A new Conservative grassroots campaign inspired by Labour’s Momentum movement will attempt to engage more young people in rightwing politics, though the group’s launch has been widely mocked on social media.

Activate, which aims to “engage young people with conservatism”, has close links with senior party activists, and is chaired by former Tory campaign manager Gary Markwell, a councillor in West Sussex. A Conservative spokesman said Activate was “not officially linked to the Conservatives and it receives no party funding”.

The group’s constitution says it will be independent from the party, though all members are expected to be members of the main party.

The campaigning group launched with a Twitter picture of the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, followed by a picture of Star Wars character Admiral Ackbar, saying “It’s a trap”.

The group’s use of multiple hashtags and a meme that was last popular in the early 2000s led to widespread derision on the social network.

This is the worst meme

I have ever seen... — EL4C (@EL4JC) August 28, 2017

Young people: We want free tuition, a living wage, employment rights, affordable housing, public services



Tories: How about some MEMES — Paul 📚🌹 Cooper (@PaulMMCooper) August 29, 2017

Though the group’s original Twitter handle was @Activate_UK_net, the group changed its Twitter handle after criticism on social media to @ActivateBritain. The old handle has subsequently been taken over by a parody account.

Activate’s website has a detailed constitution and code of ethics closely aligned to Conservative policy, including “promoting a global economic outlook” and “making a success of Brexit” – a line used directly by Theresa May.

Membership, which is £5 for under-24s and between £10 and £500 for over-25s, allows access to a private forum, but the current website lists no meetings or events, and there is no merchandise in the online shop.

The website acknowledges the group’s imitation of Momentum, whose active group of young members played a crucial role in campaigning for Corbyn’s victory in the Labour leadership election last summer and in Labour’s general election success.

“Unlike the Labour Party and Jeremy Corbyn’s campaign organisation, Momentum, we receive no funding from the Unions and therefore we rely on donations from our members and supporters to achieve our goals,” the website says.



Many of the group’s office holders are student activists, though there are positions vacant for a fundraising director and representatives in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Senior Conservatives including the first secretary of state, Damian Green, and George Freeman, chair of the prime minister’s policy board, have said the party needs to offer far more for young voters.

According to YouGov, among first-time voters (those aged 18 and 19), Labour was 47 percentage points ahead at the general election, with even voters in their early 40s more likely to vote Labour than Conservative.

Freeman, the MP for Mid Norfolk, has said the party needs a “cultural revival” of grassroots Conservatism, and has plans to develop a “Tory Glastonbury” to take place the weekend before the party conference.

Green told the liberal Conservative thinktank Bright Blue over the summer that the party had to look at its offering to young voters, not just its image, and said there needed to be a national debate on university tuition fees, which Corbyn had pledged to abolish.

A Momentum source said the group was “flattered that Tory activists have been inspired” but that Activate had made “some rookie errors” in its early incarnation.

“If they had really learned lessons from our viral social media content they would know they don’t have to use the hashtags #meme and #retweet with every graphic they share,” the source said. “And if they are as committed to a ‘modern’ Conservative party as they say, maybe they shouldn’t have picked an all-male national committee. We wouldn’t be surprised if Activate deactivates in the near future.”