Pole vote by Przemek Skwirczynski

The Conservative Party should be courting the Eastern European vote. But not in the same way that Romney did

Weź sprawy w swoje ręce i zadecyduj, kto będzie rządził Londynem przez kolejne cztery lata!

Szczególnie Ci z nas, którzy przyjechali do Londynu w trakcie ostatniej dekady są często zbyt zapracowani i zajęci rodziną, żeby pamiętać o czynnym udziale w lokalnych wyborach, pomimo, że jako Polacy wszyscy jesteśmy uprawnieni do głosowania.  Żeby ułatwić rejestrację wyborców Electoral Commission (tzn. Komisja Wyborcza) stworzyła portal www.aboutmyvote.co.uk. Oczywiście nadal możemy rejestrować się w tradycyjny sposób, zapisując się na Electoral Roll, czego można dokonać poprzez Council (Urząd Dzielnicowy) – pocztą lub poprzez stronę internetową Urzędu.

Jesteśmy bardzo liczną i rozpoznawalną mniejszością w Londynie i możemy mieć rzeczywisty wpływ na władzę w mieście. Co więcej, uważam, że jak najbardziej powinniśmy tę siłę wykorzystać i spowodować wybór najbardziej korzystnego dla nas kandydata. W końcu ogromna większość z nas ciężko pracuje – czy to prowadząc własne interesy, czy będąc zatrudnionymi w firmach – a zatem płaci podatki, o rozgospodarowaniu których możemy właśnie decydować oddając głosy w wyborach. Ponadto, pokolenie Polaków, które przyjechało do Londynu w trakcie ostanich lat, zakłada obecnie rodziny, a więc nagle sprawy szkolnictwa, bezpieczeństwa, czystości, czy transportu zaczynają mieć dla nas większe znaczenie. O tych sprawach również decydują władze lokalne – w naszym przypadku Mer Londynu.

Podsumowując, do 18. kwietnia możemy rejestrować się na liście wyborców do majowych wyborów Mera Londynu, ale żeby uniknąć komplikacji proponuję rejestrować się już. Poza tym, jeżeli chcecie, podobnie jak ja, by Londyn nadal wspierał przedsiębiorczość, żeby podatki (w tym council tax) były utrzymywane na poziomie minimalnym, żeby było bezpieczniej poprzez zwiększoną obecność policji, żeby szkoły stawały się coraz lepsze i inwestowano więcej w miejski transport – wtedy zapoznajcie się bardziej szczegółowo z obecnymi dokonaniami oraz programem Borisa na kolejne cztery lata.

Przemek Skwirczynski, Conservative Friends of Poland

English translation:

Take matters into your own hands and decide who will run London for the next four years!

Although as Poles we are all entitled to vote, we often find that we are too busy with work or family matters to remember to take part in the local elections – this may be especially true of those of us who came to live in London over the past decade. With that in mind and in order to facilitate the registration of voters the Election Commission has created a portal called www.aboutmyvote.co.uk. We can of course still register in traditional ways - by enrolling on the Electoral Roll - either by post, or through our local council website.

We are a very large and visible minority in London and as such we could have a real impact on the city’s authorities. I believe that we should take advantage of this strength and influence the election of the candidate who is most aligned with our needs. Vast majority of us work hard running our own businesses or working for companies, and hence contributing a lot in tax revenues - we can decide on how these are spent by casting our votes in elections. Moreover, the generation of young Poles who came to London over the recent years may now or soon be starting their families, which is why such matters as education, safety, clean streets and transport are gaining importance. These issues are largely a responsibility of the local authorities - in our case: the Mayor of London.

In summary, you can register to vote on 3 May 2012 London Mayor elections by 18 April, but to avoid disappointment I advise you to register now. Besides, if (like me) you want London to welcome entrepreneurship, with taxes (including council tax) kept at minimum, better safety due to an increased police presence, proper schools and an increased investment in London’s transport, then take a closer look at the to-date achievements and Boris’s programme for the next four years.

