Who Will I Be Voting For in 2010? - Early Thoughts

Presuming 2010 is when the next General Election will be, of course.

Like everyone in my area, who turned 18 recently, on the day I received a birthday card from the local authority reminding me that I was now eligible to vote.

(Image: Two of the key powers held by a free citizen, combined for ease of reference.)

It didn't mean much to me at the time; Co. Durham is a Labour party heartland, and that isn't about to change. Thatcher is so loathed by the majority of people in this region, as it used to be a coal-mining area (and the perception is that Thatcher killed British coal) that the second most popular party here is the British National Party, not the Tories (at least in local elections in recent years, not in the last General).

(See UK 2005 General Election map; look for 'North East' then 'Bishop Auckland' to see my constituency.)

I did feel a little disillusioned with British party politics; after all, I wanted three principles that seemed as if they could not be acheived:

- Right to Keep and Bear Arms/Right to Self-Defence

(Image: The difference between subjects and citizens.)

- End to spy society, restoration of individual liberty, stop government data storage culture

(Image: Love that graffiti. Did you know, the AVERAGE UK CITIZEN [i.e. subject] is caught on CCTV 300 times per day?)

- Return to non-interventionist foreign policy; in particular, out of the Middle East.

(Image: Support the troops, End the war. Hell yeah! Unfortunately, a lot of these people would also back the Brady campaign, I bet.)

At least on these issues, I did not feel I could make a difference with a vote for anyone. Ironically, the one party which offered, at least, the first and last of these requirements was the BNP, but they are just too scary. I'd rather sleepwalk into a Labour dictatorship than goosestep into a British Reich.

So it seemed as if there was not one party out there fitting my needs. But one fatal flaw existed in my conclusion; I was a lazy arse and had not read up on other minority parties out there. When elections did come around, I was going to vote Labour out of pure selfishness, because I reckoned my potential university costs and welfare situation would be better under them. (Yes I am a member of the 'great unwashed' class.)

By coincidence, yesterday, my random searchings led me to a post on Tom Harris' (a Labour MP) blog. He was writing about how he had been mailed a copy of George Orwell's classic Nineteen Eighty-Four, and how Britain is nowhere near being a 'police state'. (Watch the video in the link, then try to agree with him.)

Just take the time to read a few of the comments attached to that post. And Tom Harris' responses. It's so important our elected officials recognise our concerns for liberty in this country; however, this guy didn't get it, and worse than that he showed utter contempt for his audience of voters. After reading that and his second post, which tried to address the criticisms, I was left feeling angry at the establishment and their patronising attitude towards the people.

Turns out, a copy of the book (inscribed with words to the effect of 'this is a warning') was sent to each of the 646 UK MPs by the UK Libertarian Party. Now, of course, that meant I had instant respect for them. And yes, once looking them up at http://lpuk.org/, I found some of the usual libertarian policy ideas that I respected about Ron Paul in the US.

(Image: Republican Congressman Ron Paul. The guy is a legend. Shame the GOP don't appreciate his affiliation.)

(Image: Love the message, but note the British-standard yellowing teeth there. Why are our national teeth so bad? The fluoride in the water maybe?)

The big difference, according to the way I see the world, is that the free market is good but not perfect, in that it would produce winners and losers. Which is fine, but i don't want to see losers starving or being homeless without choice, or being denied decent medical care. No matter how much someone screws up their life (note: not by harming others), I believe that we should not give up on them.

The Libertarian party has the attitude, however, of creating what they call 'a safety net, not a hammock' of welfare. This will involve shifting 'the overwhelming majority' of welfare contribution to the voluntary sector. As I have said before, I am sceptical as to what the results of this would be, but at least many of the problems of conventional social welfare may be addressed.

Most importantly, I want the right to self defence and the right to bear arms to be returned to the citizenry, and an end to foreign interventionist military policy. All three are satisfied by the Libertarian party manifesto.

The recession has made me sceptical to libertarian economics, but blame could also be placed on the central banks, which I would definitely like to get rid of, simply because they rob all of us on a daily basis. You guessed it, that is on the manifesto too (not surprising, of course, for a libertarian party, but good to read nonetheless).

The reason I had not heard of them is partly due to my ignorance, and partly due to them only being formed a little over a year ago. I am by no means 100% libertarian, but the way things are going in society, my mind is made up.

UK Libertarians: Run in my area, and you'll have my vote!

(Oh, and if they don't run where I am...jeez, UK Independence Party maybe? Greens? I'd be damned angry.)