Libertarian Party (UK)

Libertarian Party
Leader Adam Brown[1]
Party chairman Simon Walmsley[2]
Founded 2008
Headquarters Gemini House, 136–140 Old Shoreham Road, BN3 7BD Brighton
Youth wing Libertarian Youth
Ideology Libertarianism,
Minarchism,
Classical liberalism,
Euroscepticism
European affiliation None
International affiliation International Alliance of Libertarian Parties,[3]
Interlibertarians[4]
European Parliament group None
Colours Blue and yellow
Website
http://www.libertarianpartyuk.com

The Libertarian Party, also known as the Libertarian Party UK (or LPUK), is a libertarian political party in the United Kingdom. The party describes itself as "largely minarchist in scope".

History

The party was founded on 1 January 2008 under the leadership of Patrick Vessey who registered the name with the Electoral Commission on 21 November 2007.[5] Annual accounts held by the Electoral Commission, show that the party claimed to have 314 members at the end of 2008, and a net annual income of £3,395. By December 2009, the party claimed 500 members.[6] In May 2008, the Daily Telegraph leader writer, Alex Singleton, explained why the founders would have been better advised to set up a pressure group rather than a party. Singleton believed the new party would reduce the influence of libertarianism.[7]

On 17 September 2008, Vessey resigned as party leader and was replaced by Ian Parker-Joseph, an IT consultant. Interviewed before the 2010 elections, Parker-Joseph claimed many policies which interfered with personal liberty were initiated by IT companies who invited ministers to their conferences The party claimed a membership of 1000 and hoped, in the wake of the MP expenses scandal, "to establish themselves in the media landscape with a couple of robust performances". He said the party wanted much smaller government and would initially cut taxation to 10% before removing it altogether. It could remove many layers of bureaucracy from the NHS to make it as efficient as private industry.[8]

In the 2009 local elections, Andrew Hunt came bottom in Cambridgeshire, Wisbech South, with 140 votes.[9] In the United Kingdom local elections, 2010 Stuart Heal came bottom in Manchester City Council, Miles Platting and Newton Heath ward.[10]

The party participated in the United Kingdom general election, 2010. Nic Coome stood in Devizes, coming last with 141 votes (0.3%), and Martin Cullip in Sutton and Cheam, coming second last with 41 votes.[11] On 28 November 2010, Andrew Withers was elected as party leader. In the May 2011 local elections, Withers was elected as an independent parish councillor for Clevedon Walton ward in North Somerset, resigning around March 2012.[12]

Following an internal ballot on 15 August 2015, party members elected Adam Brown as the party leader. Brown had previously been a councillor in Crawley.[13]

Policies and views

By default of its name and purpose, the Libertarian Party offers a broad libertarian platform which questions the role of the state in contemporary British society and advocates an appeal to democratic reform in the United Kingdom. Nonetheless, the party aims to be pragmatic and realistic in its policy approach rather than purely ideological or idealist. Thus, these perspectives manifest themselves in policies such as cutting taxation, protecting free markets, reducing "red tape" and bureaucracy and democratic constitutional reform for the United Kingdom.

The Libertarian Party is eurosceptic, advocating a policy of withdrawal from the European Union, argued to be a bureaucratic burden on Britain's national interest. It does not contest European Elections as a result.

Despite seeking a reduction in the size of the state, the party is committed to the upholding of state-funded free healthcare, mental health services and care for the elderly in the United Kingdom; nonetheless, it advocates that a reform and decentralisation of the NHS is necessary.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Adam Brown is Elected New Party Leader for Libertarians UK", Press release, Libertarian Party UK, 6 October 2015
  2. ↑ (Accessed 10 November 2015)
  3. ↑ "Under Construction". Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  4. ↑ "INTERLIBERTARIANS Together in freedom". Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  5. ↑ Electoral Commission registration (Online search of registration database at https://pefonline.electoralcommission.org.uk/Search/EntitySearch.aspx)
  6. ↑ Electoral Commission registration (Online search of statements of account database at https://pefonline.electoralcommission.org.uk/Search/SOASearch.aspx)
  7. ↑ Alex Singleton (30 May 2008). "How Libertarians undermine liberty". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  8. ↑ "Interview: The Libertarian party". Politics.co.uk. 1 June 2009. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  9. ↑ "Cambridgeshire County Council Election Results 2009". Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  10. ↑ "Elections:Election Results for Miles Platting and Newton Heath Ward". Manchester.gov.uk. 6 May 2010. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  11. ↑ Electoral Commission: 2010 UK general election – Parties and Third Parties, Political parties and third parties campaign expenditure at the 2010 UK Parliamentary general election August 25, 2010 archived
    - Electoral Commission: UK general election 2010 Results for Devizes
    - Electoral Commission:Report on campaign spending at the 2010 UK Parliamentary general election archived February 24, 2011
    - "Election 2010: Constituency: Sutton & Cheam". BBC News. May 2010.
    - "Election 2010: Constituency: Devizes". BBC News. May 2010.
  12. ↑ Paula Heath -Clerk to Clevedon parish council (3 April 2012). "Notice of vacancy in office of councillor Parish of Clevedon Walton ward" (PDF). Retrieved 28 October 2012.
  13. ↑ "Adam Brown is Elected New Party Leader for Libertarians UK", Press release, Libertarian Party UK, 6 October 2015
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