Alex Zychowski leader of the Libertarian Party UK writes a New Years message for Libertarians.
“This general malaise is symptomatic of the decline of the UK – years old, and now accelerated under Starmer.”
Returning to the UK from a winter-sun holiday on New Year’s Eve was a nasty shock to the system. The transition from 22°C and sunshine to a below-freezing Gatwick Airport was bad enough; having to wait 40 minutes on the tarmac because the electric stairs for disembarkation had failed “due to the cold weather” simply added to it. We were left with an extended opportunity to mull our impending return to work and taxation – to finance Labour’s bloated welfare state and the lives of the workshy and economically illiterate.
While browsing the web in the queue for passport control two news stories stood out. First, that 2025 was a record year for Channel crossings: 41,000+ people welcomed into the UK illegally and ferried to NHS appointments by taxi at taxpayers’ expense. Second, that Labour want to extend Digital ID to children at birth. Reading this news as a law-abiding taxpayer while waiting for an Orwellian facial-recognition scan as a condition of entry to the very country whose (selectively deployed) surveillance infrastructure we are forced to fund, it was little wonder smiles were hard to come by on the faces of fellow festive-season travellers. This general malaise is symptomatic of the decline of the UK – years old, and now accelerated under Starmer.
“astronomical energy costs that are now amongst the highest in the world – courtesy of net-zero zealotry – while punters in Beijing and Baltimore sit toasty and warm.”
New Year’s Day was lunch with the extended family in a country pub. The venue was cold, the twelve of us huddled together, eating with our coats on. Uncle Mark’s sausages arrived undercooked and were promptly sent back to the kitchen; part of me felt sorry about the additional energy cost now incurred for the proper preparation of a portion of bangers and mash. A quick browse of Wetherspoon News reminds one that the hospitality sector effectively subsidises energy-intensive industries through the Energy and Trade Intensive Industries scheme, as government would rather prop up unprofitable industries at others’ expense than tackle the inflation-driving, astronomical energy costs that are now amongst the highest in the world – courtesy of net-zero zealotry – while punters in Beijing and Baltimore sit toasty and warm.
May 2026 was supposed to be an opportunity for the electorate to deal another blow to Starmer with the local elections. A whole raft of these are now slated to be cancelled, despite the protestations of the usually compliant Electoral Commission. Barely a peep on this assault on our democracy from the Bolshevik Broadcasting Corporation, which since Covid has become nothing more than a taxpayer-funded mouthpiece for state-approved narratives.
The year ahead may look bleak, then – but the LPUK are here and as active as ever, driving forward with our message of change and hope.
Join as a member for just £27.50 a year, and enjoy the privilege of proposing and voting on policy from the comfort of your own home as we update our manifesto in online sessions.
“A whole raft of these are now slated to be cancelled, despite the protestations of the usually compliant Electoral Commission. Barely a peep on this assault on our democracy from the Bolshevik Broadcasting Corporation”
Stand for us where local elections are still taking place; star on our new podcast Give Freedom a Chance; or help produce content for our social-media channels.
Join us in Manchester on 7th February and in London on 25th April as we protest the cancellation of elections and the imposition of a Digital ID.
Authoritarianism flourishes only where the people quietly tolerate the erosion of their freedoms. We must be the change we wish to see in the world.
Alex Zychowski
“Stand for us where local elections are still taking place”
Ben Allsop the Wessex Coordinator of the Libertarian Party UK writes some of his New Years Resolutions.
“the government will find any excuse to tax and spend, regardless of the efficacy of such policies. I intend to close those gaps as much as I can by giving to worthy causes, donating blood and hopefully finding the time to volunteer”
A year ago, I set out five new year’s resolutions for the British public in 2025:
Stop Tolerating Dishonesty
Treat Taxation as Theft
Practice Individual Responsibility
Live and Let Live
Vote Libertarian
How do you think we did? How did you do? Is there anything you would like to see added to this list for the new year?
I have two of my own personal resolutions which I hope I can share.
Firstly, I would like to do more for charitable causes. As I said in my previous post, the government will find any excuse to tax and spend, regardless of the efficacy of such policies. I intend to close those gaps as much as I can by giving to worthy causes, donating blood and hopefully finding the time to volunteer once again.
