In overall charge of running The Freedom Zone will be JANE BROADHURST, The Freedom Association's Office Manager. Jane will be assisted by a great band of over two dozen (mostly) young volunteers who will be doing all they can to make this event a memorable and enjoyable occasion for everyone who attends. MORE
This is what party conferences should be all about - free and unfettered discussion on the big issues of the day, with plenty of chance for ordinary members of the public to have their say. On top of that, The Freedom Zone will be fun - a great place to meet friends, have a drink and watch the main conference on our giant, widescreen TV. There'll be a big emphasis on youth, with major involvement from Conservative Future and a TORIES GOT TALENT contest for budding young political speakers.
There'll also be interactivity at all levels, from voting in the main sessions, to video training, opportunities to go on YouTube, or just to guess the weight of the porky pies our politicians have been telling us about the European Union and much else besides. There'll be debates for young Tory bloggers, workshop sessions, book-signings, receptions, parties and a Freedom Dinner with Daniel Hannan and Roger Helmer
Speakers include Chris Grayling, Lord Trimble, Daniel Hannan, Roger Helmer, Syed Kamall, John Redwood, Peter Lilley, Tim Montgomerie, Guido Fawkes, Colonel Bob Stewart, Gerald Howarth, Alex Deane, Douglas Murray, John O'Sullivan, Matthew Elliott, Ruth Lea, Robert Halfon, Simon Clark, Brian Monteith, Shane Frith, John Strafford, Graeme Leach, James Manzi, Iain Murray, Matthew Sinclair, John Whittingdale, Mark Wallace, Bruce Anderson, David Aaronovitch, John Rentoul, Jesse Norman, Don Porter and Chris Galley. See the full list here.
In addition, the Westminster Village Fete exhibition area will feature dozens of exciting stands. There's an all-day bar, a Blogging Zone, with free wifi - all in a magnificent venue, the Bridgewater Hall, right alongside Manchester Central (where the Conservative Party Conference will be held) yet outside the secure area, so no conference passes are required.
Can you afford to miss Two Days Like This? Come along - and tell your friends. MORE
MICHAEL ROCK, Chairman of Conservaive Future, will chair a discussion at 10.15 a.m. in the Barbirolli Room on the question, "Is there a place for Libertarianism in David Cameron's Conservative Party?" featuring JESSE NORMAN, Conservative Party Parliamentary Candidate for Hereford & South Herefordshire and one of the party's rising stars, and BRUCE ANDERSON, a columnist on The Independent and a legendary, veteran political commentator.
After the debate, at 11.15 a.m., THE RT. HON. JOHN REDWOOD MP PC will be talking about and signing copies of his new book, After the Credit Crunch - No More Boom and Bust.
Meanwhile, in the Green Room, at 10.15 a.m., a lively debate on the BBC will take place, in which HARRY COLE of TORY BEAR and OLIVER COOPER of KEEP RIGHT ONLINE, will lead a discussion on the future of the Corporation, with other Conservative Future members etc. encouraged to join in. Chaired by ZEHRA ZAIDI, a 2009 Conservative Party European Parliament Candidate, the debate will benefit from the involvement of an influential and knowledgeable voice in the media world, in the shape of JOHN WHITTINGDALE OBE MP, the Chairman of the House of Commons Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport.
On top of all this activity - and in addition to its events outside The Freedom Zone - Conservative Future will also have a stand in The Westminster Village Fete exhibition area of The Freedom Zone, all day on Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 October. It's a very long time since the youth wing of the Conservative Party was as active or as effective as it has become under Michael Rock, Richard Jackson and the rest of the growing CF team.
With free wi-fi access, lots of chairs and tables, and great views of Manchester Central providing a perfect backdrop for interviews, YouTube videos and photographs, The Blogging Zone, on the Choir Circle Foyer (1st floor) of the Bridgewater Hall will be the best place for bloggers to base themselves during the Conservative Party Conference.
Many leading bloggers will be actively involved in The Freedom Zone, including Donal Blaney, Douglas Carswell MP, Conservative Home, Guido
Fawkes, Daniel Hannan MEP, Roger Helmer MEP, Tory Bear and the Young
Conservative. Why not join them? MORE
Chaired by Simon Clark, director of FOREST, speakers include Roger Helmer MEP, Hon. Chairman of The Freedom Association, Brian Monteith, former MSP and author of a forthcoming book, The Bully State: The End of Tolerance and Shane Frith, Director of Progressive Vision.
