We are joined by Mark Johnson, Conservative Councillor for Shirley North in Croydon and Brexiteer. We reminisce about the 2016 Referendum campaign and discuss his experiences as a Croydon councillor.
Blog
Local Elections – will they listen?
In the aftermath of the May 1st Local Elections, Mal McDermott writes about our interesting times.
“I do know a demand curve when I see one. The questions they are asking, and the change they are demanding have support”
You can’t hide behind FPTP during council elections. You can’t pretend Reform are just six loonies in a pub somewhere. You have to now sit down with them or watch them sit where you used to sit. Labour and the Tories only have themselves to blame for this and now this is where it has gotten to.
I don’t support Reform, and I don’t like Farage. but I do know a demand curve when I see one. The questions they are asking, and the change they are demanding have support. Much more than the big two parties wanted to admit.
People are fed up being told from on high that the government knows what’s best when they’re getting poorer, when they read about child abuse in the news, when they see collusion and cover up followed by collusion and cover up. That goes for anything, social care, finances, safety, defence, the list is endless.
The Tories had 12 years; they messed up entirely. Labour are closing in on a year now and it’s been a catastrophe. The state has failed everyone to the extent where a huge chunk of the population doesn’t want to work.
Why would they? So they can get a go nowhere job to pay extortionate rent to someone who is richer than God. “Its a big club and you ain’t in it” as Carlin put it. And this is what happens.
“The Tories had 12 years; they messed up entirely. Labour are closing in on a year now and it’s been a catastrophe. The state has failed everyone”
Farage and Reform need to deliver now as well. They can’t just be upset, and they’ll need to make choices. Every choice comes with its opportunity cost, and they will carefully need to select who to alienate. What will that look like? We’re going to find out. The double meaning of “may you live in interesting times” comes to mind.
It’s about to get pretty interesting. If you were on the fence about moving because of Reform, now would be the time to go. If you were thinking about a political career in the next big thing, now would be the time to sign up (to LPUK of course!). The future is now as they say.
“What will that look like? We’re going to find out. The double meaning of “may you live in interesting times” comes to mind”
Coulsdon and Purley – Surrey or London?
Among the many hotly debated subjects in our area, one that is frequently returned to is the question of if towns like Coulsdon and Purley are part of London or Surrey.
When debating anything the proposition or debate subject is always talked over. What does it mean to be ‘part of’? How do you define Surrey or London? Indeed, how do you define the towns of Coulsdon and Purley?
“Postal addresses with Coulsdon in the name appear now in the London Borough’s of Croydon, Sutton and some in the Surrey borough of Reigate and Banstead”
Coulsdon for instance used to refer to the area now known as Old Coulsdon and also separately the Parish of Coulsdon, which includes much of Purley. Coulsdon town centre today was once referred to as Smitham. Are they the same area or different areas today? If they are different where’s the boundary? Postal addresses with Coulsdon in the name appear now in the London Borough’s of Croydon, Sutton and some in the Surrey borough of Reigate and Banstead.
London refers officially to both the City of London, and Greater London. Although it is often used as shorthand to cover variously the Cities of London and Westminster, and anything in about Zones 1 and 2 of the London Underground.
Surrey as a name originated as the southern portion of the Middle Saxon territory. Coulsdon and Purley were part of the Hundred (county division) of Surrey called Wallington. These for local government purposes were largely self-administrating, the limited county wide governance was focused mainly on keeping the peace.
“With the population of the Croydon Rural District doubling from 1901 to 1911, the Coulsdon and Purley Urban District was formed. The new local authority set itself up in new offices on Brighton Road”
Local government resembling what we know today first came to London and Surrey with the Local Government Act 1888. This formed both the London and Surrey County Council’s. The act also formed the County Borough of Croydon which whilst technically in Surrey, was not under the jurisdiction of either Surrey or London councils. The County Borough of Croydon included parts of Purley. The rest of Purley, all Coulsdon and areas such as Addington, Beddington, Mitcham and Wallington all formed part of the Croydon Rural District within Surrey. To add to the confusion, the district headquartered in Croydon Town Hall.
