Reflection on the Past 2 Years and Why Returning Back to Normal Is Essential for the Young Conservative Community
Olivia Lever
This time two years ago I was feeling very lost, I was approaching the end of my second year at university and still to obtain an industrial placement for my third year. Whether I had a placement or not, I was still having to step down as President of University of Liverpool Young Conservatives. I had put my heart and soul into the society during my first and second year at university, and the thought of passing it over filled me with sadness. Then during my exams just as I was about to finish second year, I found Blue Beyond. Before Blue Beyond, the wider YC community outside of UoL Young Conservatives felt so out of reach. Without Blue Beyond I wouldn’t have: an amazing set of friends, opportunities that have provided me with skills and experiences that a lot of my peers do not have, and a wide network of connections. I know I’m not the only YC in this position.
Within the past two years we have hosted four in-person conference events (that hopefully we will be able to repeat this year), six different campaign days during the 2019 general election, three tremendous quizzes where over thousands were raised for various charities including the NHS Charites together, two different policy panels on hard hitting subjects such as Education after COVID-19 and Cannabis in the UK, and a very moving event on How the West was failing the Uyghur Muslims. We have had support off some incredible MPs, with Guy Opperman, Dr Dan Poulter, Dehenna Davidson, Chis Clarkson, Esther McVey and Ben Bradley just to name a few. In 2019 we could have only dreamed of the support that we have had from MPs, and we are very grateful. In two years, we have built up a wide and varied network of groups from the BCA, the Mallard, Conservative Progress, 1828, Conservative Environment Network, and Rodger Scruton Centre, just to name a few. If you had told me in 2019 that, would we be where we are now, I would have been very surprised. We have a team of volunteers that work so hard for what we do, and our members are what make us. Our members are head strong, dedicated, and friendly and I couldn’t be prouder to call them Blue Beyond members.
However, I would have never had any of my opportunities in politics however if it wasn’t for what we know as ‘normal’. ‘Normal’ meaning being on campus at university, being able to go the pub spontaneously, attending conferences, being able to work in an office with strangers just to name a few. Since March 2020 young people have suffered immensely with not being able to interact with others, not being able to go to events in person, work experience, etc. If I had never found a campaign manager for the Party sat in Mountford Hall with a spreadsheet at Fresher’s, been able to meet in the pub with YCs and put posters round campus, I would have never been able to set up the society to what it is now, additionally without being on campus I would have never been able to stand in student officer elections at Liverpool Guild and had my poster defaced which lead to me getting an internship at the Taxpayer’s Alliance for two weeks. Young Conservatives Conference in Nottingham during July 2019, where I first met Luke Black, Nicole Richer and so many other YCs and of course national conference in September gave me the opportunity to network and build relationships that I would not be able to do online.
When Blue Beyond polled our members, 89% of members surveyed said they would be taking the vaccine, 71% opposed introducing vaccine passports for hospitality venues and 74% finding vaccine passports discriminatory towards young people. It is essential for young people and their development that we return to normal, whilst online events have opened doors in some cases, restoring normal is also important for the Young Conservative community to grow.
When we see each other in person we bounce off each other exponentially more than we do on Zoom, and the laughter and banter we have with each other can only be transferred to a degree online. Youngminds found that 80% of young people said their mental health had gotten worse due to the pandemic and 79% of young people said that their mental health would start to get better once restrictions were lifted. For the wellbeing of those in our community ‘normal’ is essential and for the Young Conservative community to be rejuvenated.
Photo owned by Blue Beyond.