DOWN TO THE DOCTOR’S: And Now, The News From Britain

In which Libertarianz leader Dr Richard McGrath takes his regularly irreverent look at some of the past week’s headlines.

1. Former Tory Peer Is New UKIP Leader – In some good news for the people of Britain, Lord Pearson of Rannoch has been elected leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party. Described as “a libertarian, non-racist [political] party seeking Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union”, it sounds like a party I could support. Lord Rannoch sounds like an interesting character. He owns a moor, a deer forest and a country estate in the Scottish Highlands.

Lord Pearson invited Dutch politician Geert Wilders to show his film about Islam in the House of Lords, but was blocked from doing so by Gordon Brown’s increasingly fascist government. The now disgraced Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, said his views about Islam “threatened community harmony and public security.” FFS!

In an act of political courage, he suggested in 2004 that British voters back the UKIP in an election rather than the pissweak Tory BlueLabour socialists. For this he had the Tory whip withdrawn. Lord Pearson has a bold ambition – to engineer a hung parliament in the next British general election.

People who blindly follow mainstream political parties, even when the latter deviate away from principled behaviour, need not apply for membership. “[The] UKIP is not for sheep. UKIP is not for lemmings. UKIP is for people who think and act for themselves,” he said.

There is growing dissatisfaction with the Tory party as an opposing voice to the UK’s loss of sovereignty and absorbtion into Europe. Its leader, David Cameron, is now denying he ever said he would back a referendum on pulling Britain out of the EU. Smaller parties like the UKIP, the “real opposition” as proudly stated on its website, are the true voice of dissent for those who value the old British traditions of liberty, freedom of speech and common-law justice.

I wish Lord Pearson well. For those who think libertarians can never get voted into positions of political authority, suck on this.

Update: Even before becoming leader, Rannoch offered to disband the UKIP if the Tory leader would agree to an EU referendum and give Conservative MPs a free vote on the issue. Cameron refused.

Unfortunately, there has been a glitch in proceedings. Lord Pearson has succumbed to the temptation to poke his nose into the taxpayer trough. He may be ‘entitled’, under the rules of the House of Lords, but it doesn’t look good. No doubt Guido Fawkes’ Troughwatch will have something to say about it in due course.

2. ‘Devil’s Kitchen’ Blogger New Leader of UK Libertarian Party – Chris Mounsey has been elected leader of the other  British libertarian party, the LPUK. Formerly led by Ian Parker-Joseph, the LPUK is much younger and smaller than   the UKIP, but has its heart and mind in the right place, with sound liberty-based principles.

      Meanwhile, back in New Zealand:

3. Complaints flow over Paul Henry’s ‘retard’ comment – How refreshing to see someone not afraid to call a spade a Spade. I have e-mailed TVNZ to offer my support to Paul. I particularly loved his comment, made during another episode of his TV programme, that obese children should be taken from their parents and put into a car compactor. Come on, people! Lighten up. If you don’t like Paul has to say, then turn the TV off and read a book instead.

4. Show Some Courage, Key – Bernard Hickey suggests John Key’s administration will reject the suggestions of the 2025 Taskforce. Which they did, of course. Hickey suggests Key needs to show the right sort of leadership. First step would be to sack economic ‘wet’, old 21% himself, Bill English, from his cabinet.   

See y’all next week!
Doc McGrath