A Quiet Revolution

Yesterday evening I was on the 'frontline' of  the end of the failed
fabian experiment in Westminster. The dregs of the student protests were
still being kettled, Police had helicopters up, tube stations closed
and vans full of back up, yet they still managed to drive a couple of
VIP's into the middle of this maelstrom of heightened emotions.



This morning Boris and Stephenson of the Met were having a discussion
on Radio 4 about yesterday, was it just me or was Stephenson making a
lot of threats about how 'tooled up' his men were. Was he seriously
advocating that the Met start shooting protestors ?

I saw bizarre sights such as 'anarchists' demanding more state subsidy for education. How does that work then ?



Labour created a massive expansion of the State that was built on
nothing more than a bubble, to have 50% of the young 'doing a degree'
was only going to devalue standards and to damage the marketability of
having a degree. There is nothing left that the hard pressed taxpayer
can contribute to a 'bust' state. What we saw on the streets was nothing
more that demanding money with menaces, and Labour were at the front of
this egging it on, as usual bearing no responsibility for their
actions.

Meanwhile at the National Liberal Club a quiet revolution was occuring organised by the Cobden Centre. Libertarians, Members of the Adam Smith Institute
and other representatives of Classical Liberal organisations met for an
informal social event to make contacts, talk and make futue plans. The
talk was was of  honest money, Mises and Hayek and of course the failing
Euro experiment.



The keynote speech was by Conservative MP Steve Baker, one of the few 'good guys'.

The Toast was to Cobden's vision of 'Peace and Free Trade'



Fabianism has failed, the Labour party derided Cobden the result is an impoverished nation and war.

For one battered Liberal (not the fake 'Liberal' Democrats) the long
march is now on its second faltering step.



I hope that you will join us
in rebuilding 'Liberal' Britain.

Press Release - Andrew Withers new Party Leader

The Libertarian Party annual AGM and Conference is taking place today in London. The following press release was issued at 12.00 today.

Acceptance of Party Leader of the Libertarian Party by Andrew Withers

I would like to thank the Party for the confidence that it has shown in me in electing me unopposed. It is with regret that I cannot take up the post until we have resolved the the extraordinary decision by the Secretary of State Dr Vince Cable on the 12th November 2010 that he objects to me being Party Leader, Treasurer or Tea-boy in the Libertarian Party.

In his eyes I am unfit to do so without supervision from his department. Mr Cable was given until 4pm yesterday via his solicitors Osborne Clarke, to withdraw his extraordinary objection from the Bristol District Registry, as he has no powers in Law over the Libertarian Party according to both his own Counsel and Counsel that has volunteered its time on behalf of the Party. I have to tell you no such undertaking has been received, to use a phrase.

All that was received was a letter that informed me yesterday, it was up to me to withdraw this from the Court, being a very simple person I did not understand the logic of this. I was instructed by a District Judge to include all of the organisations here,in America, in South Africa, in France that I am an executive member of. This includes charitable, political, blogs etc etc. Vince Cable's boys just objected to the lot without fear or favour on the 12th November.

Liam Fox MP, my local MP asked to be kept informed of all developments following his attempts to get Mandelson and now Vince Cable to drop this sorry saga after nearly five years. Incredibly my friends, the District Judge ordered a telephone conference to be heard on Dec 3rd to settle the issues at dispute. Vince's boys so far have objected to the telephone conference call, and refused to comply with another Court Order. As a party that believes in the supremacy of the rule of law, it is only right and proper that we await the directions of the Court on December 3rd, and that Vince Cable explains to the Court the reasons why on grounds of national security, public safety or in the interests of democracy he can overturn the will of members of the Libertarian Party and Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

I will remain Leader Designate.

Why are we here, a very small band of Libertarians formed into a party that will never in my lifetime seize office under this benighted system called Parliamentary Democracy.
We are here because we are right in philosophy. In 1989 the Berlin Wall came down because  Stalinism and Communism had had its day and people wanted freedom, the banking crash built on a mountain of public debt has brought an end to bureaucratic socialism and public and private debt as a way of life.

