On Saturday, 25 March 2023 the Margaret Thatcher Centre, in conjunction with The Freedom Association and the University of Buckingham, held its inaugural Freedom Festival. Through a series of keynote addresses, panel discussions and armchair-style interviews, the one-day conference explored issues relating to freedom of expression, cancel culture and the role of the rule of law and natural justice in modern society.
Among those who spoke were prominent MPs, Peers, academics, lawyers and journalists. These included:
Lord Hannan of Kingsclere
Conor Burns MP
Steve Baker MP
Greg Smith MP
Mark Littlewood, The Institute of Economic Affairs
David Campbell Bannerman, The Conservative Democratic Organisation
Grant Tucker, Broadcaster & Journalist
Mahyar Tousi, Podcaster
Steve Bakers controversial speech made the Spectator. The conference concluded with a dinner where the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman KC MP was in attendance and gave a speech on her views of Freedom. An excellent event with photos below. Well worth looking out for next year. It’s also worth considering joining The Freedom Association to keep up to date on these important issues and events.
‘Films like Bugsy Malone used to help make better people and a better society. Will this lost art return?’
The BBC used to generally live up to its mission to ‘inform, educate and entertain’. Alas no more, BBC Remain as it was often referred to during the battle to achieve Brexit, has a view and you either agree with them or you’re considered beyond the pale.
It’s not just the BBC, I happened upon Jurassic World Dominion, the latest in the Jurassic Park movie franchise, whilst on a flight recently. The movie was fine, but not very good and far from great. Partly this represents the tiredness of the franchise but partly it’s held back by the recent Hollywood need to have one dimensional bad guys (who are always involved in the corporate world), and the constant signposting of the hero’s characteristics. It’s good to have heroes that differ from the norm, just also make them interesting multi flavoured characters. Make them heroes, because of what they do, not who they are. The real crime of the movie in my opinion is the final scene, explaining how all life (across species and across time) will and must get along. Anyone who has had a pet cat and seen how they can play with and devourer their catch before you can stop them. Knows that it’s simply not the case that all life gets along.
“I watched it to see Velociraptors hunt down their prey. Above all else I watched it for some escapism, to fill a dull flight. I certainly didn’t watch it to be lectured too.”
I watched this movie to see people fighting a Tyrannosaurus rex, I watched it to see Velociraptors hunt down their prey. Above all else I watched it for some escapism, to fill a dull flight. I certainly didn’t watch it to be lectured too. Those in media used to know how to do this. They used to be able to provide an entertaining program whilst still fulfilling any moral obligation they felt. Exhibit A for this would be the 70s classic, Bugsy Malone.
Here is a movie that managed to tell a story, provide multi-dimensional characters (Fat Sam being both a gangster and a good man, and Bugsy himself) and tell a love story with nothing even remotely inappropriate happening. It gave us classic singalong songs, entertaining adults and children alike, and in the finale told us ‘We could be the best at being’ good guys’. All of this acted by children.
“The Omen, Logans Run, Rocky, All The Presidents Men, and The Eagle Has Landed (all released the same year as Bugsy, 1976), are great movies, that managed to entertain and tell great strong stories”
Now perhaps this is an unfair comparison. Bugsy, was an exceptionally good film. But, The Omen, Logans Run, Rocky, All The Presidents Men, and The Eagle Has Landed (all released the same year as Bugsy, 1976), are great movies, that managed to entertain and tell great strong stories. That same year Quincy, George and Mildred, The Muppet Show, Happy Days. The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, Mash, Columbo, Open All Hours, and I, Claudius were on the TV. Bugsy was not an isolated case.
“Top Gun: Maverick cleaned up at the box office by providing a simple narrative of good guys v bad guys, we didn’t all need, as it turns out, an extra lecture.”
In 2022 we saw, Lightyear, Moonfall, and Amsterdam fail. At the same time Top Gun: Maverick cleaned up at the box office by providing a simple narrative of good guys v bad guys, we didn’t all need, as it turns out, an extra lecture. Tallulah was not nearly as one dimensional as her line “Listen honey, if I didn’t look this good, you wouldn’t give me the time of day” suggests. She just wasn’t a movie character whose lines ignored reality and gave in to the Woke mindset to the point of losing all meaning.
Let’s hope we start to see movies and programs that once again value entertainment, even with a little education, over lecturing and hectoring. I’ve written before how The Daily Wire is trying to provide some of this, however we need more. The simple message to Hollywood was encapsulated by the Bugsy Malone gangs words “You could have been anything that you wanted to be”, do better “And it’s not too late to change, I’d be delighted {if you were to} to give it some thought”.
Reform UK the successor to The Brexit Party is standing candidates in May’s local elections. We spoke with Robert Stevens who is standing for them in the Hailsham South Ward of Wealden District Council.
Tell us a bit about yourself, your party, and where you’re standing.
