Young Britons' Foundation
{{Short description|British conservative organization}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{update|date=November 2016}}
{{COI|date=December 2015}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox organization
| image = Young Britons' Foundation logo.png
| abbreviation = YBF
| formation = {{Start date|df=yes|2003|07|}}
| status = Closed
| purpose = Training conservative political activists
| location = United Kingdom
| leader_title = President
Chief Executive
| leader_name = Daniel Hannan{{cite web|url=http://www.ybf.org.uk/about/staff/|title=YBF Staff|publisher=Young Britons' Foundation|access-date=3 May 2010}}
Donal Blaney
| website =
}}
The Young Britons' Foundation, abbreviated to YBF, was a British conservative not-for-profit training, education and research think-tank, established in July 2003.
It promoted young conservatives and "classical liberals".{{cite news |title=Right-wing students 'suffer 'bias' |newspaper=BBC News |date=13 November 2003 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3266675.stm }} The chief executive officer of the organization, Donal Blaney, has described YBF as "a Conservative madrasa". YBF has strong links with the American neoconservative movements, and partnerships with American conservative think-tanks and foundations.
YBF was launched in July 2003 at a conference of the Young America's Foundation in Washington, D.C. YBF wanted to expose what it perceived to be left-wing bias in British universities.{{cite news|url=http://education.guardian.co.uk/students/news/story/0,,1082720,00.html|title=Rightwing group targets 'campus bias'|work=The Guardian|access-date=3 May 2010 | location=London | first=Polly | last=Curtis | date=11 November 2003}}{{cite news |title=Tory youth group accused of take-over plot |first=Tom |last=Happold |newspaper=The Guardian |date=8 October 2003 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2003/oct/08/conservatives2003.conservatives9 | location=London}} YBF was originally based in Regent Street, London, leading some Conservatives to question its funding.{{Clarify|reason=why would this make them suspicious?|date=March 2022}} YBF's funding came from private donations.
On 21 December 2015 The Times reported that Donal Blaney had resigned as chief executive, following on from the allegations of bullying towards former YBF director of outreach Mark Clarke.{{cite news |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/madrassa-for-tory-activists-may-close-after-leader-quits-xzmldxm5k5z |title=.Madrassa. for Tory activists may close after leader quits |author=Billy Kenber |newspaper=The Times |location=London |date=21 December 2015 |access-date=22 December 2015}} The Times also reported that YBF was likely to close, and as of November 2016 the YBF website was not operating.{{cite web |url=http://toolbar.netcraft.com/site_report?url=http://ybf.org.uk/ |title=Site report for ybf.org.uk |publisher=Netcraft |access-date=13 November 2016}}
Staff
YBF's chief executive was Donal Blaney, a former national chairman of Conservative Future,{{cite news |title=Radicalised Tories ready to take on Labour's big guns |first=Robert |last=Booth |newspaper=The Guardian |date=6 March 2010 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/mar/06/radicalised-tories-young-britons-foundation | location=London}} and its chairman is Patrick Nicholls, former Conservative MP for Teignbridge and government minister. The president of YBF was Daniel Hannan, then Conservative Member of the European Parliament for South East England.{{cite web|url=http://www.conservatives.com/People/Members_of_the_European_Parliament/Hannan_Daniel.aspx|title=People: Daniel Hannan|publisher=The Conservative Party|access-date=3 May 2010}} The author and long-standing Eurosceptic Frederick Forsyth was also a patron of YBF.{{cite web |url=http://www.ybf.org.uk/about/the-ybf-board-of-trustees/ |title=The YBF Board of Trustees {{!}} The Young Britons' Foundation |website=www.ybf.org.uk |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090924003607/http://www.ybf.org.uk/about/the-ybf-board-of-trustees |archive-date=2009-09-24}}
As of September 2010, YBF's "advisory board" included Matthew Elliott, founder of the UK TaxPayers' Alliance, and representatives of The Heritage Foundation, a Washington, D.C.–based conservative think tank, the Competitive Enterprise Institute and American Conservative Union, a U.S. conservative lobbying organisation. It also includes the founder of the Leadership Institute, the president of the Jesse Helms Center, the president of the Young America's Foundation, the co-founder of the Henry Jackson Society and a former executive director of the Collegiate Network. British representatives include Professor Patrick Minford, blogger Iain Dale, who resigned in the same year,{{cite tweet|user=IainDale|author=Iain Dale|number=673948343907835904|date=7 December 2015|title=@martinradio @jpublik I resigned all political roles in 2010 when I joined LBC. Wikipedia is apparently out of date.}} and two local councillors.{{cite web |url=http://www.ybf.org.uk/about/ybf-advisory-panel/ |title=YBF Advisory Board {{!}} Young Britons' Foundation |website=www.ybf.org.uk |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100505235856/http://www.ybf.org.uk/about/ybf-advisory-panel/ |archive-date=2010-05-05}} Liam Fox, the shadow defence secretary, was a member of the YBF's parliamentary council. Conor Burns was until shortly before becoming an MP in 2010 the vice-president of YBF.