With the population of the Croydon Rural District doubling from 1901 to 1911, the Coulsdon and Purley Urban District was formed. The new local authority set itself up in new offices on Brighton Road at the junction of Old Lodge Lane. By this stage it is difficult to say Coulsdon and Purley are meaningfully part of Surrey.
“As a result of the act in 1965 the new London Borough of Croydon was formed merging the old County Borough of Croydon with the Coulsdon and Purley Urban District to form a new entity”
The debate on being part of London or Surrey really became settled as part of the London Government Act 1963. The act set up the Greater London Council (GLC), and the 32 new London borough councils. As a result of the act in 1965 the new London Borough of Croydon was formed merging the old County Borough of Croydon with the Coulsdon and Purley Urban District to form a new entity which was entirely part of London.
Perhaps more controversial than if Coulsdon and Purley are part of London or Surrey, is the question of the merger with Croydon. There is many a resident of the old urban district that will speak of their town playing second fiddle to the districts in the centre and north of the borough. Machinations at Croydon Council in recent years with the council declaring de facto bankruptcy, has only sharpened the desire among many to separate to the pre 65 boundaries. Be they 1 or 2 boroughs, they are both undeniably part of London. Residents have voted for members of the GLC, the GLA, and Mayor of London. Much as most of West London was once part of Middlesex, East London Essex, Bromley was once part of Kent, and Kingson once part of Surrey they are all now part of London.
“Our towns were no doubt once part of a Middle Saxon kingdom, and were likely once ruled by Frithuwold of Chertsey the King of Surrey in the late 7th Century”
This leaves the thorny issue of postal addresses. Many of us will sign off with a postal address of ‘Coulsdon, Surrey’ or ‘Purley, Surrey’, and of course we have Croydon rather than London Post Codes. The simple explanation here is the postcode system is independent of political boundaries and are based on the areas ‘Post Town’. An example of this is the Redhill (RH) postcode area, this as you might expect includes Redhill, but also Gatwick (RH6), Oxted (RH8), and Haywards Heath (RH16 and 17), none of which are part of the town Redhill. The district covers parts of Surrey, and East and West Sussex.
Our towns were no doubt once part of a Middle Saxon kingdom, and were likely once ruled by Frithuwold of Chertsey the King of Surrey in the late 7th Century AD. Like so much this has passed to history, with the expansion of London, Coulsdon and Purley became subsumed in the great metropolis. Whilst our area may no longer have its own King, let’s hope it long retains its own character.
This article was originally published in CR5 magazine for the Coulsdon and Purley debating society in September 2024 https://cr5.co.uk/cr5-magazine/#cr5-issue-232-september-2024-online/72/.
Notes on images:
- Wallington Hundred By H E Malden – https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/surrey/vol4, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=122999403
- https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:0z7095520
Arlene Dearlove, Reform UK candidate for the 22nd May, Carshalton South and Clockhouse ward by-election
Arlene Dearlove is the Reform UK candidate for the 22nd May, Carshalton South and Clockhouse ward by-election in the London Borough of Sutton. We spoke with Arlene about her decision to stand.
“I have been involved in the local community as a provider of not-for-profit social care and support to our most vulnerable members of society for over 27 years”
Can you introduce yourself to our readers, and tell us what made you decide to run?
I have been involved in the local community as a provider of not-for-profit social care and support to our most vulnerable members of society for over 27 years. In this role I assist children and young people with profound physical and sensory difficulties to access local services and activities. Also, for over 17 years I have been running day services, offering respite to families with activities including horticulture, cooking, baking, pottery and skills for living.
I am a Christian and my faith is my foundation as I seek to serve the local community to the best of my ability. It is a real privilege to be the local Reform candidate for the upcoming council election.
“We feel the council didn’t fully back us when we raised concerns over ULEZ, and we don’t feel the council is backing residents over concerns on crime and anti-social behaviour”
You’re the candidate for Carshalton South and Clockhouse ward. What are the main concerns in the area?
Carshalton South and Clockhouse ward is such an interesting and varied ward covering the Clockhouse area in Coulsdon, the countryside Little Woodcote and Carshalton Beeches.