Secondly, I will try to be more positive in my political activism. It is easy to adopt a cynical, sneering attitude when it comes to political commentary. There is much to be cynical about and to sneer at after all. But I am ultimately a libertarian because I have faith in the goodness of (most) human beings. A few comments over the past year have quite rightly pointed out that where criticism is given, so should solutions. So, I will endeavour to show that safety and prosperity arise because of freedom, not in spite of it. That’s not to say that I will be kind to aspiring tyrants. But I hope I can do more to convince others that there is another, brighter path forwards.
“as Joseph de Maistre said, “Every country has the government it deserves”. It is on the British public to be better then perhaps. Change is always bottom up, not top down”
Happy new year fellow libertarians! As we now find ourselves in the ‘Monday’ of months, it’s important to keep our spirits up. Granted, it’s difficult to do given the current political and economic climate. Starmer’s new year’s message was particularly nauseating. When I heard, “until you can look forward and believe in the promise and the prosperity of Britain again, then this government will fight for you,” I couldn’t help but think of “the beatings will continue until morale improves”. Needless to say, the Labour government has proven to be an utter failure in just six months. But, as Joseph de Maistre said, “Every country has the government it deserves”. It is on the British public to be better then perhaps. Change is always bottom up, not top down. So let us take this opportunity to set out five political new year’s resolutions for Britain and her electorate.
Stop Tolerating Dishonesty
We’ve had our fair share of dishonest prime ministers. The covid era and Johnson’s infamous cake ambush come sharply to mind. But few Prime Ministers have been so blatantly dishonest as Keir Starmer. He lied to his own party, promising to abolish tuition fees and then almost immediately reversed his stance upon taking over as party leader. He promised not to raise taxes on working people, only to do exactly that at the first opportunity once in power. Even the IFS have called Reeves’ claim that a £22bn black hole was covered up by the previous government a lie. Lying seems particularly chronic in the current regime. And why wouldn’t it be? It wins elections and currently has virtually no costs. In a just world, being caught lying to the public would be an instantly career ending event for any politician. If we ever want the status quo to change, it has to start from the bottom up. Any politician that has lied should be instantly unelectable. Any party that tolerates liars should face electoral oblivion. That is the only way we will see any semblance of honesty in politics.
“The analogy that comes to my mind is of fire. A little is vital to sustain society, but any more than strictly necessary is always disastrous”
Treat Taxation as Theft
The difference between sex and rape is consent. The difference between work and slavery is consent. The difference between tax and theft is… well you see the problem. There’s a good chance that I’m preaching to the choir here, but it really does seem incredible how tolerant the general population is to tax increases from a political system that takes far more than it gives. Tax is theft and theft is evil, but it is sometimes the lesser of two evils. Libertarians understand this. But far from making us tolerant of taxation, this belief forces us to resist unnecessary levels of tax we see today. The analogy that comes to my mind is of fire. A little is vital to sustain society, but any more than strictly necessary is always disastrous. I believe that most people actually agree when it comes to their own money. The issue arises when politicians impose tax hikes on specific groups knowing that the rest of the population will do little to resist. Of course, they will get around to you sooner or later in Niemölleran fashion. Everyone should be protesting the tax hikes on farmers for instance, and in return, farmers should refrain from calling for import tariffs. In the end, the only winner is the state, unless we learn to treat tax for what it is.
Practice Individual Responsibility
“Ask not what your country can do for you-” I like to end the famous JFK quote there. After all, service to your country should be entirely voluntary. It is the widely held belief that the government is responsible for maintaining every aspect of our lives that we have ponzi schemes masquerading as state pensions and countless laws criminalising victimless crimes such as cannabis use. Of course not everyone is capable of practicing individual responsibility. Children, the elderly and the mentally and physically disabled may need help and in some cases require restrictions for their own good if they are not of sound mind or maturity. But for everyone else, responsibility for oneself should be the default position. That means enduring the costs of one’s own mistakes but reaping the benefits of success. After all, the lack of this kind of accountability directly led to the financial crash in 2008, with banks enjoying the benefits of risky behaviour in full knowledge that governments would never let them fail. It’s difficult not to imagine that similar perverse incentives motivate crime and dubious increases in the long term ‘sick’ since covid. But far from being a battlecry for the selfish and greedy, individual responsibility means taking positive action yourself to help others and fix problems. Instead of calling for the state to do more for whatever cause interests you, and taking their share along the way, cut out the middleman and make a change yourself. Donate to a dog shelter, volunteer at a food bank, pick up litter as you walk by. The more you leave to the government, the bigger it gets and the less gets done.
