Christmas Drink Tank with Douglas Carswell MP

Our Drink Tanks are a chance to meet, network, chat, have a beer and share ideas with Bright Blue on a monthly basis.

Our guest speaker for December is Douglas Carswell, Member of Parliament for Clacton. His most recent book, The End of Politics and the Birth of iDemocracy, was published by Biteback in October 2012. A leading Eurosceptic and libertarian, he was described in The Sunday Times in July 2008 as "One of the energetic young Tory modernisers elected to the Commons in 2005".

Bright Blue are delighted to host Douglas to speak to our supporters about 'Why the right keeps losing and what we need to change to win'.

Date: Monday 9th December 2013, 19:00 - Late

Venue: Emmeline's, Intercontinental Hotel Westminster, 28 Broadway, London, SW1H 9JS 

Drink Tank with Paul Goodman

Our Drink Tanks are a chance to meet, network, chat, have a beer and share ideas with Bright Blue on a monthly basis.

Our guest speaker for November is Paul Goodman, Executive Editor of ConservativeHome. Previously Paul served as the Conservative MP for Wycombe between 2001 and 2010. During that time, he served on the Conservative front bench as a Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Government, Shadow Minister for Childcare, Shadow Minister for Disabled People and Shadow Minister for Work and Pensions.

Bright Blue are delighted to host Paul to speak to our supporters about 'Has modernisation failed - or was it never tried?'

Date: Monday 25th November 2013, 19:00 - Late

Venue: Emmeline's, Intercontinental Hotel Westminster, 28 Broadway, London, SW1H 9JS

Keynote by Nick Boles MP: Which party should a liberal vote for in 2015?

You are invited to a keynote speech by Nick Boles MP on "Which party should a liberal vote for in 2015?", which is being hosted by Bright Blue on Tuesday 19th November at 13:00 in The Wilson Room, Portcullis House, Westminster, SW1A 0AA.

Nick Boles, who sits on the Bright Blue advisory board, is MP for Grantham and Stamford and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Planning. He set up Policy Exchange, the influential centre-right think tank.

Date: Tuesday 19th November 2013, 13:00

Venue: The Wilson Room, Portcullis House, Westminster, SW1A 0AA

Drink Tank with Nick de Bois MP

Our Drink Tanks are a chance to meet, network, chat, have a beer and share ideas with Bright Blue on a monthly basis. Bright Blue is proud to welcome Nick de Bois MP as our guest speaker for October 2013.

Nick was elected MP for Enfield North in 2010, having previously built a successful business in the marketing sector.

On 29th August he was one of 30 Conservative MPs to vote against the government motion authorising the possible use of military force against Syria.

Date: Monday 14th October 2013, 19:00 - Late

Venue: Emmeline's, Intercontinental Hotel Westminster, 28 Broadway, London, SW1H 9JS

Question Time: Getting growth - Conservative economic policies for the 2015 Manifesto

There are positive signs for Britain's economy: there is modest growth, unemployment is decreasing and consumer confidence is rising. But, especially with the global economy still volatile, it is uncertain whether growth can be sustained and boosted in the long-term. Get your questions answered in our Question Time debate on the economic policies should include in the 2015 Manifesto.

Speakers:

• Matthew Sinclair, Chief Executive, The TaxPayers' Alliance
• Fraser Nelson, Editor, The Spectator
• Sean Worth, Former Senior Adviser, Number 10 Downing Street
• Paul Nowak, Assistant General Secretary, TUC
• Michael Izza, Chief Executive, ICAEW 
• Alexandra Jezeph, Head of External Affairs, Bright Blue (Chair)

Date: Sunday 29th September 2013, 19:30 - 21:00

Venue: Committee Room 3, Manchester Town Hall (outside secure zone)

Kindly supported by:

Party Conference Drink Tank with Ian Birrell

Join us for our annual Conference Drink Tank with guest speaker Ian Birrell - Contributing Editor to the Daily Mail, former speechwriter to David Cameron and award-winning columnist.

The occasion will mark the relaunch of Bright Blue's flagship magazine, The Progressive Conscience. This edition looks at America: What's going on in politics across the pond? Writers include Daniel Finkelstein, Iain Martin, Louise Mensch, Senator Olympia Snowe, Stephen Pollard, Jesse Norman and Penny Mordaunt. We are also proud to release a ground-breaking interview with top Bush advisor and leading American political writer David Frum, with new revelations about the reasoning behind the Iraq War, and lessons for Cameron from inside the GOP.

Date: Monday 30th September 2013, 21:30 - 23:00

Venue: Chester Suite, Midland Hotel, Manchester

Can England ever love coalitions?

Britain has been served by a Coalition Government for over three years, delivering an ambitious programme of deficit reduction and public service reform. But, as we approach the 2015 General Election, the relationship between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats seems increasingly strained. Yet, because of the electoral map and the growth in smaller parliaments, hung parliaments and coalitions may become more common. How can coalition for the Conservatives work better in the future?

Speakers:

• Peter Bone MP
• Peter Oborne, Columnist, The Daily Telegraph
• Isabel Hardman, Coffee House Blog Editor, The Spectator
• Professor Tim Bale, Chair in Politics, Queen Mary University
• Ryan Shorthouse, Director, Bright Blue (Chair)

Date: Tuesday 1st October 2013, 19:30 - 21:00

Venue: Derby Suite, Midland Hotel, Manchester

Kindly supported by:

Drink Tank with Sam Gyimah MP

Our Drink Tanks are a chance to meet, network, chat, have a beer and share ideas with Bright Blue on a monthly basis. 

