Young Britons' Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Young Britons' Foundation, abbreviated to YBF, is a British
right wing not-for-profit
training, education and research think-tank, established in July 2003 to "help train tomorrow's centre-right leaders and activists today".
It promotes young conservatives and classical liberals
. Its Chief Executive is Donal Blaney, a former National Chairman of Conservative Future
, and its Chairman is Patrick Nicholls
, former Conservative
MP for Teignbridge
and Government Minister. Blaney has described YBF as "a Conservative madrasa
" that radicalises young Tories. YBF has strong links with the American paleo-
and neoconservative
movements, and partnerships with American conservative thinktanks and foundations.
YBF claims to be non-partisan though it enjoys close links with the Conservative Party
, and the majority of their staff have worked with the Conservative Party in the past; their current President is Daniel Hannan, Conservative MEP for the South East.
In 2010 The Guardian
reported that there was "an informal understanding that YBF is the main provider of training for young Conservative activists." in 2010, Conservative Party Chairman Eric Pickles
, Shadow Home Minister Andrew Rosindell
and Shadow Defence Secretary Liam Fox
spoke at the annual YBF Parliamentary Rally at the House of Commons. In 2010, it was reported that YBF claims to have trained 2,500 Conservative party activists. At least 11 Conservative parliamentary candidates in the 2010 general election have been delegates or speakers at YBF courses.
YBF was launched in July 2003 at a conference of the Young America's Foundation
in Washington, D.C.
, and it has said that it aims to "import American political techniques into the UK". YBF has declared an intention to expose "left-wing bias" in Britain's universities. During the 2008 presidential election
, YBF sent a delegation of activists to campaign in the United States for John McCain
. In 2010 YBF's executive director addressed the US Conservative Political Action Conference
"warning of the dangers of socialism".
YBF was originally based in Regent Street
, London, leading some Conservatives to question its funding. YBF claims its funding comes solely from UK private donations. The renowned author and avowed Eurosceptic Frederick Forsyth
is a patron of YBF.
As of September 2010, YBF's "advisory board" includes Matthew Elliott, founder of the UK TaxPayers' Alliance
, and representatives of the Heritage Foundation
(a US conservative thinktank), US Competitive Enterprise Institute
and American Conservative Union
(a US conservative lobbying organisation). It also includes the founder of the US Leadership Institute
, the President of the US Jesse Helms Center
, the President of the Young America's Foundation
, the co-founder of the US Henry Jackson Society
and a former Executive Director of the Collegiate Network
. British representatives include Professor Patrick Minford
, blogger Iain Dale
and two local councillors.
. There are accusations that this has broken election spending laws as even though they registered with the Electoral Commission, the leaflets did not include an imprint as some consider was required by electoral law.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
right wing not-for-profit
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
training, education and research think-tank, established in July 2003 to "help train tomorrow's centre-right leaders and activists today".
It promotes young conservatives and classical liberals
Classical liberalism
Classical liberalism is the philosophy committed to the ideal of limited government, constitutionalism, rule of law, due process, and liberty of individuals including freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and free markets....
. Its Chief Executive is Donal Blaney, a former National Chairman of Conservative Future
Conservative Future
Conservative Future, abbreviated to CF, is the youth movement of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom for members aged up to 30 years old.Founded in 1998, Conservative Future is the largest political organisation on British campuses...
, and its Chairman is Patrick Nicholls
Patrick Nicholls
Patrick Charles Martyn Nicholls is a politician in the United Kingdom. He served as Conservative Party member of Parliament for Teignbridge from 1983 until 2001. By 1989 he was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department of Employment...
, former Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MP for Teignbridge
Teignbridge (UK Parliament constituency)
Teignbridge was, from 1983 until 2010, a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
and Government Minister. Blaney has described YBF as "a Conservative madrasa
Madrasah
Madrasah is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, whether secular or religious...
" that radicalises young Tories. YBF has strong links with the American paleo-
Paleoconservatism
Paleoconservatism is a term for a conservative political philosophy found primarily in the United States stressing tradition, limited government, civil society, anti-colonialism, anti-corporatism and anti-federalism, along with religious, regional, national and Western identity. Chilton...
and neoconservative
Neoconservatism
Neoconservatism in the United States is a branch of American conservatism. Since 2001, neoconservatism has been associated with democracy promotion, that is with assisting movements for democracy, in some cases by economic sanctions or military action....
movements, and partnerships with American conservative thinktanks and foundations.
YBF claims to be non-partisan though it enjoys close links with the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, and the majority of their staff have worked with the Conservative Party in the past; their current President is Daniel Hannan, Conservative MEP for the South East.
In 2010 The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
reported that there was "an informal understanding that YBF is the main provider of training for young Conservative activists." in 2010, Conservative Party Chairman Eric Pickles
Eric Pickles
Eric Jack Pickles is a British Conservative Party politician. Pickles was appointed Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government of the coalition government headed by Prime Minister David Cameron on 12 May 2010....