“far from being a battlecry for the selfish and greedy, individual responsibility means taking positive action yourself to help others and fix problems”
Live and Let Live
As well as accepting individual responsibility, the flip side of that coin is the allowance of others to make decisions for themselves. For most people, political decisions seem to come down to banning things they find unpleasant whilst seeking public funding for those things that they enjoy. A common misconception is that the support for the freedom to do a thing equates to support for the thing itself. Smoking for instance is extremely harmful and on a personal level, I would implore anyone reading this to quit if they can. But I wholeheartedly oppose the upcoming ageist smoking ban. The only guiding principle for banning certain behaviours should be the prevention of harm to others. It may be difficult sometimes, but we will all be much freer if we learn to live and let live.
Vote Libertarian
If I may be so bold, I would like to suggest voting for the Libertarian Party UK if possible in the next year and beyond. We are the only party committed to the principles of Libertarianism. But we can’t make a change without your support. There is no such thing as a wasted vote. Very few votes ever manage to tip the scales in an election, but every vote sends a signal. So don’t compromise, vote for who you want to represent you. If you get the chance, vote libertarian in your next by-election, local elections etc. If we don’t have a candidate in your area, it could be you making the breakthrough into public service wearing a lion on your chest. Consider joining if you aren’t a member already and if you fancy writing articles like this, we’re always looking for new voices.
Once again, on behalf of the Libertarian Party UK and myself, have a happy new year.
“If we don’t have a candidate in your area, it could be you making the breakthrough into public service wearing a lion on your chest”
The Libertarian Party UK published the note below following the budget.
“the budget ensures rising wages and inflation push more people into higher tax brackets without the need for an explicit rate rise. This is effectively a hidden tax increase”
Well, what a slap in the face for working people yesterday, as Rachel Reeves unveiled the heftiest tax rises in decades. A quick run-down of some of the LPUK NCC’s response to the budget announcement:
For London and South East co-ordinator Marco Bocci, Reeves’ claim that “We beat the forecasts and we will beat them again” is “the best phrase of the budget yet. She should do stand up comedy, Rachel from accounts.”
Let’s pick apart some of the main points:
𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵-𝘁𝗮𝘅𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘃𝗶𝗮 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝘇𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝘀
By freezing income-tax and National Insurance thresholds until 2031, the budget ensures rising wages and inflation push more people into higher tax brackets without the need for an explicit rate rise. This is effectively a hidden tax increase, subverting transparency and voter consent.
Raising taxes on dividend income, property and investment returns (plus a “mansion tax” on high-value homes) deters capital formation, penalises asset ownership and discourages saving. This amounts to state appropriation of individuals’ legitimately earned returns.
“taxing a previously legal and popular method of efficient retirement saving. This closes off a voluntary, private route to long-term financial security”
Anything above that limit will now attract full employee and employer NI, effectively taxing a previously legal and popular method of efficient retirement saving. This closes off a voluntary, private route to long-term financial security, raises the cost of saving, and pushes individuals towards greater reliance on state-approved pension structures rather than personal choice.
𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴
The abolition of the two-child benefit cap and increased welfare, while framed as support for “vulnerable families,” expands the size and scope of the welfare state. This redistributive spending infringes on property rights and encourages dependency on the state.
𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗺 𝘄𝗮𝗴𝗲
Raising the over-21 rate to £12.71 an hour from April 2026 will only put more pressure on already struggling employers to increase wages for others, and is a de-facto endorsement of rising unemployment. The resulting inflationary pressure will only further deepen the cost of living crisis.
For Chairman Andrew Withers, “The overall picture is sucking £26bn out of the productive economy to prop up a dying Welfare State all in the name of ‘fairness.’ The main beneficiaries will not be children in poverty, but the employment of tens of thousands of middle class bureaucrats working in quangos.”
“The overall picture is sucking £26bn out of the productive economy to prop up a dying Welfare State”
Mercia co-ordinator Martin Day congratulates Reeves on “hammering the poor hardest in an effort to balance the books. Government spending MUST be cut.”
Though a separate issue, party leader Alex Zychowski notes that “yesterday – the day before the budget – Labour signalled their intention to abolish trial by jury – an insidious attempt to use the assault on our paychecks to take the light off this egregious assault on our ancient freedoms.”
More on that in the coming days, but to close our analysis, a simple but accurate summary from Northern co-ordinator Dan Clarke: “this budget is a disgrace.”
“hammering the poor hardest in an effort to balance the books. Government spending MUST be cut.”
” the idea that mass scanning of faces in public should become routine ought to alarm anyone who values freedom over convenience”
The Metropolitan Police are proposing a major expansion of live facial-recognition surveillance across London, claiming success after nearly a thousand arrests linked to the technology. Their public consultation, proudly cited by the force, apparently found that 85% of respondents support the use of facial recognition to catch serious criminals.