“Hailsham… has a farmers market located near the town centre. It has some very beautiful scenery nearby and some wonderful walks”
Hailsham is a small Market Town located north of Eastbourne. It is vastly growing due to continuous development in the area and still has a farmers market located near the town centre. It has some very beautiful scenery nearby and some wonderful walks. The Cuckoo trail being one of them, which used to be a railway line leading from the north of Eastbourne all the way to Heathfield.
As for myself I am in a long-term relationship for near on ten years and have lived in Hailsham for six years. I am employed by Royal Mail as van technician for roughly five years, and before that had my own business in soda blasting.
“development has taken priority over everything else in my area without thinking how this will affect the local community”
The main reason I got into politics is to see change. As mentioned earlier development has taken priority over everything else in my area without thinking how this will affect the local community in the way of Doctors, Dentists, Parking, Shopping, Roads, Schools, Sewage, Water supply and also flooding which has happened at numerous new built estates.
All these are being dramatically affected now. Which is why need some thought and new plans to be put in place before things get even worse.
How can people find out more or get in touch if they want to get involved?
If anyone would like to get in contact me, they can reach me at robstevens69@sky.com.
With ongoing campaigns to uphold fundamental rights for citizen, and against parties and policies that seek to remove them. We bring news of a nearby campaign and a local event.
#Together Croydon
Join Together Croydon for Dinner & Debate on the subject of “Keeping Cash?”, on Thursday 23rd March in Beckenham.
Together Croydon’s first ‘dinner and debate,’ discussing the role of cash in Britain and how we see the need for cash in the future. If we agree that keeping cash widely used into the future is important, how would we best go about influencing and campaigning for this?
The debate will be moderated by a member of the group. You’re free to contribute or just listen and enjoy some good company with like-minded people. Your starter, main and dessert at our venue, an Italian bistro, are all included in the price for what promises to be a fun evening. There will be a cash bar.
Time : start 7.30pm – ~9.30pm Date : Thursday 23rd March 2023 Location : Goodfella Beckenham, 129 Croydon Road, Elmers End, Beckenham. BR3 3RA
Notliblabcon.org say Westminster scorns the taxpayer and, with Lib/Lab/Con/Green, nothing will change. They have a leaflet available at https://www.notliblabcon.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/NLLC-Leaflet-Web.pdf and are asking people to vote for an Independent, or other party than those at Westminster.
Can you help distribute these leaflets? Get involved and order some from https://www.notliblabcon.org/ to push back against the parties of Westminster.
Stop ULEZ expansion.
We had another good day of campaigning in Addiscombe against ULEZ expansion. Mike’s video from the day below. If you want to get involved join us in Purley on the 8th April.
We’ve seen huge support in opposing ULEZ expansion during our recent successful street stalls in Coulsdon and Sutton. We’re now planning two more street stalls in Addiscombe on the 4th March and Purley on the 8th April.
We will be distributing leaflets directing people to our Stop ULEZ Expansion page, which has links to Petitions, and more information.
If you’re free, please come and join us raising awareness of the important issue. Help stop ULEZ which will cost many thousands, will hurt small business and the poorest hardest.
Join us:
Saturday 4th March in Addiscombe 10:30am – 1pm Outside the Co-Op. 311 Lower Addiscombe Rd. Google Maps Facebook event
Saturday 8th April in Purley 10:30am – 1pm Outside 911 Brighton Rd, Purley CR8 2BP. Google Maps Facebook event
If you’re free, please come and join us raising awareness of the important issue. Help stop ULEZ which will cost many thousands, will hurt small business and the poorest hardest.
With the Croydon Council having recently declared bankruptcy for the third time and planning a 15 per cent hike in council tax. The TaxPayers’ Alliance have published a deep-dive by Mike Swadling of this parish looking at how the people of Croydon found themselves in this mess, and what might happen next.
“The consequences of years of failure to control borrowing and spending by the previous administration are now being borne by the local taxpayers”
“Were it not so impactful on those who can least afford it, you could almost admire the thoroughness with which the council undertook its hatchet job on the borough’s finances”
“the council was failing to deliver on basic services. The Children’s Services department was rated inadequate. £1.1 million was spent developing Surrey Street Market but resulted in fewer traders”
“To compound all of this, London Mayor Sadiq Khan is proposing to bring most of outer London into the ULEZ zone. This will charge motorists with older, higher emission vehicles £12.50 a day for driving them”
“Spending public funds on arts that are not viable commercially or via voluntary donations as the council has been doing for years, is no less of a waste of money when it comes from someone else’s funding stream”
We are joined by Robert Ward, a Conservative Party Councillor for the Selsdon and Addington Village ward in Croydon, as we discuss the fall of Nicola Sturgeon, the expansion of ULEZ to Outer London and the 15% Council Tax rise for Croydon residents.
