I guess like many individuals at that time I was shocked and revolted at the conduct of the UK Government in moving against its own people with the amendments to the Terrorism Act (2000) and the attendant legislation since and using the so-called ‘Specialist Operations 19’ officers to shoot them down in the tube.

I would have hoped that by 2006 the UK Government would have begun the process of recognising that what had happened wasn’t acceptable and would have begun to atone for what has to be seen as a crime against liberty. Unfortunately there is little evidence of this and in fact, towards the end of the time that I lived in England the State started to once again tighten it’s grip on expression and information. Many muslim dissidents have been harrassed and some are in prison or have gone into exile.

All libertarians truly worthy of the name hope that the 60 million people who live in mainland UK could begin to enjoy the liberties and democracy that their compatriots on the continent still enjoy. Europe has shown that it is not impossible within a society with a strong Social-Democrat tradition to enjoy political and economic freedom whilst maintaining a federalist structure (albeit one that is similar to the United States in being split pretty much down the middle).

I argue that individuals need to engage with each other and that we should not be afraid to uphold our values, some of which are surprisingly shared by a number of professional people in Government. However what we have to realise is that the Labour Party has not only been a brake on genuine freedoms and decentralisation, it has also gradually promoted the (sometime) ideologues of Marxist-Leninism in a not disimilar way to which Mao promoted obedient officials after the Cultural Revolution. Nowadays, the Labour Party uses the veneer of accounability “with Reformist characteristics” – whatever that really means – but in reality it is advocating authoritarianism (near totalitarianism) with a capitalistic nationalist face. It is this ideology, and the means by which it hopes to permeate the UK’s social thinking, which creates the greatest problem for the continuation of a liberal democracy in the UK.

Shortly, I will post my views on the potential political scenarios facing the UK and suggesting a potential approach by the Liberal Democrats to bilateral dealings with the Conservatives.

Mangled words from a Liberal Legend! (apparently). Anyway while Toby Philpott’s ideas about China are seem intelligent enough he should really be using his Lib Dem blog to talk more about issues closer to home – after all we don’t want opposition parties to feel they have to avoid raising controversy in order to be elected (like in the Peoples Republic of America) and he obviously cares as he has all the right links in his sidebar.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 27th, 2006 at 2:48 pm and is filed under In.