The meeting takes place at 10.15 a.m. on Monday 5 October, in the Barbirolli Room, at the Bridgewater Hall - in between the Conservative Home event with Chris Grayling and the Conservative Way Forward defence event with Colonel Bob Stewart. Like all events in The Freedom Zone, it is open to the public - you don't need a conference pass to attend, as it's outside the Security Zone. There will also be ample opportunity for members of the audience to contribute to the discussion.Brian Monteith will talk about the way in which the nanny state has become the bully state and will argue that the least a Conservative Government should do would be to return to the status quo ante, where we were left to choose for ourselves. He will also raise concerns that Conservatives, whilst criticising the nanny state, simply add their own pet concerns to it.
In addition, Brian will argue that examples from overseas give cause for hope and that tackling the nanny state would prove a vote winner and open up another front against the Labour Party.
With 24 speakers and events organised by 9 different organisations, Day One of The Freedom Zone will feature Chris Grayling MP, the Shadow Home Secretary, Lord Trimble, Nobel Peace Prize winner, Daniel Hannan MEP, Roger Helmer MEP, Douglas Carswell MP, John Whittingdale OBE MP, Douglas Murray, Alex Deane, Matthew Elliott, Ruth Lea, Tim Montgomerie, Colonel Bob Stewart, John O'Sullivan, Brian Monteith and Lee Rotherham, amongst others.
The programme for Day Two, to be released shortly, will feature even more events and big name speakers than on Day One. Whatever the weather in Manchester on Monday 5 October, it's looking like a beautiful day in the Bridgewater Hall, home of The Freedom Zone - right by Manchester Central, venue of the Conservative Party Conference, but outside the security zone, so free for all to enjoy - no conference passes required. MORE
ALEX DEANE, Director of Big Brother Watch, will discuss the question, "Civil liberties and security - are they compatible?" with DOUGLAS MURRAY, Director of the Centre for Social Cohesion, at 1.00 p.m. on Monday 5 October in the Barbirolli Room, Bridgewater Hall, Lower Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3WS
They will be discussing one of the central issues of our times - how far we should be prepared to sacrifice our liberties in the name of security. As you'd expect in The Freedom Zone, there will be plenty of opportunity for members of the audience to contribute to the discussion and, being outside the security zone, the meeting is open to all - no conference passes needed.
Matthew Sinclair, Chairman of The TaxPayers' Alliance session on climate change in The Freedom Zone is delighted to announce that James Manzi, a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, will now join The Rt. Hon Peter Lilley MP PC and Iain Murray, Director of Projects and Analysis and Senior Fellow in Energy, Science and Technology at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, on the panel of what promises to be an exceptionally interesting event at 11.45 a.m. on Tuesday 6 October in the Barbirolli Room, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester.
As with all Freedom Zone events, admission is free and open to all - no conference passes required. The Bridgewater Hall is directly opposite Manchester Central, the Conservative Party Conference venue.
Chris Grayling MP, Shadow Home Secretary, has been confirmed as a speaker in The Freedom Zone. He will be speaking on Monday 5th October at 9.00am in the Barbirolli Room as part of an event sponsored by Conservative Home.
Chris has been a member of the Shadow Cabinet since the General Election in May 2005, serving as Shadow Leader of the House of Commons under Michael Howard, and then Shadow Secretary of State for Transport under David Cameron. He moved to the Shadow Work and Pensions portfolio in July 2007, and was appointed Shadow Home Secretary in January 2009. In the last Parliament, he served as Shadow Higher and Further Education Minister and was also Conservative spokesman on Nutrition, Obesity and Complimentary Healthcare. Prior to that he spent a brief period in the Opposition Whip's Office. For his first eighteen months at Westminster, he was also a member of the influential Transport Select Committee.
This will be an excellent opportunity to hear the man who may well be the Home Secretary by this time next year, and I'm sure the talk will prove to be extremely interesting.
Entry to The Freedom Zone and all talks is free of charge and anyone is most welcome to attend. The Freedom Zone is outside of the Conservative Conference zone and therefore a security pass is not required. For more information on confirmed speakers please click here.
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