On the surface, it sounds persuasive – a high-tech answer to crime. But the idea that mass scanning of faces in public should become routine ought to alarm anyone who values freedom over convenience. Let’s not forget that it is little coincidence that facial recognition is being rolled out in tandem with digital ID – the two systems will surely be linked, meaning walking down the high street to get a pint of milk becomes the equivalent of walking through passport control.
In a free society, the presumption of innocence is not negotiable. Yet facial-recognition systems function by presuming the opposite: that everyone passing a camera deserves to be checked against a criminal database. The innocent are monitored not because of what they’ve done, but because they exist in public. That logic turns civic life into a police line-up and erodes one of the oldest protections in liberal civilisation – that the citizen need not justify their innocence to The State.
“In a free society, the presumption of innocence is not negotiable. Yet facial-recognition systems function by presuming the opposite”
Proponents point to reassuring statistics: the Metropolitan Police claim a false-match rate of just 0.0003 % from millions of scans. But even such a tiny error, multiplied across a city of millions, produces hundreds of wrongful alerts and unjustified interventions. More troubling still, eight in ten false matches involved black individuals, underscoring that algorithmic bias is not a theoretical risk but a measurable injustice. To shrug off these flaws because the “majority supports the policy” is to forget that liberty is not subject to opinion polls.
Beyond the technical debates lies a deeper constitutional one: who authorises this surveillance, and who restrains its use once normalised? There was no vote in parliament, no consultation when 46 million of our passport photos were uploaded to a database under the last Conservative government. Without strict legal boundaries and independent oversight, any promise of restraint will vanish under the pressure of convenience. History shows that powers granted to police in the name of safety are rarely surrendered voluntarily.
“who authorises this surveillance, and who restrains its use once normalised?”
The state’s duty to protect citizens does not extend to treating every citizen as a potential suspect. For libertarians, that principle defines the moral boundary of government. A society that trades privacy for marginal gains in policing may find that it loses both — liberty first, and trust soon after.
In the end, the expansion of facial-recognition surveillance is not progress – it is the dismantling of the presumption of innocence, one scan at a time.
“The sectarian aesthetics once confined to Northern Ireland are re-emerging here at home”
Operation Raise the Colours has succeeded spectacularly. Lampposts across the country now bear the marks of defiance. The campaign has borne fruit, forcing Labour to tighten its grip on immigration by introducing digital ID. That debate deserves its own article.
This one is about something deeper. Something darker. The Ulsterisation of Britain.
Across our towns and cities, dividing lines are hardening, cultural, political and social. The sectarian aesthetics once confined to Northern Ireland are re-emerging here at home.
A new tribalism has taken root. The right has embraced identitarianism and with it the tactics and violence of collective ideology. Our streets are turning into battlegrounds. Symbols rise and fall in daily cycles of retaliation.
The left is no less tribal. It dresses its own divisions in moral language, but its identity politics is equally intolerant, demanding conformity and punishing dissent. The symbols may differ, yet the instinct to sort people into camps of virtue and vice remains the same.
From every corner of the collectivist spectrum, groups are organising, marching, preparing for confrontation. Each claims moral authority. None stands for individual liberty.
“we cannot ignore the material world or the reality of the situation. Individuals are being abused and assaulted, and private property is being targeted”
We are individualists by nature; we have always lacked the perspective or the experience to deal with sectarian politics. Yet we cannot ignore the material world or the reality of the situation. Individuals are being abused and assaulted, and private property is being targeted.
The question is not whether libertarians should take sides, but how we can stand apart, defending freedom and autonomy without becoming another faction in a growing civil conflict.
Regardless of how we feel about the other side or even our own, we must remember that there is a person on the other side, a person with feelings, thoughts and flaws. If we lose sight of that, we surrender to the same collectivist mindset we claim to oppose.
Liberty cannot survive in a world where people are dehumanised into tribes and enemies. It survives only when we recognise the individual, even in those we disagree with, as an equal in dignity and freedom.
That, above all else, is the libertarian line in the sand.
“Regardless of how we feel about the other side or even our own, we must remember that there is a person on the other side”
“His politics are closer to the far-left than the Liberal Democrats he once stood for”
Though the rise in popularity of Reform UK has hogged the headlines, the increase in popularity of the Green Party has been as consistent as the fall from grace of Keir Starmer’s Labour.