I live in the ward, and I know many people feel ignored by Sutton Council, which is increasingly complacent after many years of LibDem councils. We feel the council didn’t fully back us when we raised concerns over ULEZ, and we don’t feel the council is backing residents over concerns on crime and anti-social behaviour.
I will speak up for residents’ day to day concerns and be your voice for Reform on the Council.
“Businesses are both crucial to our local economy and the employment of our local work force. It is essential that they get the support and help they need to thrive and bolster our community”
What do you see as the major issues more widely in Sutton and if elected what do you hope to champion?
There are 3 main areas I will focus on.
Community Support Networks
I want to establish communication links with residents to tackle issues that affect us all, from housing to potholes.
Protection and support for our local businesses and public houses
Businesses are both crucial to our local economy and the employment of our local work force. It is essential that they get the support and help they need to thrive and bolster our community. The effect of ULEZ expansion and ongoing uncoordinated roadworks, is having a dire effect on footfall.
Tackling crime with the Safer Neighbourhood teams
As a priority, I will work closely with residents and the police to ensure our safety as the incidents of all kinds of criminal activities and anti-social behaviour are increasing.
How can people find out more or get involved in the campaign?
You can find out more about Reform UK at https://www.reformparty.uk/, follow us locally on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ReformUKCroydonSutton and get in touch by emailing us at chair.croydonsutton@reformuk.com.
What are Croydon Council hiding?
“You might also use it to question why Sutton Council has 5 members of staff earning more than the Prime Minister, also why 4 staff members details are undisclosed”
Early April saw the publication of the TaxPayers’ Alliance Town Hall Rich List. This is the annual list detailing the pay of local authority employees receiving total remuneration over £100,000. This list allows you to question why Surrey County Council have an undisclosed member of staff on £222,500, and what necessary function the ‘Executive director – customer, digital and transformation’, performs for £110,137. You might also use it to question why Sutton Council has 5 members of staff earning more than the Prime Minister, also why 4 staff members details are undisclosed, 2 of whom earn more than their Chief Executive. These may indeed be important roles, performed by conscientious staff, but with average council tax rises this year of 5%, it’s reasonable to question where the money goes.
Having written about previous entries from Croydon Council on the Town Hall Rich List, we were keen to see how things had changed after 3 years under the Executive Mayor.
“Now one might think this was an oversight, but this is the third year running Croydon Council has failed to publish details of the remuneration of their top earning staff”
Unfortunately, Croydon Council alongside 14 others, failed to produce details of staff earning over £100,000. Now one might think this was an oversight, but this is the third year running Croydon Council has failed to publish details of the remuneration of their top earning staff. It is reasonable to wonder if a de facto bankrupt council, which has issued three Section 114 notices, and which pushed up council tax by 15% in 2023 might feel it should be open to extra rather than less scrutiny on its spending. Instead, Croydon has this year decided to be part of the 3.9% of the 382 local authorities, and the only one in London, who fail to publish the data.
“Croydon was the 2023 London Borough of Culture. Yet in March 2025 residents still see funds flowing from the council for this dubious honour”
Worse still is this is becoming something of a trend. Croydon was the 2023 London Borough of Culture. Yet in March 2025 residents still see funds flowing from the council for this dubious honour. In amounts over £500, £331K was paid out by the council in 2022 from the ‘Borough of Culture’ cost centre, £1.69million was paid out in 2023, £832K in 2024, and up to the end of March £3K has been paid out in 2025, for a program that happened in 2023. You might wonder where the money went, the table below details the top 10 recipients.
| Vendor Name | Amount |
| Redacted | £505,234.10 |
| Stanley Arts | £271,995.00 |
| Talawa Theatre Company | £201,000.00 |
| London Mozart Players | £145,762.50 |
| Turf Projects_ | £145,000.00 |
| White Label Publishing Ltd | £137,518.60 |
| Think Events (London) Ltd | £121,551.67 |
| BH Live Ltd | £107,500.00 |
| The Brit School | £75,000.00 |
| Savvy Theatre | £73,500.00 |
‘Redacted’, i.e. we aren’t told who received the funding tops the list. This redaction is a worryingly growing trend in Croydon’s spending. Just 0.4% of payments for the ‘Borough of Culture’ payments over £500 in 2022 were redacted, this rose to 19.1% in 2023, 21.5% in 2024, and so far in 2025 stands at 39.7% of payments. What are Croydon Council hiding? As a reminder all of these payments came after the council had first issued a Section 114 notice and declared de facto bankruptcy, most came after they had driven up council tax by 15% in one year.