Now is the age of Liberty, but it is going to be a long fight because vested interest from the three statist parties wish the merry go round to continue. Labour only just lost the election under a corrupt voting system, Con Demery is not going to last, and unless things change dramatically the Social Democrats are going to leave the crumpled warm bed of David Cameron into the soiled sheets of Labour, breaking promises as they go.

I am a Constitutionalist, I believe that none of us count because we have no recognition in Law as individuals because we have no Constitution. We are the neo serfs. The exchequer is broke, we are to be taxed out of recession, yet we are still fighting foreign wars and we are going to give Ireland £7Bn to save the eurozone ? Did anybody consult you ? Do you approve. Shut up- just give us the money.

How do they get away with this ? because the State has the monopoly of violence, we are all frightened of the State. Whereas the State should be frightened of us the voter.

De Menezes was a stain on our country, as was Iraq and Afghanistan. We have a Ministry of Defence not a Ministry of War ! Our troops are badly equipped, badly paid and neglected in old age and injury. The only legitimate function of the State is Defence of a free country. Politicians love being associated with the Military, it makes them look hard, the trouble is our civilian police force are playing more to the Force and less to the Civilian part of the equation. When did Dixon turn into Judge Dredd on our streets.

Libertarianism needs re-branding in the UK, the Stalinist left call us right wing, we are neither of the left or the right. David Nolan who tragically died last week put us on a different axis that of Liberty to Authoritarianism. We despise the big State who ever is running it in favour of minimal government that is local and accountable.

We have the obscenity of so called Anarchists taking part in violent demonstrations in favour of large state hand outs. These are not Anarchists, they are simple leftist thugs demanding by violence what they cannot achieve by the ballot box.

Yesterday Cameron issued his first D notice, these are issued in time of war. He is no longer an authoritarian virgin. The Libertarian Party must oppose both nationally and locally. We are small very small but perhaps history will show that we kept fanning the flames of classical Liberalism in a seventy year long downpour of bureaucratic socialism.

Ends

Notes for editors
1) The Libertarian Party was founded on November 21st 2007 and officially launched on January 1st 2008. The party’s website can be found at:
http://www.lpuk.org
2) Further details of the party’s policies can be found in our manifesto:
http://www.lpuk.org/pages/manifesto.php
3) The Libertarian Party UK is a minarchist party utilising political philosophy based on support for individual liberty.
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarianism
Press Enquiries can be sent to media@lpuk.org or by telephone +44 845 299 7650

Gregg Beaman To Stand In Oldham East For Libertarian Party

Following the welcome news that Phil Woolas now ex MP has been gound guilty of electoral wrong doing

Gregg Beaman has announced his decision to run for the Libertarian Party in Oldham East.

Did You Vote For 'Change' ? Political Crimes Still Get You the 'Sack'

Via Cranmer and Tom Paine this morning the inevitable story that Katherine Birbalsingh has been forced from her post for thought crime of actually doubting that the Fabian destruction of education is 'good' for children.


The Tories promised you change, but the dangerous politicised public servants and their weak bosses are still in post, fulminating against the inconvenience of the ballot box. There has been no change and they are being paid by you the tax payer.


As one of the few countries in the world that does not have a Constitution, Katherine is not afforded the right of free speech under the Constitution, and she could scamper off to Court to not only claim constructive dismissal and declare the action of the school unconstitutional.


Unless Cameron acts this morning to end this farce every teacher had better keep their political opinions to themselves.



Brown gone, Cameron arrives- The State still rules and the State is red in hue and claw.

Libertarians Like People

This from party member Dick Puddlecote, which proves that citizen's action works.

We are an independent lot down here in North Somerset, this junction is three miles from my house, Portishead also regularly wins the best flower display.Just getting rid of these lights has made a huge difference to traffic flows because people can be trusted not to slam into each other.

As Chaiman of Clevedon Pride, we  'seized' control of the 'Town Square, three years organised public events for flowers, Christmas lights arranged to have the rubbish strewn municipal 'pond' filled in and planted out. Yesterday some of our 'chaps' were out watering and planting out spring bulbs.Hose pipe donated by local business as were the bulbs, manure by the local stables, not a diversity officer or Health & Safety Officer in sight. Not everything has to be done by Municipal Socialism

The Square is now a nice place to sit, walk, shop and a cafe culture has sprung up

We cooperate with 'local government' were neccessary, but largely just get on with it. Clevedon Pride is now a normal part of the local landscape, we do not have litter 'police' fining people, CP arranged litter to be picked up by volunteers, then amazingly the level of littering started dropping dramatically as it became unacceptable to litter.

