ConservativeHome

{{short description|British political blog founded by Tim Montgomerie}}

{{Infobox website

| name = ConservativeHome

| favicon =

| logo =

| screenshot = ConservativeHome Logo.png

| caption =

| url = {{URL|conservativehome.com}}

| commercial = Yes

| type = Blog

| registration =

| owner =

| author = Tim Montgomerie

| editor = Giles Dilnot

| launch_date = 2005

| current_status = Active

| revenue =

| CEO = Angus Parsad-Wyatt

}}

ConservativeHome is a politically conservative news website and events company. It was first established by Tim Montgomerie in 2005 with the aim of arguing for a broad conservative spectrum, which is serious about both social justice and a fair competitive economy.{{Cite web|url=https://www.conservativehome.com/about|title=About ConservativeHome|website=ConservativeHome}} A second aim of the blog is to represent grassroots Conservatives,{{cite web|url=http://conservativehome.blogs.com/|title=Conservative Home|work=ConservativeHome}}[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5058248.stm Tory activists may get blog spot] BBC News, 8 June 2006[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5343334.stm Battle of the conference blogs] BBC News, 15 September 2006 and is independent of, but supportive of, the Conservative Party.

Editors

ConservativeHome was first edited by Tim Montgomerie, prior to the 2005 United Kingdom general election campaign.[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4156/is_20050410/ai_n13594934 Bloggers ready for general election debut Used to raise campaign], Sunday Herald, 10 April 2005, by Steven Vass, hosted by FindArticles In November 2008, Jonathan Isaby joined as a co-editor.{{cite news|title=Introducing Jonathan Isaby|url=http://conservativehome.blogs.com/resources/2008/12/introducing-j-1.html|url-status=dead|access-date=27 February 2016|work=ConservativeHome|date=28 December 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201191135/http://conservativehome.blogs.com/resources/2008/12/introducing-j-1.html|archive-date=1 February 2009|via=the Wayback Machine}} In 2009, Paul Goodman – the former Conservative MP for Wycombe – became the executive editor of ConservativeHome.{{cite web|url=http://www.conservativehome.com/author/paul-goodman|title=Paul Goodman – Conservative Home|work=Conservative Home}}

In February 2013, Montgomerie announced that he would leave the site in April of the same year to become comment editor of The Times.{{Cite web|url=http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/conservative-home-founder-and-editor-tim-montgomerie-edit-comment-pages-times/|title=Conservative Home founder and editor Tim Montgomerie to edit comment pages of The Times |website=Press Gazette |access-date=24 October 2017}} Goodman succeeded him as editor, and Mark Wallace joined the site as executive editor in May 2013. In January 2020 it was announced that Wallace would become the website's Chief Executive.

In 2022, Wallace became Chief Executive of Total Politics Group, owner of ConservativeHome, with Angus Parsad-Wyatt succeeding him as Chief Executive of ConservativeHome.

In 2024, following Paul Goodman's appointment to the House of Lords, Giles Dilnot was appointed editor of ConservativeHome.

Content

The site took a leading role in co-ordinating grassroots support in opposing Michael Howard's attempt to abolish the "one man one vote" rule in the 2005 Conservative Party leadership election.[http://www.progressonline.org.uk/Magazine/article.asp?a=1246 Home boy] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930104840/http://www.progressonline.org.uk/Magazine/article.asp?a=1246 |date=30 September 2007 }} Progress Magazine

ConservativeHome was critical of the A list and believed that former Conservative Party Leader David Cameron was in danger of alienating working class Conservative voters,[https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/03/world/europe/03cnd-britain.html?ex=1317528000&en=4dbd51553c16cdaf&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss New Leader Tries to Update Conservatives’ Image] – The New York Times[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5035136.stm Tories vow to learn over A-list] – BBC News, 31 May 2006[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5180162.stm Tories 'failing to recruit women'] BBC News, 14 July 2006 and pressed Cameron for specific pledges on tax cuts.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5396096.stm Cameron set to avoid tax giveaway] BBC News