Similar results can be seen with spending from the ‘Culture Growth Fund’ cost centre. Detailed below we can see the sharpe increase in spending from the fund after the fall following the first Section 114 notice. Alongside this, we see how Croydon Council now see fit to redact details for over 25% of over £500 payments made so far in 2025.
| Year | Year spend | Percentage of spend Redacted |
| 2018 | £493,855.65 | 2.2% |
| 2019 | £754,669.46 | 3.1% |
| 2020 | £305,640.33 | 3.0% |
| 2021 | £59,544.95 | 0.0% |
| 2022 | £25,450.00 | 0.0% |
| 2023 | £13,151.40 | 0.0% |
| 2024 | £367,171.78 | 16.5% |
| 2025 (Jan-Mar) | £104,910.32 | 26.0% |
“Croydon Council…. paid out just under £1.2million on Borough of Culture and Cultural Growth (whatever that means) in 2024, but won’t tell you who £239K (20%) was paid to”
Croydon Council despite a £1.4billion general fund debt, and a request for a total of £136million exceptional financial support from the Government for 2025/26, paid out just under £1.2million on Borough of Culture and Cultural Growth (whatever that means) in 2024, but won’t tell you who £239K (20%) was paid to.
It would be great for Croydon Council to stop needing to redact where it pays these funds, by simply stop wasting taxpayer money on unnecessary services. But if they insist on spending these funds, along with details of top end staff remuneration, it’s time for Croydon Council to stop hiding the data and come clean.
“It is reasonable to wonder if a de facto bankrupt council, which has issued three Section 114 notices, and which pushed up council tax by 15% in 2023 might feel it should be open to extra rather than less scrutiny”
Interview with the Libertarian Party of India
A pro-market, pro-merit, pro-freedom and pro-Indic civilization party, the Libertarian Party of India is promoting a vision of freedom to the world’s largest democracy. We spoke with one of their representatives.
“We are acutely aware of all the untapped potential lying wasted in the country with its demographics, geographic location and natural resources”
Can you introduce yourself to our readers, and tell us a bit about your party?
I am Tushar. I along with my mates were frustrated by the level of discourse going in India. We are acutely aware of all the untapped potential lying wasted in the country with its demographics, geographic location and natural resources. Libertarian ideas found resonance and offered a solution to our situation. Hence, we being of the entrepreneurial mindset decided to start the party. It started a year ago March 28th it started with just a website, few friends and an X handle. Within a year we are at 3 million impression of X and 3 million on Instagram. Each day new people who share our story follow us, contact us. They are from diverse fields and know things can be better with a libertarian system put in place replacing current socialist system.
“Ours is a federal system in constitution but unitary in practice. Hence our towns and municipalities do not have the sufficient resources or say in day to day functioning of civic life”
What do you see as the major challenges facing India and what policies is the party championing?
The biggest challenge we are facing right now is the over centralisation of power. Ours is a federal system in constitution but unitary in practice. Hence our towns and municipalities do not have the sufficient resources or say in day to day functioning of civic life. All these accusations flung at India being misgoverned is an bug of unitary system (similar to Ireland) than something intrinsic to the country. We have always been a strong country but a weak state. This over centralisation of power is an historical aberration and needs to be corrected.
“Free speech is essential for a free civilized society, power imbalances are managed by constant questioning and expressing diverse viewpoints”
If you could introduce policies to change just 3 things in India, what would they be?
Our top 3 Policies are:
Decentralisation – greater authority and budget allocation to municipalities to solve problems and experiment with solutions with people’s feedback.
