How did you know?

I was surprised to be invited to contribute to the North West Libertarians blog. Here am I, an established Muscovite. I haven't lived in the North West since I was a boy. Nonetheless, it's home. My wife and I have owned a house there for a few years now, which is our pied a terre in Britain. Family connections, deep behind Labour lines, are the reason the "New Labour" con has never fooled me. Visiting our families is what keeps me in touch with the relentless loss of liberties in recent years.

Every time I visit, the border police at Manchester Airport are just a tad more surly and insolent, as are all the "public servants" who now see themselves as our true masters. If I had never met a "tip Nazi", I would not have believed how arrogant the humblest public servants have become.

For my first post, all I want to say is this. I am delighted there are libertarians there at all. When I was growing up, most political dissidents from Labour were to that party's left. The local Tories were a dispirited (not to mention, statist and paternalistic) bunch. Growing up there in the 60s and 70s I never met a North Westerner who didn't believe in the benevolence of the state. I am sure there must have been some, but they were probably keeping their heads down. Well they might. On the night of Margaret Thatcher's first general election victory, my dad and I stood at the bar of our "local", as one neighbour said to another,

"How can she have won? I've never even met a ****ing Tory!"

I remember the Labour councillor who ran the local newsagents smugly smirking as he said to his wife about me; "look how big and strong these lads grow up under the Welfare State". I pointed out, to his annoyance, that my grandad was as tall, though born before Labour was founded, still less the Welfare State. I am sure his faith was entirely unshaken. His main reaction was shock that anyone should say such a scandalous thing.

You truly live behind enemy lines. I salute you!