We spoke with Chase Blount the Chairman of the Libertarian Conservatives.
“We aim to sway the membership’s opinion further towards free markets and individualist social policies”
Can you introduce yourself to our readers, and tell us about your group?
We’re the Libertarian Conservative Interest Group, a grassroots, youth-led organisation aimed at promoting libertarian and classically liberal policies within the Conservative Party. We aim to sway the membership’s opinion further towards free markets and individualist social policies, as well as scrutinising the Conservatives when this might not be the case. We’re also a space for libertarian and classical liberal Conservative members to connect and socialise.
“We injected freedom into the state education sector by empowering academies, which significantly improved pupil outcomes…. We also scrapped Labour’s ID card scheme, something we libertarians will appreciate”
Many of us feel the Conservative Party wasn’t very libertarian over it’s 14years in government. What do you think were the highlights and lowlights of that period?
We agree – whilst we definitely did a better job in government than Labour or the Liberal Democrats would have ever done, mistakes were made. In particular, we often prioritised placating the electorate over implementing the bold, long-term decisions that Britain needed. Low points include a failure to reform planning and build again, the implementation of the Triple Lock, and much of the pandemic – especially the national debt ballooning, government infringements on our civil liberties and instances of corruption and sleaze. But we achieved notable successes in government too. We injected freedom into the state education sector by empowering academies, which significantly improved pupil outcomes. We raised the Personal Allowance for income tax, delivered same-sex marriage, and managed to cut National Insurance Contributions for working families. We also scrapped Labour’s ID card scheme, something we libertarians will appreciate.
What’s surprised you most in the past year of Labour government?
What’s surprised us the most has been the speed at which Labour broke their promises. We all remember how they pledged no new taxes in the run-up to the general election – then almost immediately upon entering government, they had discovered a £22 billion “black hole” and used it to justify £40 billion in higher taxes on the British people. Labour’s taxes on business are decimating our economy. Investment plans have been cancelled and layoffs expanded – so much so that job vacancies have fallen by 5.8% between May and July. The Conservatives must return to government and reverse these disastrous policies, or the British economy will continue to decline.
“Young people don’t want an unaffordable housing market or a higher tax burden due to an exploding national debt – and libertarianism has the solutions”
What would you like to see the Conservative Party focus on now from opposition?
As you may expect, we’d like to see the Conservatives take a much more libertarian direction. We must be bolder on the issue of housing and endorse significant planning reform, and fight Nimbyism within our own party. We also need to be upfront and honest about our entitlements, including pensions, to make those systems much more sustainable. These issues aren’t solely libertarian, they’re also pro-young people. Young people don’t want an unaffordable housing market or a higher tax burden due to an exploding national debt – and libertarianism has the solutions. That’s why the Libertarian Conservatives have received overwhelming support from Young Conservatives across the country.
How can people find out more about your group?
We operate social media accounts on X and Instagram, on which you can keep up to date with what we’re doing. If you’d like to join the Group as a member, we’re open to all Conservative members who share our values and principles. Please feel free to DM @liberty_tories on X or Instagram and we’ll add you to our members community on WhatsApp. We’d love to have you onboard!