Deregulation – reducing the scope of bureaucratic corruption and government (politician) intervention in the economy to let free markets operate and offer solutions to people’s problems. This will also lead to reducing tax burden which will eventually be replaced with voluntary contributions and fundraising.
Free Speech and Right to Self Defence. Free speech is essential for a free civilized society, power imbalances are managed by constant questioning and expressing diverse viewpoints. The related aspect of free speech is right to self-defence via arms because it’s human to take offense to different opinions but there needs to be some deterrence to ensure that the discourse continues to remain civil additionally voter lottery elects tyrants time to time it’s important to ensure that people can push back.
How can people find out more about what the party is up to?
We have website at http://libertarianparty.in, we can also be found on X at @libertypartyind and on Instagram at @libertypartyind. We have done a podcast series to get into more details about our ideas available at https://x.com/libertypartyind/status/1891576101484322879?t=YlyUt2L2Nnzjt071ibdo8g&s=19.
The party have also set out a vision of India’s future in an article at https://libertarianparty.in/vision-of-india-2040-a-libertarian-utopia.
The Snug Little Island
As we approach St George’s Day a splendid piece of patriotic verse suggested by Zack Stiling to enjoy by English dramatist and songwriter Thomas Dibdin, called The Snug Little Island.
Daddy Neptune, one day, to Freedom did say,
“If ever I lived upon dry land,
The spot I should hit on would be little Britain!”
Says Freedom, “Why that’s my own little Island!”
O, it’s a snug little Island!
A right little, tight little Island!
Search the globe round, none can be found!
So happy as this little Island.
Julius Caesar the Roman, who yielded to no man,
Came by water—he couldn’t come by land;
And Dane, Pict and Saxon, their homes turned their backs on
And all for the sake of our Island.
O, what a snug little Island!
They’d all have a touch at the Island!
Some were shot dead, some of them fled,
And some stayed to live on the Island.
Then a very great war-man, called Billy the Norman,
Cried, “Damn it, I never liked my land.
It would be much more handy to leave this Normandy,
And live on your beautiful Island.”
Says he, “‘Tis a snug little Island;
Shan’t we go visit the Island?”
Hop, skip and jump, there he was plump,
And he kick’d up a dust in the Island.
But party deceit helped the Normans to beat;
Of traitors they managed to buy land;
By Dane, Saxon or Pict, Britons ne’er had been lick’d,
Had they stuck to the King of their Island.
Poor Harold the King of the Island!
He lost both his life and the Island.
That’s all very true: what more could he do?
Like a Briton he died for his Island.
The Spanish Armada set out to invade-a,
‘Twill sure if they ever come nigh land.
They couldn’t do less than tuck up Queen Bess,
And take their full swing on the Island.
O, the poor Queen of the Island!
The Dons came to plunder the Island.
But snug in her hive, the Queen was alive,
And “buzz” was the word in the Island.
Those proud puff’d-up cakes thought to make ducks and drakes
Of our wealth; but they hardly could spy land
When our Drake had the luck to make their pride duck
And stoop to the lads of the Island!
Huzza for the lads of the Island!
The good wooden walls of the Island;
Devil or Don, let them come on,
But see how they’d come at the Island.
Since Freedom and Neptune have hitherto kept tune,
In each saying, “This shall be my land”;
Should the “Army of England,” or all it could bring, land,
We’d show ’em some play for the Island.
We’d fight for our right to the Island.
We’d give them enough of the Island;
Invaders should just—bite at the dust,
But not a bit more of the Island.
A bonus verse called Reasons for Drinking by Henry Aldrich. If you enjoy, or just want to know more, come along and join us for our Third Wednesday drinks.
If all be true that I do think,
There are five reasons why we should drink;
Good wine—a friend—or being dry—
Or lest we should be by and by—
Or any other reason why.
St George’s day Wednesday 23 April
Cry ‘God for Harry, England, and Saint George!’ – Let’s celebrate St George’s Day on Wednesday 23rd April.
Please share our leaflets online for our Patron Saint’s day.
