Activate (organisation)
{{short description|Former British political organisation}}
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| formation = {{Start date|2017|8|29|df=y}}
| dissolved = {{End date|2018|5|31|df=y}}
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| leader_title = National Chairman
| leader_title2 = Secretary
| leader_title3 = Membership Director
| leader_title4 = Campaign Director
| leader_name4 = Luke Ibbotson
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| name = Activate
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Activate was a British political organisation, which described itself as a seeking to engage young people in centre-right politics.{{cite news|last1=Nathoo|first1=Leila|title=How are the Tories going after young people?|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41101480|access-date=7 October 2017|work=BBC News|date=31 August 2017}} It was founded in August 2017 by young members of the Conservative Party.{{Cite news|url=http://thebackbencher.co.uk/exclusive-activate-leader-explains-groups-motives-and-future-plans/|title=EXCLUSIVE: Activate leader explains groups motives and future plans|date=2017-09-18|work=The Backbencher|access-date=2017-11-04|language=en-US}} It had been compared to the left-wing group Momentum.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/aug/29/activate-tories-mimic-momentum-with-grassroots-campaign|title=Activate: Tories mimic Momentum with grassroots campaign|last1=Elgot|first1=Jessica|newspaper=The Guardian|date=2017-08-29|access-date=9 September 2017}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/sep/05/tory-momentum-clone-activate-at-war-as-hackers-back-jacob-rees-mogg-for-pm|title=Tory Momentum clone Activate at war as 'hackers' back Jacob Rees-Mogg for PM|last1=Belam|first1=Martin|date=5 September 2017|work=The Guardian|access-date=7 October 2017}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.indy100.com/article/activate-facebook-twitter-hack-conservative-campaign-young-group-sam-ancliff-7947056|title=What Activate say really happened with their 'hacked' account, and how they want to grow from 'over 200' members|date=2017-09-14|work=indy100|access-date=2017-09-14}} The organisation was shut down on 31 May 2018 after less than 12 months.{{Cite news|url=https://twitter.com/evolvepolitics/status/1002097248472313858|title=Evolve Politics on Twitter|work=Twitter|access-date=2018-06-03|language=en}}[https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/activate-deactivated-conservatives-momentum-imitation-folds-after-8-months/31/05/ Activate deactivated: Conservative's Momentum imitation folds after 8 months]. The London Economic. Author - Jack Peat. Published 31 May 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
History
Sam Ancliff claimed that Activate "evolved" from a collaboration of a lot of different people from different communities of people looking for a new Conservative youth group following the suspension of Conservative Future. The group appointed Conservative councillor and campaign manager Gary Markwell as their chairman. Because of this, Red Pepper described it as a Conservative "astroturf" group.{{cite web|last1=Stevens|first1=Samantha|title=Activate, the new 'Tory Momentum', is 100% astroturf|url=http://www.redpepper.org.uk/activate-the-new-tory-momentum-is-100-astroturf/|work=Red Pepper}}
The organisation was criticised when conservative blogger Guido Fawkes revealed that individuals within a WhatsApp group described by Fawkes as a "precursor" to Activate made comments about gassing "chavs", performing "medical experiments on them ... [using] them as substitutes for animals", as well as mandating "compulsory birth control on chavs".{{cite news|last1=Kentish|first1=Ben|title=Young Tory activists caught joking about 'gassing chavs'|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tories-gassing-chavs-whatsapp-messages-group-chat-activate-members-leaked-a7921086.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830195612/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tories-gassing-chavs-whatsapp-messages-group-chat-activate-members-leaked-a7921086.html |archive-date=2017-08-30 |url-access=limited |url-status=live|access-date=6 October 2017|work=The Independent|date=30 August 2017}} The Mirror claimed that at least two people involved in the chat had links to Activate.{{cite news|last1=Bloom|first1=Dan|title=Members of young Tories' WhatsApp group send vile messages about 'gassing chavs'|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/members-young-tories-whatsapp-group-11083299|access-date=7 October 2017|work=The Mirror|date=30 August 2017}} A spokesperson later said that none of the individuals "have any seniority" within Activate, and that they found the comments "sickening and are totally incompatible with what Activate is trying to achieve". The organisation had been criticised for being out of touch with younger people. The membership costs of up to £500 per person were widely seen as extortionate.{{cite news|last1=Maguire|first1=Patrick|title=Tory rival for Momentum is ridiculed over £500 fee|url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/activate-tory-version-of-momentum-is-mocked-gary-markwell-sabrina-evangelista-middle-class-memes-for-rees-moggian-teens-damian-green-ben-howlett-bsdfn0f89|access-date=7 October 2017|work=The Times|date=30 August 2017}}
An Activate source claimed that one of the founders of the organisation had received death threats, and that almost all of the main figures within Activate had been targeted by abuse and harassment.{{Cite news|url=http://thebackbencher.co.uk/revealed-17-year-old-activate-founder-receives-death-threats-at-home-address/|title=REVEALED: 17-year old Activate founder receives death threats at home address|date=2017-09-15|work=The Backbencher|access-date=2017-11-04|language=en-US}}
Having gained prominence in August 2017, Activate held a launch event in March 2018 in London, attended by 28 people in a room booked for 150. The event saw speeches from two Conservative councillors. Chairman Gary Markwell said at the launch, "It's amazing what a response Tommy Robinson and Britain First get on Facebook, how they engage people."{{Cite web | url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/we-snuck-into-the-tory-momentum-re-launch-party/ |title = We Snuck into the 'Tory Momentum' Re-Launch Party|date = 2018-04-09}}
In Vice, Ben van der Merwe wrote that the organisation was "doomed from the start", having an "impossible mission".
See also
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{UK Conservative Party}}
Category:2017 establishments in the United Kingdom
Category:2018 disestablishments in the United Kingdom
Category:Organisations associated with the Conservative Party (UK)
Category:Political youth organisations based in the United Kingdom