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Tales from the campaign trail: Adam Williams, SDP, Totteridge and Bowerdean.

We spoke with Adam before the recent local elections when he was a candidate for the SDP in the Totteridge and Bowerdean ward of High Wycombe, for Buckinghamshire Council.  We catch-up with him for his tales from the campaign trail.

“I am incredibly grateful to everyone who came up to High Wycombe to support me, especially since it’s an absolute hike to campaign in my ward”

You ran in the elections in May. Looking back what is your main memory of the campaign?

The feeling of achievement when I finished leafleting, my feet were killing me, I had one volunteer left and we’d just put through my last leaflet, and I was just so happy to have managed to reach my goal of covering the whole ward in SDP leaflets. I am incredibly grateful to everyone who came up to High Wycombe to support me, especially since it’s an absolute hike to campaign in my ward (It’s not called High Wycombe for no reason!)

The seat was won by Wycombe Independent’s and has received some press coverage.  Did you have much interaction with other candidates or parties during the campaign?

My ward was a battleground between the Liberal Democrats and the Wycombe Independents with the occasional Labour sign. The Conservatives and Reform were non-existent and didn’t even turn up to the count. I interacted with all three of the other parties who actually turned up and put some work in and I got on very well with all of them.

The thing about local elections is that they all wanted to improve our local area, they just differed on how that should be done, so I appreciated the camaraderie.

The Lib Dems in particular were very kind to me, and they actually stood up for me online! I got a lot of abuse and harassment from Reform voters on Facebook but the Lib Dems and some of the other Buckinghamshire Independents supported me in my comment section. The abuse from Reform supporters was a bit of an eye-opener for me. As a party we get a lot of comments about how we should work with them or alternatively, merge, however after what I experienced I am disinclined towards that now.

“I only received one comment on the doorstop about Gaza, and I responded with SDP policy, that the issues in the Middle East won’t be solved in Buckinghamshire”

Do you have any funny stories or interesting encounters from campaigning?

I received a vaguely threatening email from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign in High Wycombe about signing their petition to force Buckinghamshire Council to disinvest from Israeli companies. I ignored it because I don’t engage in sectarian politics that has nothing to do with our local area, however, because I did so, my name and picture appeared in red in a video that the PSC produced, so that was an interesting experience!

I only received one comment on the doorstop about Gaza, and I responded with SDP policy, that the issues in the Middle East won’t be solved in Buckinghamshire and that we take a pro-British foreign policy outlook. I also ended up quoting Treebeard from Lord of the Rings at the gent who asked me the question – “I am on nobody’s side, because nobody is on my side” and he actually went from being a bit aggressive about the issue to then nodding, saying fair enough and asking me about potholes and the police!

Leaflet
Leafleting

What would you say to anyone thinking of becoming a candidate?

If anyone is tired of the situation in our nation and wants to try and improve things, but is scared to take a stance, don’t be. There’s a buildup and an almost fearful atmosphere about being a candidate, and the day before my first leafletting activity I was actively terrified of what I would face. However, with the support from both my partner and my party I managed to get out and face it, and I found that actually it wasn’t too bad! It’s quite an enjoyable experience and makes you feel like you -can- make a difference.

“Now it’s all about long term growth and building up the party infrastructure in High Wycombe”

What are your hopes now for your involvement in politics, for Totteridge and Bowerdean, for High Wycombe, and for Buckinghamshire?

I received 34 votes in the election, not an amazing result by any margin but I was only 96 votes behind the Conservatives, so I’ll take that. Now it’s all about long term growth and building up the party infrastructure in High Wycombe. This town is crying out for competent leadership and investment in its future, and I believe that the SDP can provide that, we just need to grow our membership in the area.

I have also started up a full-time position within the party as it’s Campaigns Organiser, I will be working on the ground across the country to help improve our chances of winning elections and providing this country with a genuine alternative political choice. Reform have shown that they don’t have the ability to maintain a coherent policy or governmental position and I worry that as time goes on, all of the councils that flipped to them will struggle to function.

The SDP is on the rise, it’ll take time and a lot of hard work, but it will be worth it and we will break through. We have to, the country and our very future depends on it.

TPA’s NHS Rich List

“In our selected areas we see 54 staff paid more than the PM.  These are largely Chief Executives, but also include 12 Chief Medical Officers, 2 Finance Directors…”

NHS England might be in the process of being abolished by the Labour Government, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t many others in the NHS receiving large remunerations on the taxpayer.  The TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) recently published their NHS Rich List 2025, which “examines the remuneration of senior managers across NHS trusts in 2023-24 and compares it with their trust’s performance on A&E and referral to treatment (RTT) waiting times for January 2025.”