Are they just a harmless bunch of harmless vegetarian eco-fanatics? Let’s have a look. Zack Polanski has been the Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales since September this year.
After changing his name from David Paulsen, university followed and then a career in the Arts. He worked a variety of roles, including actor and director. Polanski also sang for the London International Gospel Choir. One must wonder why he didn’t call himself out for cultural appropriation.
He then famously worked as a hypnotherapist, getting caught out by The Sun trying to make a reporter’s breasts grow larger. It’s all in the mind, apparently.
Policy-wise, Polanski has advocated for increasing taxes on billionaires, renationalising water companies, challenging governments for what he sees as insufficient subsidy on net zero policies and regulating private corporations even more. His politics are closer to the far-left than the Liberal Democrats he once stood for.
Given their leader’s political views as eco-populist, linking broad issues like high costs of living and the climate crisis as both being caused by the wealthy, it seems the Green Party is a serious threat to the UK economy. Green not through anything to do with the environment, but rather, envy!
Martin Day – Mercia Coordinator, Libertarian Party UK
“the Green Party is a serious threat to the UK economy. Green not through anything to do with the environment, but rather, envy!”
“The hypocrisy is glaring. Digital ID represents one of the clearest threats to individual liberty in the modern era”
Ed Davey took to the stage at the Liberal Democrat conference last week, waxing lyrical about “British values” – citing tolerance, decency, the rule of law, and individual liberty. Yet this sermon on freedom comes in the very same week his party proposed dropping their opposition to a national Digital ID system.
The hypocrisy is glaring. Digital ID represents one of the clearest threats to individual liberty in the modern era: an infrastructure for surveillance, centralised control, and the slow erosion of personal privacy. To champion “freedom” while embracing such tools of state power is not just inconsistent: it is dishonest.
The mask has slipped. The Liberal Democrats, once a party that at least paid lip service to civil liberties, now line up with Labour and the Conservatives in offering nothing but different shades of the same statist authoritarianism. The rhetoric may differ, but the trajectory is the same – more control, less autonomy.
“To champion “freedom” while embracing such tools of state power is not just inconsistent: it is dishonest”
British values worth defending are not found in empty speeches but in the daily protection of individual rights against encroaching state power. Davey’s words ring hollow.
Ben Allsop the Wessex Coordinator of the Libertarian Party UK writes about Eight rights you think you have, but don’t (and how a constitution can help).
“Laws such as the Communications Act 2003 or the Public Order Acts give police and other bodies the legal ability to punish and silence citizens for speaking their mind”
As a party, we are fighting to finally form a codified constitution in the United Kingdom. To highlight why we need one, here are eight fundamental rights that almost everyone values (and may already believe they have), but the British government violates routinely.
Freedom of Expression – This is an obvious one, but well worth starting with. Currently, British citizens have no right to freedom of expression, also referred to as ‘freedom of speech’. Laws such as the Communications Act 2003 or the Public Order Acts give police and other bodies the legal ability to punish and silence citizens for speaking their minds.
Freedom of Information – The other side of the ‘free speech’ coin. The ability to receive information is just as if not more vital than the ability to broadcast it. But British citizens are simply not allowed to know certain things. For instance, the possession of ‘The Anarchist Cookbook’ is illegal to own in this country under the Terrorism Act 2000. The state also routinely practices censorship through OFCOM, which can now mandate social media companies to remove ‘legal but harmful’ material’.
Presumption of Innocence – Surely not, I hear you cry. Well, the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 enables government agencies to monitor your communications which in the past would have required at least reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing. More worryingly, civil asset forfeiture laws allow police and even local councils to seize property if they suspect it to be the proceeds of crime. Note that there is no requirement of proof or even conviction for alleged crimes. Suspicion alone is enough to remove property from the accused.
“The government can and does practice compulsory purchase in the UK. Not to mention the fact that it forced businesses to close during the pandemic”
Property Rights – As they say, “if you can’t keep it, it isn’t really yours.” The government can and does practice compulsory purchase in the UK. Not to mention the fact that it forced businesses to close during the pandemic. In addition, several laws such as The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018, Counter Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019, and more, all allow the government to seize and freeze assets without so much as a hearing. Even in cases where the accused has been cleared of wrongdoing, they may still be expected to make a time-consuming and expensive claim through the court to retrieve their property.
