Dear readers,
I apologise for the lack of TNC activity this week. Some of you may have noticed that the website was temporarily ‘suspended’ – this was (surprisingly) not due to Keir Starmer shutting us down, but more to do with the fact that the hosting had simply expired without my knowledge.
The unexpected break has given me time to reflect, and I’ve made a difficult but necessary decision. After consulting with Deputy Editor, Professor Roger Watson (peas be upon him), we are migrating The New Conservative to Substack.
The logistical challenges of running the current site have become unsustainable. Rising costs, unreliable hosting with Bluehost, and the increasingly frustrating WordPress interface (with its erratic notifications and clunky layout) have made it harder and harder to deliver the consistent content TNC readers have come to expect. Combined with pressures in my private life, the current set-up is no longer workable.
Taking our cue in part from Kathy Gyngell at TCW, we are therefore moving to Substack. It offers a cleaner, more reliable platform with better tools for both readers and writers. The new home is here: https://thenewconservative.substack.com/
This unfortunately means that after a month’s time, The New Conservative will no longer exist as a standalone website. I would like to keep it open as an archive resource, but the ongoing hosting and domain costs make that impossible.
I’m optimistic about the move. Substack is much easier to navigate, and it opens the door to videos, a possible TNC podcast, and other ideas we’ve been considering for a while. That said, I know some of you may prefer the old format or already subscribe to multiple newsletters, so I completely understand if you choose not to follow.
To those who do come with us, thank you. There is (I believe) something special about the TNC brand and our small community, and I hope it can continue to flourish.
How to stay with us:
Subscribe at: https://thenewconservative.substack.com/
Pitches, comments, or questions can always be sent to: frankhaviland@outlook.com (the old editor@thenewconservative email will soon cease to work).
Finally, my sincere thanks to all our writers (especially Roger, without whom TNC would have folded long ago), and most of all to you, the readers. It has been an absolute pleasure and privilege to run this site for you.
I hope to see many of you on Substack.
All the very best,
Frank Haviland
Editor, The New Conservative
I’m coming with you! I much prefer Substack as it’s easier to keep track of things. I can also use my own monniker rather than ‘Tenaciouslysweet blah blah blah’ which I had no control over. See you on the other side!
I’ve avoided Substack to date but will do my best to learn the ropes. I’m pleased that TNC is still available. I was just about convinced that it had gone the way of my longed for lottery win – nowhere to be found! The stuff of dreams! Assuming the Substack technology is reasonably easy to understand, I’ll be over there in due course.
‘The Party’s over now, it’s time to call it a day?’ Free Speech now £80 a year, TNC, TCW, LS/DS please note ‘Parting is such sweet sorrow’. Maybe catch up again come the revolution?
Unless I’m missing something here, this should not be the case.
1. TNC has always been free to read, and remains completely free to read (and comment) on Substack.
2. There is the option for paid subscribers, which is the most liberal business model you can get: if you think it’s worth something, and
you have the means, you are welcome to pay. That’s all.
3. If I’m incorrect about any of this, please let me know.
TNC’s great stength was the ability of anyone to comment simply by providing a name and email address. Substack isn’t as straightforward and this may stiffle the comments and old regulars – maybe it’s just a question of getting used to it (but conservatives don’t like change!)
I’m with you Dan. WordPress is just an unmitigated nightmare however. It couldn’t be helped.
This really isn’t a criticism of TNC or yourself, but Substack gets a 90% poor rating on Trust Pilot UK (I can’t even understand most of the critical comments TBH, except much mention of chatbots and no human contact possible when things go wrong).
Tried to comment on AW article, but after submitting name, email, handle, mini biography and ticking two boxes it keeps coming up with ‘invalid’. Really can’t be bothered further and suspect others will take the same attitude. The Internet is getting more and more restricted and I think by design.
I had a notification from Substack, saying my email address had been ‘passed on’, and was able to read Frank’s article on Nigel Farage. But to ‘sign up’ to comment, I had to agree to having my data collected, say something about myself, state my ‘handle’ on various social media sites, (why? So they can read what I’ve written?) As it happens, I only leave the odd comment on X, belong to only a couple of FB groups, am not on Instagram, so I kind of object to having to give all this info, for what reason I don’t know, and it seemed too complicated to wade through. I will have another look now I know that this format is disappearing. Maybe I’ll just read the articles, but I’ll miss being able to comment. It’s nice here, where you can write a whole paragraph if you feel strongly enough, but I can also understand all the points you make – and agree that WordPress is an absolute nightmare. So, so long and thanks for all the fish, auf wiedersehen pet, adios amigos, possibly au revoir.
I’m sorry to hear this. I’ve been on Substack since around 2022, and I don’t remember the sign-up being this intrusive.
You should not have to give any information other than an email address (and if you do, then I agree that’s ridiculous).
Substack does have an import function, and they said this would simply send an invitation to current TNC subscribers.
Again, if this has been onerous in any way I apologise. I just thought it made sense to do as much of the legwork as possible.
Atvb
Thank you, Frank, for all your marvellous writing – invariably accurate, highly inventive and bitingly pithy -as well as highly amusing and cheering! Along with Roger Watson and the other authors, it represents some of the finest political and current affairs comment and satire around in our sad new world. And, along with Kathy Gyngell’s TCW, it is the staple of my education and entertainment!
I seldom if ever read, watch or lsiten to the MSN now, as it is so progressive-biased and tame and even GB News, with a few honourable presenter exceptions, has never been the same since the Greek manager sacked Mark Steyn. Like many others of like mind and age, I find myself increasingly isolated in my beliefs and dismayed and saddened at what passes for most modern journalism, so TNC and TCW are refreshingly rare and valuable to read.
I shall also try to transfer to Substack, though like your other commenters, I find the complex Internet and online digital world (thanks largely to autocratic ‘big tech’ companies and that ghastly Online Safety Act) is closing up against responsible anonymity and free speech and becoming ever more complex to use. Ironically, the more channels we have, the less choice and freedom, it seems.
Totally agree, and thanks for your kind words. I just did a dummy run myself with an alternate email address. It seems relatively straightforward to subscribe to a page (so at least you should
still be able to read the content), but I think if you want to comment then you have to sign-up to Substack, and that’s when all the nonsense presumably comes.
I also suspect that some of my posts are getting flagged as ‘controversial’ (thanks to Starmer’s social media intervention), so presumably we’ll all be shut down in the near future!
Being flagged as controversial is a badge of honour to relish!
Unfortunately Substack may yet prove to be a temporary bolt hole for both TNC and TCW once the moderator bots pick up ‘far-right’ leanings.
Well this has worked out well hasn’t it – no sign of the TNC regular commentators; in fact very few comments at all and predominantly now just articles by one particular contributor. TNC Old Boys 1 TNC Substack 0 (and TCW not faring much better either at the new place).
Goodbye.
PS A special goodbye to P & K plus several others, we had a beautiful friendship whilst it lasted, despite being chalk and cheese on many subjects!