The full research and dataset breakdown the details across the country.  Below, we look at some notable numbers for more local NHS Trusts identified as being in London, Surrey, Kent and across Sussex.

“Director of Communications and Engagement, Chief of People and Culture, Executive Director of People and Culture, and Director of Communications and Improvement, all paid over £100,000 per annum”

Salary

Nationally there are 469 employees paid more than the April 2024, Prime Ministerial salary entitlement of £172,153.  In our selected areas we see 54 staff paid more than the PM.  These are largely Chief Executives, but also include 12 Chief Medical Officers, 2 Finance Directors, 6 people in roles that include ‘Deputy’ in the title, and 3 Chief Nurse’s.  These are all no doubt demanding high ranking roles, but in a near monopoly national health care system, do they need to be paid more than the Prime Minister?

The Chief People Officer of the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust was also paid more than the Prime Minister.  Is this a reasonable salary for an HR role?  This was one of 19 roles across London, Surrey, Kent and Sussex where the job roles of Chief People Officer, Chief Communications Officer, Director of People, and the godawful titles of Director of Communications and Engagement, Chief of People and Culture, Executive Director of People and Culture, and Director of Communications and Improvement, all paid over £100,000 per annum.

Salary over £220K in our area:

NHS TRUSTTitle Salary
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTChief executive £282,500
LONDON NORTH WEST UNIVERSITY HEALTHCARE NHS TRUSTChief executive officer £252,500
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTMedical director £237,500
EAST KENT HOSPITALS UNIVERSITY NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTChief executive £237,500
ROYAL FREE LONDON NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTGroup chief executive £237,500
ROYAL FREE LONDON NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTRoyal Free Hospital chief executive £237,500
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation TrustChief medical officer £237,500
UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS SUSSEX NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTChief medical officer £232,500
LONDON NORTH WEST UNIVERSITY HEALTHCARE NHS TRUSTMedical director £227,500
EAST SUSSEX HEALTHCARE NHS TRUSTChief medical officer £222,500
UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS SUSSEX NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTChief executive £222,500
EAST SUSSEX HEALTHCARE NHS TRUSTChief executive £222,500
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation TrustChief executive £222,500

“one can’t help but wonder if the people of North East London sleep better at night knowing that the local NHS Executive Director of People and Culture received over £400K in pension related benefits”

Total Remuneration

Salary, especially in these senior NHS Trust roles is only one part of the remuneration received.  Pension is also a significant part of the payments made.  Looking at our area, one can’t help but wonder if the people of North East London sleep better at night knowing that the local NHS Executive Director of People and Culture received over £400K in pension related benefits.  Are the people of Sussex benefiting from improvements to the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust service thanks to the Chief Governance Officer’s £251,250 pension related benefits?

More locally no doubt the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust was contractually obliged to pay over £530K in Pension benefits to their Acting Chief Medical Officer and Chief Operating Officer, but is this appropriate use of taxpayers money to provide “NHS mental health services” to “the community in Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham and Croydon”.

Remuneration (with Salary and Pension details) over £300K in our area:

NHS TRUSTTitleSalaryPension related benefitsOverall Total
North East London NHS Foundation TrustExecutive director of people and culture £142,500 £441,250 £582,500
LONDON NORTH WEST UNIVERSITY HEALTHCARE NHS TRUSTChief executive officer £252,500 £171,250 £422,500
UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS SUSSEX NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTChief governance officer £162,500 £251,250 £  412,500
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation TrustChief executive £212,500 £176,250 £387,500
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation TrustActing chief medical officer £147,500 £228,750 £377,500
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation TrustChief operating officer £62,500 £301,250 £362,500
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation TrustChief nursing officer £142,500 £208,750 £352,500
ROYAL SURREY COUNTY HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTFinance director £187,500 £153,750 £342,500
Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation TrustChief nursing officer £127,500 £203,750 £332,500

Bang for the buck

Where NHS Trusts are delivering excellent service for the patient, these payments, even at the taxpayers’ expense could well be justified.  The TPAs full research breaks this down at a national level and the results don’t look promising. 

We would encourage you to explore further at https://www.taxpayersalliance.com/nhs_rich_list_2025.

Main image from TPA data, and Grok.

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:

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 NameAmount
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.

YearYear spendPercentage of spend Redacted
2018£493,855.652.2%
2019£754,669.463.1%
2020£305,640.333.0%
2021£59,544.950.0%
2022£25,450.000.0%
2023£13,151.400.0%
2024£367,171.7816.5%
2025 (Jan-Mar)£104,910.3226.0%

“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.