Right to Privacy – Long dismissed as a wacky conspiracy theory, the reality of mass surveillance became common knowledge with the leaking of NSA documents by Edward Snowden and others. As well as the US, the UK was also active in collecting massive amounts of data extracted from and intercepted between its own people. Since then, the British government has passed legislation such as the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 which overtly bestowed itself with the power to spy on us all.
Self-sufficiency – Who hasn’t dreamed of buying a plot of forest, building yourself a cabin and living out your years on nature’s doorstep? And like many dreams, this one gets a kicking from the government too. Planning permission, green belt and AONB designations, building restrictions, land use restrictions, environmental health and waste rules, council tax and residency enforcement, service access and identity issues will all conspire to make living off-grid a legal impossibility in the UK. ‘Pay your taxes or live on the street’ are the only options we get.
“The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 made making noise during a protest or violating undisclosed restrictions both arrestable offences”
Right to Protest – Under the guise of tackling the life-endangering protests by ‘Just Stop Oil’ a few years ago, the government was able to introduce sweeping new powers which had the ability to crush future protests. The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 made making noise during a protest or violating undisclosed restrictions both arrestable offences. These powers were further expanded by the Public Order Act 2023, which allowed the state to ban people without a criminal conviction from protesting and ridiculously, made it an offense to carry a bike lock to a protest.
Popular Sovereignty – We all know that in a democracy, the people are sovereign. All authority is derived from the consent of the people after all. Except, at least in the UK, that isn’t true. Of course, for the past century or so adults in the UK have been able to influence the composition of parliament. But only one of two chambers of it. Sovereignty in the UK actually lies with parliament itself. Parliamentary sovereignty allows parliament to pass any law without judicial or public scrutiny with a simple majority. You are one act of parliament away from living under a dictatorship. I hope that I’m not alone in saying that that terrifies me.
At the end of the day, a codified constitution is just a piece of paper. There can never be any foolproof way of keeping out authoritarianism. But anything that makes the sudden or gradual seizure of power more difficult for governments may one day prove to be a godsend. So please support us in our fight for a constitution, help prevent tyranny and reverse the progress already made towards it…while you still can.
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”
Sam Wood is the Libertarian Party Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Ynys Môn (Anglesey). We spoke with Sam about his decision to stand.
“People are competent, people are ambitious, people are brilliant, the government is only standing in the way of what greatness we can achieve”
Can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Sam Wood, I’ve spent most of my life on Anglesey in North Wales, despite leaving and coming back many times this has always been the place that I’ve called home. My background is finance/economics, and this has only amplified my understanding and appreciation of libertarianism and the value that it can bring to the average person.
“don’t look at where the puck is, look at where the puck is going to be, that’s where I’ll be fighting”
What made you decide to stand for the Libertarian Party?
Fundamentally my belief in libertarianism comes from the fact that it is a morally superior political philosophy, the concept that no one has the right to force someone else to do something that they do not consent to is a very powerful one. It is the party of principle, and a party that I think throughout it’s policies demonstrates its belief that people do not need government to succeed. People are competent, people are ambitious, people are brilliant, the government is only standing in the way of what greatness we can achieve, it is holding us back.
My political spectrum is not left or right, it is authoritarianism on one side and libertarianism on the other, with emerging technologies that have immense power to coerce us. My concern is that if we fall into authoritarianism in the future, we won’t ever have a way out, so we need to start this fight now. That old saying, don’t look at where the puck is, look at where the puck is going to be, that’s where I’ll be fighting.
You’re the Spokesman for Ynys Môn what’s made you decide to represent this area?
Ynys Mon is my home, even when I have not lived here it has always been home. All the things that I value most in my life are right here.
What do you see as the big concerns for the constituency and what issues do you hope to champion?
The big issues here are the same systemic issues that the UK faces, housing, inflation, excess immigration and the strain it places. A far stricter immigration policy coupled with lower regulation and free’er markets will set us on a trajectory to improving these issues in the most speediest of fashion. The main goal being improving the standard of living, prosperity and the quality of life for people here in the UK.
“Right now, the best way for libertarian minded folks to help is to share the libertarian message in whatever way they can, speak to people about freedom”
For those eager to help, how can they get involved in the campaign?
Right now, the best way for libertarian minded folks to help is to share the libertarian message in whatever way they can, speak to people about freedom, share articles etc on social media. Start that conversation with people, ask people why we let our government steal so much of our resources from us, call tax what it is, it is theft, and it is immoral.
The ten commandments, arguably the 10 most important rules that humans have ever had, one of them is to not steal. The government is fundamentally immoral stealing from hard working families that are trying to provide for their loved ones in the best way they can.
