THE LAST DITCH

Are you interested in getting involved? | A new political party for libertarians.

After the unhappy outcome of the last attempt, many of you will be as nervous as I am about trying again. Still, until we organise ourselves to get the message out, libertarianism in Britain will remain forever on the fringe. It's pretty clear after all that the Conservative Party's libertarian tendencies, pace Dan Hannan and Steve Baker, are dead forever.

The linked site has been set up by Gavin Webb – the only councillor the old Libertarian Party ever had – as a place where people can register their interest in forming a new party. I cannot help but sigh at the thought of having two parties – we will look like 'splittist' lefties – but it's worth thinking about.

Please register your interest. You are committing yourself to nothing but will help Gavin assess the possibilities.

7 responses to “A new political party for libertarians?”

  1. Kevyn Bodman Avatar
    Kevyn Bodman

    Thanks for this. I’ve registered my interest.
    I don’t know what went wrong with LPUK, I am sceptical about every blog report I’ve read on it.But it was an awful mess, without doubt.
    Is the link you have posted to Gavin Webb’s site also up on other libertarian-minded sites, do you know?

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  2. I know Avatar
    I know

    I don’t know what went wrong with LPUK,
    Andrew Withers

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  3. james higham Avatar

    With respect, it will get nowhere again. There needs to be a coordinated party of centre-right/libertarian with old-UKIP, old-Libertarian, disgruntled Conservatives, if there’s to be a party at all.
    For what to have a party unless it is to be a government? I’d be fine with no party at all. If you are going to have one, it needs to bring these fragmented, disparate elements under a carefully worded umbrella, if only to see off the remains of the Tories plus Labour and the remaining Lib-Dems.
    To form splinter parties at this critical time is to go off and mumble in the corner, as we’ve all done far too much of in the past few years.

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  4. Gavin Webb Avatar
    Gavin Webb

    Please can anyone wishing to express their interest in seeing a new libertarian political organisation visit http://www.gavinwebb.com/libertarians.
    Unfortunately, I have had to change the url due to a complaint my hosting provider received from the Libertarian Party UK over copyright violations, relating to the use of libertarianparty.org.uk – a domain I have own for over two years. This complaint led to my hosting account temporarily being suspended. Thanks.

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  5. Gavin Webb Avatar
    Gavin Webb

    A more comprehensive article about this appears at the new url.

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  6. SimonF Avatar
    SimonF

    Tom,
    Do you ever make it to the Rose and Crown on the 1st Thursday now that you are in London?
    I find myself stuck in London during the week working on a project and I would like to thank you for your entertaining blog in time honoured fashion and buy ypu a pint

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  7. Tom Paine Avatar

    It's a nice thought. I must make an effort to attend. I rather assumed it had gone the way of the Party, to be honest. However, I shall be on a track training day at Maranello next week, so won't be able to make it. I will take a rain check on that pint, if I may.

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Tom is a retired international lawyer. He was a partner in a City of London law firm and spent almost twenty years abroad serving clients from all over the world.

Returning to London on retirement in 2011, he was dismayed to discover how much liberty had been lost in the UK while he was away.

He’s a classical liberal (libertarian, if you must) who, like his illustrious namesake, considers that

“…government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one.”

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