About the Libertarian Alliance

The Libertarian Alliance (often known as the LA) is Britain’s leading free market and civil liberties think tank, founded nearly 40 years ago. It currently has rather more than 800 publications in print, dedicated to the principles of life, liberty and property.

The Libertarian Alliance consciously tries not to take any party-political position, in regard to elections or manifesto analysis for the Main Anglosphere Nations. It does not even officially endorse the LPUK, although it looks kindly upon it, and indeed many LA members and supporters are members of the LPUK, which is perfectly fine. However, the LA may comment positively or negatively upon submissions by all the various parties involved in any such elections.

The Libertarian Alliance, broadly, regards British political parties as if they were Advertising Agencies retained to service the “Individual Liberty” account.

Whichever party therefore does not do a good job of looking after “Individual Liberty”, fails to actively promote it, and fails to make liberty more accessible and successful, would get fired.

And we would then get someone else.

Having said that, it will become clear as you read this blog and our site, that we mostly lambast what is called “New Labour” – partly because it is in power, partly because there is still  – even in October 2009 – no effective and principled opposition in the UK, and partly because, ultimately, socialist or Statist principles are incompatible with Liberty. As you see from the above in red, we do – and would – reserve many harsh words for the Tories: they have no excuse for not standing up proudly and assertively for individual liberty. They have brought the mutliplication of small, embryonic libertarian parties in the UK recently, upon themselves. If they lose – or fail to win – seats, as a result, it is their fault.

The purpose of the LA at present, in the autumn of 2009 as for many years past, is to be a “think-tank”, rather than a campaigning organisation. This may change as time goes on, or it may not: we cannot know what events may bring. Chris Tame, the founder, always thought that the LA was a publishing facility which could also bring intellectual power to bear on the trends of political and economic thought of the time.

At ont time in the past, we even tried to subvert and turn towards real libertarianism the youth wing of the British Conservative Party: this did not work. We are cheerfully frank and open about our wish to infiltrate and subvert for the good, the objectives of any other political party that we may, in our wisdom, decide to target. We have never “gone forth like thieves in the night”.

We may try again, or not. We shall have to see. We may pick another party, if we think this route is profitable. Or not.

As time goes on, the organisation may decide to take more active part in the battle of ideas. We cannot at this stage tell either way.

Publishing on average two to three new papers and videos a month, the LA’s pamphlets and wideo records are ideal for students, academics and journalists and anyone else interested in liberty and freedom.

The LA holds a range of meetings and seminars and its spokespeople regularly appear in the press and on television and radio. Since about the end of 2006, the LA has been running an increasingly influential blog.

There is a always a major conference, generally held over two days in London in late October every year, to which anybody (anybody at all, whosoever)  may apply to attend. This has been a fixture for the past decade.

The Libertarian Alliance relies completely on private donations from individuals, for its work.

Its officers take no remuneration for time spent writing, developing projects and organisation. They do not even claim for hotel bills and such. Sometimes thay may apply to be paid for such supplies as printer cartridges, etc. That is all.

We run on what, in the Anglosphere, is called a “shoestring”. Gordon Brown’s budget for tea and biscuits in Ten Downing Street would be bigger than our annual spend.

Please go to the main LA site, and send us some money if you feel able to. We shall be suitably grateful.