“Among the many other questions raised by the nebulous concept of ‘‘greed’’ is why it is a term applied almost exclusively to those who want to earn more money or to keep what they have already earned — never to those wanting to take other people’s money in taxes”
Thomas Sowell
The Tax Reform Council seeks a system of taxation that encourages greater economic growth and places a lower burden on individuals and businesses. Among their activities they run the ‘Cut My Tax’ campaign. We speak to Max Young about the Council.
Max thank-you for your time.
Can you tell us what the Council does and your role in it?
The Council advocates for lower taxes. It wants to inform the public why lower taxes are better for all of us and it aims to send our politicians a strong message to that effect. I’m the Council’s administrator, so I liaise with our board, advisors, and analysts, as well as keeping the website and social media running and up to date.
“we want to engage people and, ultimately, let MPs know that tax hikes won’t fly with the public.”
You have the ‘Cut My Tax’ campaign. What are you aiming to achieve and how can people get involved?
Yes, Cut My Tax is the campaign arm of the Council. So far its strongest presence is on Twitter where we post analysis of tax news, threads, article summaries et cetera. It seems that, despite all of the fantastic work that think tanks, journalists, consultancies and others are producing on tax, there isn’t a real thrust of outreach to the public. The Council wants to make it a lot easier to learn about tax policy and get a sound take on contemporary tax issues. Most content on tax is, let’s face it, pretty boring – so we want to engage people and, ultimately, let MPs know that tax hikes won’t fly with the public.
To that effect on our website we run letter campaigns that anyone can sign on to, have a comprehensive resource bank of reports on tax (it was difficult to find many of these before), a quotes section, and a blog. As the operation grows there will, we hope, be more direct activity for campaigns.
How did you first get involved in the campaign to reform taxes?
Our advisory board members and our senior advisors have been fighting the fight for decades. For what it’s worth, I found Milton Friedman’s eighties TV series “Free to Choose” in my teenage years and have been working in anti-tax advocacy since.
“There seems to be a strange unshakeable belief among bureaucrats and the commentariat that people will happily absorb high taxes without changing their behaviour, which is obviously not true”
We’re great believers in the Laffer Curve, what are your thoughts on how lower tax rates can affect tax take?
There are many many examples of the Laffer Curve in action. We posted some of our favourites from around the world on our blog a little while ago. JFK is a great and relatively little-known example, he slashed income tax at all levels in 1963 (though the highest was 91% at the time) and revenues shot up. We see the same trend everywhere – Lord Lawson’s cuts in the eighties, Canada in the nineties, France in the mid-noughties. There seems to be a strange unshakeable belief among bureaucrats and the commentariat that people will happily absorb high taxes without changing their behaviour, which is obviously not true. The Curve is a useful means of explaining that.
Are there any taxes you’re more in favour of or against than others? What’s your preference for how the government raises income?
DC’s tax-cutter in chief Grover Norquist put it well: “What Mae West said about sex is true about taxes. All tax cuts are good tax cuts; even bad tax cuts are good tax cuts.” Aside from that, the supply side trumps all, of course, and we should organise tax policy accordingly. Say’s Law from 1803 still holds up: goods are ultimately paid for with other goods, so any tax arrangement must first and foremost prioritise production. This is why it is so sad to see Sunak and Hunt slowly heap earth on any prospect of growth for the coming years. There was an encouraging article in the FT by Stuart Kirk some weeks ago on why corporation tax in a sane world would be lowered to 0%. We’re some way off having a fruitful conversation on that but it’s where we should be. We don’t love any taxes, but if the government wants to raise income it should (1) Respect the Laffer Curve and (2) Raid the supply side at its peril.
“This was a once-growing and dynamic part of the economy that’s now being dragged kicking and screaming into arbitrary employment status by successive IR35 reforms”
If you could introduce a couple of immediate changes to the tax system, what would they be?
Cut the tax code down to size. As your readers likely know it is the longest such document in the world by quite some way – Proust’s “À La Recherche Du Temps Perdu” is 1.26 million words and the UK’s tax code is eight times longer than that. A shorter tax code can be achieved, unsurprisingly, by scrapping whole taxes. Any tax system has to KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) to encourage investment, confidence, ease of interaction, and avoidance of hair-pulling. Hong Kong’s and Georgia’s are worth emulating.
Other than that, it would be great to see some changes to HMRC’s treatment of the self-employed and especially freelance contractors. This was a once-growing and dynamic part of the economy that’s now being dragged kicking and screaming into arbitrary employment status by successive IR35 reforms and forced to use leech-like “umbrella companies” to manage their relationship with companies that use them.
Do you have any last thoughts you would like to share with our readers?
We are living in disheartening times to be sure – taxes at their highest since Attlee and likely to get higher, productivity and growth kicking the bucket et cetera, but this is no cause for despair. The facts are always on our side and we will succeed against stale ideas and soulless managers of decline.