Przemek Skwirczynski, Conservative Friends of Poland

'The Polish Presidency: 6 months on'

Poland leading the way

Amongst the speakers, there was a consensus that Poland had used the opportunity, associated with the EU Presidency, to pursue a number of exciting agendas. Syed Kamall MEP paid reference to the new EU-Ukrainian partnerships that have been struck, as well as the progress made to integrate the countries of the West Balkans into the European Union. Syed also attributed positive political developments in Minsk as being connected with Poland’s work through the EU presidency. All the speakers commented upon Poland’s bridge like status between East and West, as being a key component of its usefulness to the European project.
The narrative concerning Poland’s decisive and forward thinking leadership was extended upon by Charles Crawford CMG, who paid attention to the work of Polish Foreign Minister, Radek Sikorski in providing the new Transitional Council in Libya with a reservoir of knowledge regarding what is needed to evolve away from an authoritarian past towards a brighter future, a democratic future. All of these examples demonstrate how Poland, due to the many of the experiences that have shaped it as a nation, plays an invaluable role within the European project.

Poland moving closer to “Western civilization”

Syed Kamall MEP and Charles Crawford CMG painted an optimistic picture of Poland moving decisively, with little apprehension or regret, towards closer relations with its West European partners. Charles Crawford CMG paid reference to meetings he had had with the Kaczynski twins who construed their period behind the Iron curtain as blocking, what would have been their inevitable post-war integration with the West, and the resulting anger that many Poles feel towards the West as a result of Yalta. Both speakers suggested that there was a sense of optimism and determination in Poland to get on with it, and embrace the West, and more specifically the European project.

Syed Kamall MEP argued that liberalism was crucial for Poland’s development, and that it was composed of two phases, economic, and social. Though he felt that Poland has been successful in adopting economic liberalism, there remained work to do with regards to social liberalism. However, he pointed out that it takes time, and that twenty, thirty years ago; Britain was far less socially liberal than it is now.

A note of caution

In contrast to Syed Kamall MEP and Charles Crawford CMG, Professor Anita Prazmowska provided from a historical perspective, a far more cautious take on Poland’s relationship with the EU.  Professor Prazmowska argued that there was a certain degree of cautiousness within Poland in regards to her country’s relationship with the EU, with the question, “Are we about to lose something we have just gained”, on many people’s minds. Professor Prazmowska expanded on this by alerting the audience to a determination within Poland not to lose its Catholic ethos, and the resulting values that have for centuries underpinned it as a Nation.

Professor Prazmowska went on defend the actions of the allied powers at Yalta, arguing that there was little else they could have done. Before providing detailed analysis on Poland being a complex concoction of East and West, and that it shouldn’t downplay, or seek to hastily free itself from its Eastern influences, for these influences are a key part of what makes Poles who they are.

Professor Prazmowska suggested that the history of Poland, and the dynamics of Polish society, made the two-stage liberalization process outlined by Syed Kamall MEP extremely hard to achieve. She commented, “Whereas in the UK, it’s your business what your sexuality is, in Poland, it’s everyone’s business”.

CONCLUSION

It’s particularly interesting how in Britain today, much of the conversation emanating from the British Conservative Party seems to be concerned with how we, as a society, can ascertain, more shared, common values with one another, and how the strengthening of local neighbourhoods is seen as critical for “Civic resilience”, whilst in Poland, many seem to be driven by a desire to move away from what we’re striving towards. I think in many senses, there is an awful lot both countries can learn from one another in their attempt to strike the right balance between a socially liberal society, which at its best represents freedom, diversity and tolerance, and a more socially conservative society, which at its best provides a firm grounding of shared values and societal cohesiveness.

by Cllr Tom Hunt

One last look back, before we look forward

“Conference, like the Conservative Friends of Poland, might reasonably commend that it has of late been much exposed to authors, but not without good reason. With Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU in full swing, and the recent publishing of the Migration Statistics Quarterly Report in August 2011, it is no surprise that more than a whisper can be heard on both subjects. 

When looking back to our beginnings, and even beyond to our country origins, it is notable that the Normans introduced the use of surnames in the British Isles. Usually the surnames were local, describing the place where the person lived or was born, patronymic (“son of”), a profession name or trade, or a nickname. In contrast, a coat of arms may have been used by several family names in Poland boring the name of the original blood-line; origins vary and are complex. When Poles began to emigrate, difficult pronunciation and misspelling caused surnames to be changed as I found out to my surprise when delving into the family history records.

From the origins of the Anglo Polish Conservative Society to the forming of the Conservative Friends of Poland, our evolution is clear for all to see; whether it is influenced by forms of address, family names, a formal language, or the people themselves.