, Shadow Home Minister Andrew Rosindell
Andrew Rosindell
Andrew Richard Rosindell is an English Conservative politician. He is the Member of Parliament for the Romford constituency in Greater London...
and Shadow Defence Secretary Liam Fox
Liam Fox
Liam Fox MP is a British Conservative politician, Member of Parliament for North Somerset, and former Secretary of State for Defence....
spoke at the annual YBF Parliamentary Rally at the House of Commons. In 2010, it was reported that YBF claims to have trained 2,500 Conservative party activists. At least 11 Conservative parliamentary candidates in the 2010 general election have been delegates or speakers at YBF courses.
YBF was launched in July 2003 at a conference of the Young America's Foundation
Young America's Foundation
Young America's Foundation is a conservative youth organization, founded in 1969, with a focus on sharing conservative ideas with students through conferences, campus lectures, seminars, posters, and activism initiatives.-History:...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and it has said that it aims to "import American political techniques into the UK". YBF has declared an intention to expose "left-wing bias" in Britain's universities. During the 2008 presidential election
United States presidential election
Elections for President and Vice President of the United States are indirect elections in which voters cast ballots for a slate of electors of the U.S. Electoral College, who in turn directly elect the President and Vice President...
, YBF sent a delegation of activists to campaign in the United States for John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
. In 2010 YBF's executive director addressed the US Conservative Political Action Conference
Conservative Political Action Conference
The Conservative Political Action Conference is an annual political conference attended by conservative activists and elected officials from across the United States....
"warning of the dangers of socialism".
YBF was originally based in Regent Street
Regent Street
Regent Street is one of the major shopping streets in London's West End, well known to tourists and Londoners alike, and famous for its Christmas illuminations...
, London, leading some Conservatives to question its funding. YBF claims its funding comes solely from UK private donations. The renowned author and avowed Eurosceptic Frederick Forsyth
Frederick Forsyth
Frederick Forsyth, CBE is an English author and occasional political commentator. He is best known for thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, The Dogs of War, The Devil's Alternative, The Fist of God, Icon, The Veteran, Avenger, The Afghan and The Cobra.-...
is a patron of YBF.
As of September 2010, YBF's "advisory board" includes Matthew Elliott, founder of the UK TaxPayers' Alliance
TaxPayers' Alliance
The TaxPayers' Alliance is a British pressure group and taxpayers union formed in 2004 to campaign for a low tax society. The group had about 18,000 registered supporters as of 2008, and claimed to have 55,000 by September 2010....
, and representatives of the Heritage Foundation
Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation is a conservative American think tank based in Washington, D.C. Heritage's stated mission is to "formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong...
(a US conservative thinktank), US Competitive Enterprise Institute
Competitive Enterprise Institute
The Competitive Enterprise Institute is a non-profit think tank founded on March 9, 1984 in Washington, D.C. by lobbyist Fred L. Smith, Jr to advance economic liberty and fight over-regulation by big government...
and American Conservative Union
American Conservative Union
The American Conservative Union is an American political organization advocating conservative policies, and is the oldest such conservative lobbying organization in the country.-Organization:...
(a US conservative lobbying organisation). It also includes the founder of the US Leadership Institute
Leadership Institute
The Leadership Institute is a 501 non-profit organization located in Arlington, Virginia that teaches "political technology.".The Institute was founded in 1979 by conservative activist Morton C. Blackwell...
, the President of the US Jesse Helms Center
Jesse Helms Center
The Jesse Helms Center, located in Wingate, North Carolina and named for its founder Jesse Helms, is a repository of Helms' papers, letters, and speeches, transcripts of his televised editorials for WRAL-TV, and campaign materials such as polling information and advertisements...
, the President of the Young America's Foundation
Young America's Foundation
Young America's Foundation is a conservative youth organization, founded in 1969, with a focus on sharing conservative ideas with students through conferences, campus lectures, seminars, posters, and activism initiatives.-History:...
, the co-founder of the US Henry Jackson Society
Henry Jackson Society
The Henry Jackson Society is a non-partisan association. The society's goals include the promotion of "democratic geopolitics". The society is named after after Henry M. Jackson, the late Democratic Senator from Washington State...
and a former Executive Director of the Collegiate Network
Collegiate Network
The Collegiate Network is a non-profit, non-partisan tax-exempt 501 organization that provides financial and technical assistance to student editors and writers of almost 100 independent, conservative and libertarian publications at leading colleges and universities around the country. The project...
. British representatives include Professor Patrick Minford
Patrick Minford
Professor Patrick Minford CBE is a British macroeconomist who is currently Professor of Applied Economics at Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University, a position he has held since 1997...
, blogger Iain Dale
Iain Dale
Iain Campbell Dale is best known for his conservative-minded British political blog Iain Dale's Diary and for his frequent appearances on UK news channels as a political commentator. He is also a publisher, broadcaster and former Conservative Party politician...
and two local councillors.
2010 General Election
In the last days of the United Kingdom general election, 2010 over 500,000 leaflets were delivered by YBF to over 20 LibDem/Conservative marginals across the country warning of the dangers of a hung parliamentHung parliament
In a two-party parliamentary system of government, a hung parliament occurs when neither major political party has an absolute majority of seats in the parliament . It is also less commonly known as a balanced parliament or a legislature under no overall control...
. There are accusations that this has broken election spending laws as even though they registered with the Electoral Commission, the leaflets did not include an imprint as some consider was required by electoral law.