Clevedon Pride is not a 'Libertarian' organisation it is just that its Chairman is (me), its not all about high flown political theory, it is about volunteerism, the time involved costs me a couple of hours a week and a few meetings a month.

Andrew Withers

2010 Libertarian Conference- 27th November 2010

This will be held at the Punch Tavern, 99 Fleet Street, London EC4Y 1 DE on 27th November, as we rotate for the third year back to London, from York 2008 and Bristol 2009.

You will need to register and pay £10 to off set costs by Nov 1st to receive your voting card and agenda. I do not propose to take money on the day.

Please pay via our account at HSBC noting your membership number and LP2010 as the reference.

If you would like to make a donation over and above (Please) mark as Donation.

40-28-20 Sort Code  Account Number 92635313

It is envisaged that Libertarians of the non member variety can be invited but cannot obviously vote, hence the voting card.

Postal votes are obtainable from 1984@lpuk.org for NCC positions.

The Polish Nightmare

In the grim league table of primal fears, there is one undoubted winner – losing your child. To do so in a foreign country when your language skills are not perfect, and you do not truly understand the ‘system’, nor the full extent of official powers, is the ultimate nightmare.

Young Alicja and her husband Aleksy* are living and working in the UK. They work hard; long hours, he at night and she during the day, and share the care of their young child.

Yesterday they returned home to find an official letter roughly shoved through their front door informing them that an anonymous neighbour had reported them to the authorities for ‘going out drinking at night and abandoning their child’ and telling them to contact the ‘North Somerset Safe Guarding Children Board’.

They were quite literally terrified and in tears. Neither of them drink or smoke, their child is never left with strangers – the shift system they work means that one of them is with their child at all times. They knew they had done nothing wrong – but would the authorities believe them, or believe the anonymous comments of one of its own English speaking citizens?

They come from Poland, a country which in recent times was communist run, where you could be denounced to the authorities without any right to defend yourself. They had heard the stories of English child protection teams snatching children and forcibly adopting them – ex-pat communities the world over are a source of horror stories concerning your host authority.

Not surprisingly, their first reaction was to hide their child with friends and then appeal for help from within their community.

It was their good fortune that the first person they contacted happened to be a friend and neighbour of Andrew Withers, Deputy Leader of the Libertarian Party. It was equally their good fortune that the Honorary Polish Consul in their area is also a member of the Libertarian Party. Accidentally knowing the right people saved them hours of frantic worry – I wonder how well they would have fared had they not been given the help of people who could field an array of titles at the bottom of their e-mails?

The first telephone call made elicited the astounding response – “Whoops! Sorry, wrong Polish couple”. It seems the stasi official who had pushed that letter through their letterbox had been looking for another Polish couple in the same road – “Yep, they sound Polish, that’ll do” – a breathtakingly slip shod and negligent attitude from a public servant charged with such draconian powers as removing your children!

Not surprisingly, it was demanded of this official that he return to see Alicja and Aleksy in person to both apologise and reassure them that their child was safe. This was agreed to – but true to form, the official didn’t arrive, they have heard nothing more.

Somewhere in Bristol is a young Polish couple who have been anonymously denounced to the authorities. Perhaps justifiably, perhaps not. They will be equally terrified when the letter finally goes through the right letter box.

We don’t know who they are. We don’t know whether they also have the ‘right contacts’ to deal with this.

Your child being taken from you by the authorities is not on a par with having your gas supply cut off, or a parcel delivered when you are out – a note pushed through your door is a cold and callous means of telling you that ‘they’ – the North Somerset Safe Guarding Children Board – have received an anonymous complaint. To do so when you are perfectly well aware that the recipient of your note is “one o’ they Polish” and possibly doesn’t speak good English is unforgiveable.

*Names changed for obvious reasons.

Anna Raccoon