
- A 10 point briefing note for pro military activism
If you would like one of these packs, simply email christian@ybf.org.uk to arrange delivery. Thanks to the support of YBF’s donors, these packs are available for free to those who wish to claim back their campus from the rabid left.
Next, this podcast (30mins), entitled ‘Protecting the ROTC on campus‘, was originally given at the Young America’s Foundation’s National Conservative Student Conference. It’s packed with ideas for how campus activists can support our military. Obviously, it’s from an American perspective, but easily importable to a British context.
The Young America’s Foundation Director of Military Outreach Flagg Youngblood talks about how our military secures the peace and democracy we enjoy, how it has given democracy to the oppressed overseas, and how the left, who are the most vocal in the field of human rights, are utter hypocrites for not supporting the one force in the world that actually advances those values. He gives some excellent suggestions and examples for how campus activists can stand up for those that serve.
The podcast also refers to the Sharon Statement, which you can read here.
Hopefully, like us, you’re suitably refreshed after the Christmas break and ready to return to the front line in ‘09. So to focus your thoughts, here are a few ideas for political New Year Resolutions you might care to strive to achieve.
Invite a conservative movement speaker to your campus/branch. Think beyond MPs, MEPs and PPCs, to offer your members a fresher viewpoint. Our movement has a wealth of talented intellectuals covering every field. The Young Britons’ Foundation (YBF) can help you find book speakers through their Speakers Panel.
Towards the end of last year YBF launched packs for campuses to help them do just this. The packs include 10 copies of the ‘Behind Our Troops’ poster, plus:
* Advice on pressuring the University to erect memorials for fallen alumni (of any conflict)
* Advice on holding fundraising events for Help for Heroes
* Advice on working with the OTC to organise welcome home parades for troops
* A draft motion of support to put to the Student Union, or a draft motion to overturn existing anti military policy
* Advice on holding a service of thanksgiving for servicemen and women in the university chapel
* A 10 point briefing note for pro military activism
To request yours, email Christian, YBF’s Director of Operations, and set about achieving the same success as the University of Sheffield and Northumbria University recently have.
In today’s media age you can’t afford not to have insider knowledge about preparing a press release, or appearing on TV, just as much as you can’t afford not to be skilled in campaigning tactics. YBF run a yearly activist conference in the autumn, and regularly bring their workshops to campuses. As ever, contact email Christian for more, check their events programme online and subscribe their Facebook group for the latest invites.
So make sure you’re in touch with as many other conservatives as possible, get on their mail lists and sign up to their organisations. Many organisations are free to join, such as The TaxPayers’ Alliance, and The Countryside Alliance (for under 19s). Others, understandably, have fees, but often do student rates or deals.
And, dare I say it, you could always start a blog…(if you do, let us know!)
As always, we’re keen to hear from you. What are your organisation’s New Year Resolutions?