As my fourth visit to Conference came to a close, I thought about how far we had come and at this point, look to our team with gratitude for their efforts in shaping our organisation over the last few years. The end of this week marks not only a tipping point, but also a turning point in British Polish relations."

Thank you to all those of you who have truly supported our initiatives to date.

Yours sincerely,

Teresa Potocka
(Original family name: Potocki-Fox)

Three years on

“He may have been a Labour Prime Minister but Harold Wilson was certainly right about one thing - a week IS a long time in politics, particularly when talking about the party conference season. With the sheer amount of activity, it often feels like you’ve been at Conference for longer than the reality.

It has been a week since the party faithful gathered in Manchester and I have finally managed to reflect on the CFoP’s most recent experience.  During my time as Secretary of the organisation, it is probably one of the highlights for me both from a personal point of view but also in terms of the opportunities that come with exhibiting and being actively involved rather than staying on the periphery.

With Poland at the helm of the EU, it was particularly important for us to have a presence this year; however, I continue to be surprised at the level of support and interest the organisation has generated in its relatively short life.  

Following last year’s successful partnership with the Polish Bakery, the CFoP were again delighted to be able to provide sustenance to conference go-ers with the ever increasingly popular Polish doughnuts. We are also grateful to the Polish Tourist Office for supplying us with various literature on Poland as a tourist destination which literally ‘flew off the shelves.’

As for the politics, boundary changes were of course a hot topic at Conference and engaging the growing Polish community across the UK was a key issue for councillors and respective Conservative Associations.

It is an exciting time for the CFoP, as we grow, it will be important to ensure that there is a continuing dialogue between Conservative politicians and the Polish community in the UK to ensure that as ’we Poles’ become an increasingly powerful voice in the political landscape, we vote with our feet and vote Conservative.”




by Ania Swirski

My first year at Conference

"This was my first year on the Conservative Friends of Poland stand, and it was really interesting to hear people’s views on Poland and the future of the country. The feedback from people was also very positive. 

It was also good to hear from a wide range of different people: from business leaders, Members of Parliament and party members who wanted to know more about Poland. I found the Conservative Friends of Poland is also now starting to be known around the UK. Several visitors wanted to find out about the work of the Conservative Friends of Poland, and their engagement with the Polish communities in their local areas. 

For me personally, it was good to talk to people about the history between Poland and Britain (as my grandfather was Polish and came over during the Second World War). As someone who is very interested in international affairs, it was good to talk about the Polish elections which have just been held. It was encouraging to see the Conservative Friends of Poland playing an important role within the Conservative Party and in the Polish community. 

I felt that the conference was an excellent place to promote many of their ideas."

by Gregory Taylor

My experience at Conference

"Bizarrely, despite being such a staunch Conservative, this was my first Party Conference, an occasion that was doubly special for me due to my status as one of the youngest Conservative Councillor’s in the country and my role in promoting the Conservative Friends of Poland.  As well as thoroughly enjoying my time at the Conservative Friends of Poland stand, I also had a productive time at a number of fringe events, in particular the Respublica tent, where I heard a number of interesting speeches associated with Civic engagement and “Red Toryism” more generally. However, despite always being around a number of engaging and intellectually stimulating delegates, I also felt quite alone in one sense, I have a feeling that I was the sole delegate from my Constituency of South East Cambridgeshire in Manchester. Though perhaps a break from the Fenland ways of East Cambridgeshire was just what the doctor ordered.

With regards to my role working for the Conservative Friends of Poland, I was kept busy. I would like to think that the mixture of the eye catching doughnuts, our engaging styles of conversation and varied knowledge kept the visitors flowing.

There was a broad consensus amongst those I spoke to regarding the unique historical foundations on which our strong relationship with Poland has been built, as well as the concrete benefits that come from nurturing such a relationship both now and in the future. Moreover, many of those with whom I spoke could see a strong connection between the values which we Conservatives hold dear and those of the Polish people, promoting a strong ideological compatibility between our Polish communities and the Conservative Party.

I came away from the Conference with one key thought in my mind, at a time when we seek to understand the forces that connect people from seemingly divergent backgrounds and persuasions in pursuit of the Big Society, it seems to be a logical step to invest a sufficient amount of time in trying to understand what makes the culture and communities that engendered Solidarity tick. Therefore, the benefits of seeking a political rapprochement with our vibrant Polish communities aren’t just electoral, but also ideological."

by Councillor Tom Hunt