YOUR LIFE, YOUR LIBERTY, YOUR CHOICE

Welcome. This is a blog written by members of the Libertarian Party who are based in the North West of England. If you haven't heard of the Libertarian Party, that's unsurprising - we've only been in existence a year, but our membership is growing fast. We're a group of forward-thinking individuals who recognise that the three mainstream parties are taking this country in the wrong direction. In the last few decades, the power of the State has grown to the point where almost every aspect of our lives is over-regulated. CCTV cameras, ID cards, seemingly endless bans and an unaccountable police force who often seem to operate above the law are not signs of a healthy society. In the economic sphere, centralised government planning has led to an unhealthy boom in easy credit, which has itself led inevitably to the current recession. The welfare state - originally intended to provide a safety net to those temporarily down on their luck - has created a permanent underclass, and actually deters the poor from improving their situation. The military is both under-funded and over-committed. This is not just a criticism of the current Labour government - very little would change under a Conservative government, or even a "Liberal" Democrat one. They're all wedded to the idea that they know what's best for the rest of us.

Fortunately there's now another choice - the Libertarian Party. What's different about us? We believe in you. We believe in the good sense and potential of the average citizen, and we believe that you're the best person to decide how to live your life and spend your money - certainly better than a bunch of people you don't even know who meet in the Houses of Parliament to pass laws over the rest of us. We're not anarchists, but we do believe that society would be a lot healthier with a lot less State intervention. We're the successors to the original Liberals - we believe that the government's legitimate functions are concerned with protecting its citizens from aggression. Governments are extremely inefficient organisations, and should concentrate on their core functions. Anything else is up to you - you know what's best for yourself. You know how to spend your money best, so we'll tax you as little - and as fairly - as possible. You know the effects drugs, alcohol and tobacco can have on your system, so we won't use force to stop you ingesting such substances (although I'd personally advise moderation). You know that if someone attacks you, a policeman won't be on the spot to protect you - so we'll allow you to protect yourself. If you want to lift yourself out of poverty and maybe set up your own business, we won't get in your way by tangling you up in red tape, and we certainly won't penalise you for working. It's your life, you have the right to choose how to live it.