Mary Lawes, Reform UK Candidate for Folkestone East
Mary Lawes is the Reform UK candidate for Folkestone East in the upcoming Kent County Council elections. We spoke with Mary about her decision to stand.
“they chose to target the most vulnerable in society to balance their books, stripping pensioners of their Winter Fuel Allowance just as winter began”
Kent County Council
I am Mary Lawes, and I am standing as a candidate for Reform UK because I am deeply concerned about the direction in which Labour is taking our country. Labour is misleading the British public, convincing them that only they can serve their best interests, while in reality, their policies are causing serious harm.
Labour’s Broken Promises
Labour’s General Election manifesto promised to fix the NHS. Instead of delivering real reform, they handed the unions a pay deal to halt strikes and increased public sector wages—yet the NHS remains in crisis.
They also repeatedly claimed that there was a £22 billion “black hole” in public finances. Were there? Regardless, they chose to target the most vulnerable in society to balance their books, stripping pensioners of their Winter Fuel Allowance just as winter began. They are also forcing farmers to give up their land and cutting support for the sick and disabled.
“we should be utilising our own energy resources while gradually transitioning to advanced nuclear technology, which is cleaner, more reliable, and does not depend on the weather”
The Cost of Net Zero
One of the most damaging policies Labour is pursuing is Net Zero. They have shut down domestic energy production, forcing the UK to import expensive foreign fuel—raising costs for consumers. Meanwhile, they are covering our countryside with solar farms and wind turbines while adding green levies to household energy bills.
The UK contributes just 1% of the world’s CO₂ emissions, yet billions are being spent on ineffective green policies. Solar panels, imported from China, are produced using materials mined by child labour under dangerous conditions. Instead of this, we should be utilising our own energy resources while gradually transitioning to advanced nuclear technology, which is cleaner, more reliable, and does not depend on the weather.
Neglect of Folkestone East
I am standing in Folkestone East, a deprived area that has been neglected for over 20 years.
- There are no proper community spaces.
- The Folkestone Harbour area, home to over 5,000 children, has just one small play area.
- There are no sports facilities, football pitches, or youth clubs.
- There are no organisations like Guides, Brownies, or Scouts.
Meanwhile, our roads are in disrepair. While new housing estates receive investment in infrastructure, our area suffers from dangerous roads, few pedestrian crossings, and an inadequate public transport system.
Protecting Food Security and Small Businesses
Our country’s food security is at risk. Without farms and farmers, we will be forced to import food, leaving us vulnerable to external control. Labour’s policies are deliberately worsening this situation as part of their globalist agenda.
Meanwhile, small businesses are struggling. Labour’s increase in National Insurance is making it more expensive to hire staff, while their so-called minimum wage increase does little to offset soaring costs in:
- Energy bills
- Water rates
- Rent & mortgages
- Council tax (which has seen record-high increases in our district over the last five years)
People are struggling, and in deprived areas, life is becoming unbearable for the most vulnerable in our society.
“With approximately 15,000 trucks entering the UK daily, this policy could generate significant funds to maintain and improve our roads”
A Fair Solution for Road Maintenance
Reform UK Folkestone, Hythe and Romney Marsh has a practical policy to fund road repairs in Kent. British truckers must pay substantial fees to drive through Europe—so why shouldn’t foreign truckers contribute to our infrastructure?
We propose a £35 daily charge for trucks coming from the continent, using the existing infrastructure at Dover and the Channel Tunnel.
With approximately 15,000 trucks entering the UK daily, this policy could generate significant funds to maintain and improve our roads. We would want this ring fenced for Kent roads.
I am also committed to:
- Improving road safety (with more crossings in high-risk areas)
- Addressing the poor local bus service—especially the vital 74 bus route
“second rail service could bring much-needed competition to Eurostar, potentially reopening Ebbsfleet and Ashford International stations, which have been closed since Covid”
Reviving Local Transport and Businesses
The approval of Richard Branson’s second rail service could bring much-needed competition to Eurostar, potentially reopening Ebbsfleet and Ashford International stations, which have been closed since Covid.
