[prog2djent]

(Original post by muddywaters51)
Very few people value freedom, liberty or privacy here

Doug Carswell (A massive libertarian in the tory party) got a mention on BBC news at 10, and was on radio 2 yesterday, he's the "main guy" from positive money, I think.

And those soundlike Paulite soundbite which are getting annoying.

Because you are increadibly right wing economically doesn't mean you don't value freedom or liberty. Another person who uses those words quite a lot is an anarcho-syndicalist I know.

[chrisawhitmore]

(Original post by Classical Liberal)
Liberal Democrats, Conservatives and UKIP all have Libertariany parts to them.

Sadly, the orange book seems to have been cast aside by those who wrote it, though its worst chapter (clegg's) has been interpreted the wrong way by its author. He forgets his calls to end the CAP and CFP, with 'more europe' the rallying cry of his supposedly liberal party.

The Conservatives have kept, largely, the authoritarian moralising that has long been the stock in trade of their party, though the new leadership seems to have removed some of that, in the process drifting more economically authoritarian (as if there is some minimum quota of interference a government has to make before its leaders can feel satisfied)

UKIP have Farage. Perhaps that is enough, but I am yet to see any more libertarians amongst their ranks and their manifesto seems more geared to enticing old guard tories than libertarians.

UKIP are the best shot for a Libertarian party in the future (other than the Libertarian party, but that is a long way down line if it ever comes to fruition) but they have much work to do to justify their claim of libertarianism.

[thecoldground]

The Pirate Party is about as libertarian as you're going to get within party politics, but party politics is never going to be libertarian by definition.

Interesting how everyone here is using the American definition of "libertarian;" also, sorry, when in the world did UKIP become even vaguely libertarian? I mean, that's like Labour being the party of the unions, or the Nazis being socialists or something, it's just a phrase, you've got to look at what these people actually believe. How are Labour and the Tories even in the conversation about libertarianism? The clue is in the fact that they're a political party seeking power. Just because a few Americans tried to redefine "libertarian" to mean "authoritarian, statist, conservative corporate capitalism" doesn't mean you have to. Then again, words do take on different meanings. It's the content of what you believe that counts I guess, it is pretty much redefined by now.