Bright Blue is proud to welcome Sam Gyimah MP as our guest speaker for July 2013.

Sam Gyimah is MP for East Surrey and PPS to the Prime Minister. He was educated in state schools in Ghana and Hertfordshire before going on to read PPE at Oxford University, where he also served as President of the Oxford Union. He was Chairman of the Bow Group and was voted the CBI Entrepreneur of the Future in 2005.

Date: Tuesday 9th July 2013, 19:00 - Late.

Venue: Emmeline's, Intercontinental Hotel Westminster, 28 Broadway, London, SW1H 9JS.

Drink Tank with Rory Stewart MP

Our Drink Tanks are a chance to meet, network, chat, have a beer and share ideas with Bright Blue on a monthly basis.

Our guest speaker for May is Rory Stewart, Member of Parliament for Penrith and The Border. He was elected to the Commons in 2010, having previously served as the Ryan Family Professor of Human Rights at Harvard University and Executive Chairman of the Turquoise Mountain Trust.

He is the best selling author of The Places In Between (2005), The Prince of the Marshes (2007) & Can Intervention Work? (2011).

Rory was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2004 Queen's Birthday Honours and holds Honorary Doctorates from the University of Stirling and The American University of Paris.

Bright Blue are delighted to be hosting Rory to speak to our supporters about 'Why Democracy matters'.

Date: Tuesday 14th May 2013, 19:00 - Late.

Venue: Emmeline's, Intercontinental Hotel Westminster, 28 Broadway, London, SW1H 9JS.

Drink Tank with Gavin Barwell MP

Our Drink Tanks are a chance to meet, network, chat, have a beer and share ideas with Bright Blue on a monthly basis.

Our guest speaker for April is Gavin Barwell, Member of Parliament for Croydon Central. He was elected to the Commons in 2010 and previously served as the Party's Chief Operating Officer (between 2003 and 2006) and as a local councillor in Croydon (between 1998 and 2010).

In September 2012 Gavin was appointed as PPS to the Rt. Hon. Michael Gove MP, the Secretary of State for Education. His first Private Members' Bill, the 'Mental Health (Discrimination) (No. 2) Bill 2012-13', became law in February 2013. 

Gavin will be speaking to Bright Blue about 'Race in Britain today'.

Date: Monday 15th April 2013, 19:00 - Late.

Venue: The Two Chairmen, 39 Dartmouth St, Westminster, SW1H 9B

Is the Conservative Party still family-friendly?

Strengthening family life is at the heart of the Conservative vision.  Before the 2010 General Election, David Cameron pledged that he was determined to make Britain the most family-friendly country in Europe.

Evidence suggests the priorities for families today are the cost of living, financing social care and childcare, the commercialisation of childhood, and family-friendly work. Has the Conservative Party got the right policies to support and strengthen modern families?

Speakers:

Liz Truss MP, Minister of State for Education and Childcare
Andrew Selous MP, PPS to Rt. Hon. Iain Duncan Smith MP, Minister of State for Work and Pensions
Samantha Callan, Chairman in Residence, Centre for Social Justice
Anne Longfield, Director, 4Children

Date: Monday 18th March 2013, 19:00

Venue: Wilson Room, Portcullis House, Houses of Parliament, Westminster, London, SW1A 0AA

Kindly supported by:

Drink Tank with Guy Opperman MP

Drink Tank is a chance to meet, network, chat, have a beer and share ideas with Bright Blue on a monthly basis.

Guy Opperman is Member of Parliament for Hexham, having being elected at the 2010 election. Previously, Guy was called to the bar in 1989 and spent 20 years as a barrister.

He recently published his first book, Doing Time, an examination of the prison service and rehabilitating in the United Kingdom. In it he offers a consideration of re-offending, prisoner training, drug rehabilitation, prison management and payment by results in the prison system.

In September 2012 Guy was appointed as PPS to Mark Harper MP, the Immigration Minister.

Date: Tuesday 26th Febuary 2013, 19:00 - Late.

Venue: The Two Chairmen, 39 Dartmouth St, Westminster, SW1H 9BP.

Book launch: Tory modernisation 2.0

Bright Blue have launched a new book, Tory modernisation 2.0: the future of the Conservative Party. The book is a collection of essays from leading politicians, journalists and policy makers, which recommends policies and a vision that the Conservative Party should adopt to improve society and the economy, and win in 2015 and beyond. 

Speakers:

Rt Hon David Willetts MP, Minister for Universities and Science
James O'Shaughnessy, Former Director of Policy, Number 10 Downing Street
David Skelton, Director, Policy Exchange

Click here to download the book as a .pdf 

Drink Tank with Robert Halfon MP

Drink Tank is a chance to meet, network, chat, have a beer and share ideas with Bright Blue on a monthly basis.

Robert H. Halfon is Member of Parliament for Harlow and entered parliament at the 2010 election. Before becoming an MP he served as Chief of Staff for the Conservative MP Oliver Letwin and as Political Director for Conservative Friends of Israel.

He is an executive member of the influential 1922 Committee, a member of the Public Administration Select Committee and launched the UK branch of the Friends of Israel Initiative in July 2010.

Rob is a also a member of the Prospect Trade Union.

Date: Tuesday 15th January 2013, 19:00 - Late.

Venue: The Two Chairmen, 39 Dartmouth St, Westminster, SW1H 9BP.