Currently, Kent residents must travel to London just to board a train that passes through these closed stations. Increased competition would mean:
- Better services
- Lower fares
We must also do more to support local businesses. Reform UK will push to:
- Reverse the National Insurance hike
- Lower energy bills to help struggling businesses
Our high streets are dying, and people are losing jobs. We must take action now.
Get in Touch
I am committed to fighting for the people of Folkestone East and ensuring that our voices are heard.
Website: folkestoneandhythe@reformuk.com
Facebook: Mary Lawes Reform
X (Twitter): @Mary_Lawes
Vote for change. Vote for Reform UK. Vote for Mary Lawes Folkestone East.
David Sabine, Libertarian Party of Canada candidate for Airdrie—Cochrane
With a general election in Canada being held on April 28. David Sabine is the Libertarian Party candidate for the riding of Airdrie—Cochrane. We spoke with David about his decision to stand.
“I am putting my name on the ballot to amplify voices who believe our federal government is too big, too costly, and too corrupt”
Can you introduce yourself to our readers, and tell us what made you decide to run?
I’m David Sabine, running for the Libertarian Party in Canada in the riding of Airdrie-Cochrane, a region near Calgary, Alberta. This western province is known for its rugged landscapes and its energy, agriculture, and forestry sectors. I’ve worked as a management consultant across Canada and beyond, earning degrees from the University of Regina and Arizona State University. I am putting my name on the ballot to amplify voices who believe our federal government is too big, too costly, and too corrupt.
“Albertans, known for their industrious and family-oriented spirit, value their freedom to run businesses and live independently. They’re troubled by Canada’s shift toward authoritarianism”
You’re the candidate for Airdrie—Cochrane. What are the main concerns in the area?
Airdrie-Cochrane faces intense strain from mass immigration driven by Justin Trudeau’s lax border policies — labelled “out of control” even by his own ministers. Albertans, known for their industrious and family-oriented spirit, value their freedom to run businesses and live independently. They’re troubled by Canada’s shift toward authoritarianism, with steep taxes, market interference, and declining rights like free speech and property ownership.
Federal mismanagement, mounting debt, and trade restrictions strike this region hard, where energy and enterprise fuel the economy. Alberta is a resource-rich province and clashes with Ottawa, the federal capital, sending massive “equalization” payments to other regions while facing Ottawa’s aggressive climate policies that throttle local industry.
Separatist tensions, simmering for over a century, are boiling over, with growing daily demands for Alberta’s Premier to hold a referendum on breaking away from Canada.
“cut the power of the administrative state, reduce bureaucratic bloat, end government debt, and enable citizens to shape their own prosperous future”
What do you see as the major issues more widely in Canada and if elected what do you hope to champion?
Libertarian-leaning voters in Airdrie-Cochrane are alarmed by Canada’s authoritarian drift characterized by excessive taxation, market intervention, the erosion of property and civil rights, and an ever-expanding censorship regime. Canadian author, Margaret Atwood, criticized Justin Trudeau and his Liberal party’s “creeping totalitarianism” — the root cause of Canada’s economic fragility and societal division.
Canada’s federal government is too big, too expensive, and meddles too much in provincial jurisdiction. Past Liberal and Conservative regimes have overreached as morality police, selectively enforcing laws to push specific ideologies. A Libertarian in Parliament would influence policy to cut the power of the administrative state, reduce bureaucratic bloat, end government debt, and enable citizens to shape their own prosperous futures.
Canada’s self-inflicted barriers, like interprovincial trade restrictions, pipeline bans, and supply management, inflate costs for essentials and trap consumers. Libertarians propose dismantling these barriers in pursuit of principled free trade with all countries. The Libertarian approach rejects central economic planning favouring individual liberty and economic freedom.
Canada’s economic hardship stems from Liberal mismanagement and their socialist base — trillion+ in debt, overregulation, and policies that stifling growth. The growing calls for separation in Alberta and Quebec underscore this fracture. Given our natural resources and adjacency to the largest economies on Earth, Canadians should be prosperous, resilient, creative, thriving!
How can people find out more or get involved in the campaign?
Visit https://www.libertarian.ca/david_sabine to learn more about me and our Libertarian platform.