Donal Blaney stated that the Young Britons' Foundation was largely funded by himself, at a cost of about £50,000 per year.
Training
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 Affairs Minister Andrew Rosindell and Shadow Defence Secretary Liam Fox spoke at the annual YBF Parliamentary Rally at the House of Commons.{{cite news |title='Tory madrasa' preaches radical message to would-be MPs |first=Robert |last=Booth |newspaper=The Guardian |date=6 March 2010 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/mar/06/tory-madrasa-young-britons-foundation | location=London}} In 2010, it was reported that YBF claimed 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.
Training costs were subsidised and cost about £45 for students, including accommodation and meals. Training and conferences were carried out under Chatham House Rule.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35075948 |title=What is the Young Britons' Foundation? |author=Hannah Barnes |publisher=BBC |date=12 December 2015 |access-date=14 December 2015}}
Campaigning
In the last days of the 2010 United Kingdom general election over 500,000 leaflets were delivered by YBF to over 20 LibDem/Conservative marginals across the country warning of the dangers of a hung parliament.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/may/05/young-britons-foundation-david-cameron |title=David Cameron accused of being dishonest over links with 'Conservative madrasa' |author=Robert Booth |newspaper=The Guardian |date=5 May 2010 |access-date=18 November 2016}}
During the 2008 presidential election, YBF sent a delegation of activists to campaign in the United States for John McCain.{{cite news |title=Young Brits flock to US election campaign |first=Alexi |last=Mostrous |newspaper=The Times |date=4 November 2008 |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article5080412.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605002623/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article5080412.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 June 2011 | location=London}} In 2010, YBF's executive director addressed the US Conservative Political Action Conference "warning of the dangers of socialism".http://www.ybf.org.uk/2010/02/24/ybf-speaks-at-cpac/ {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}
In the 2013 elections to the Common Council of the City of London the YBF ran around 20 candidates challenging the City establishment.{{cite web|url=http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/the-two-groups-challenging-city-of-london-status-quo-8544135.html|title=The two groups challenging City of London status quo|date=21 March 2013|website=Evening Standard}}
The 2015 YBF conference was cancelled after allegations of bullying towards former YBF director of outreach Mark Clarke.{{Cite web|title = Tory Bullying: Donal Blaney Slams Party Response|url = http://www.lbc.co.uk/tory-bullying-scandal-donal-blaney-121103|website = LBC|access-date = 9 December 2015|archive-date = 8 December 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151208213518/http://www.lbc.co.uk/tory-bullying-scandal-donal-blaney-121103|url-status = dead}} Six Cabinet ministers due to speak at the conference had previously withdrawn, citing diary clashes.{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/12038140/Right-wing-activists-conference-called-off-in-wake-of-Tatler-Tory-bullying-scandal.html |title=Right-wing activists' conference called off in wake of 'Tatler Tory' bullying scandal |author=Christopher Hope |newspaper=Daily Telegraph |date=7 December 2015 |access-date=12 December 2015}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20150222144712/http://www.ybf.org.uk/ The Young Britons' Foundation website] (as archived 22 February 2015)
{{Conservative Party (UK)}}
Category:Organizations established in 2003
Category:Political and economic think tanks based in the United Kingdom