It was credited with the most accurate record of MP affiliation during the 2005 Conservative Leadership election, and it also was the first to reveal the names on the "A-list" of candidates.{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1052-2180647,00.html |title=Too narrow, too wet, too dim |author=William Rees-Mogg |author-link=William Rees-Mogg |work=The Times |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522160746/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0%2C%2C1052-2180647%2C00.html |archive-date=22 May 2011}}[http://adamboulton.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/05/to_blogdom_a_bo.html To Blogdom, A Book], Weblog with Adam Boulton, Sky News {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060614035908/http://adamboulton.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/05/to_blogdom_a_bo.html |date=14 June 2006 }} The Conservative chairman Francis Maude described it during the leadership election as "the only place to find out what's going on".

"A Lefty Lexicon", a satirical article published in August 2006 on the site and written by Inigo Wilson, a man described as someone who "manages community affairs for a large telecoms company",{{cite web |url=http://conservativehome.blogs.com/platform/2006/08/inigo_wilson_a_.html |title=Platform: Inigo Wilson: A Lefty Lexicon |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070116121203/http://conservativehome.blogs.com/platform/2006/08/inigo_wilson_a_.html |archive-date=16 January 2007 |publisher=ConservativeHome |date=2 August 2006 }} was criticised by the Muslim Public Affairs Committee UK (MPACUK).{{cn|date=January 2021}} MPAC members discovered that Wilson was Community Affairs Manager for phone company Orange, and pressured the company to dismiss him. Wilson was initially suspended for the comments,{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/08/17/uorange.xml |title=Orange spokesman suspended over 'racist' comments |work=The Daily Telegraph |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060904201219/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fnews%2F2006%2F08%2F17%2Fuorange.xml |archive-date=4 September 2006}} but later reinstated.{{cite web |url=http://conservativehome.blogs.com/torydiary/2006/10/inigo_wilson_re.html |title=ToryDiary: Inigo Wilson reinstated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061028025952/http://conservativehome.blogs.com/torydiary/2006/10/inigo_wilson_re.html |archive-date=28 October 2006 |work=Conservative Home|date=10 October 2006 }}

In February 2012, ConservativeHome called for Andrew Lansley to be replaced as Health Secretary and for the Health and Social Care Bill to be abandoned.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2012/feb/12/conservativehome-website-tim-montgomerie-nhs-reform |title=Tim Montgomerie, the man who takes the Conservative pulse |newspaper=The Observer |date=12 February 2012}}

The site supported a Leave vote in the 2016 EU referendum.{{Cite news|url=https://www.conservativehome.com/thetorydiary/2016/06/if-you-want-to-leave-vote-with-your-heart-today.html|title=If you want to Leave, vote with your heart today|work=Conservative Home|access-date=24 October 2017}}

The site previously ran a fortnightly podcast with Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg called "The Moggcast".{{Cite web|url=https://www.conservativehome.com/highlights/2018/01/the-moggcast-episode-one-austerity-in-the-nhswill-be-very-hard-to-continue-with-however-much-there-are-limited-resources.html|title=The Moggcast. Episode One. "Austerity in the NHS…will be very hard to continue with, however much there are limited resources."|work=Conservative Home}}

Business

In September 2009 Lord Ashcroft, the then-Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party, took a controlling stake of 57.5% in PoliticsHome, the politically-neutral sister-site to ConservativeHome.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8269394.stm|title=Lord Ashcroft buys into Tory site|date=22 September 2009|work=BBC News}} In 2011, Ashcroft sold PoliticsHome to Dod's Group, which he co-owns, and retained ConservativeHome.

In 2017, the website stated that it gets over two million unique visitors a year.{{Cite news|url=https://www.conservativehome.com/thetorydiary/2017/01/2016-was-another-record-breaking-year-for-conservativehome-heres-to-2017.html|title=2016 was another record-breaking year for ConservativeHome – here's to 2017!|work=Conservative Home|access-date=24 October 2017}}