United Kingdom Libertarian Party
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Libertarian Party
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|---|---|
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| Leader | Adam Brown |
| Party chairman | Simon Walmsley |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Headquarters | Gemini House, 136–140 Old Shoreham Road, BN3 7BD Brighton |
| Youth wing | Libertarian Youth |
| Ideology |
Right-Libertarianism, Minarchism, Classical liberalism, Euroscepticism |
| European affiliation | None |
| International affiliation |
International Alliance of Libertarian Parties, Interlibertarians |
| European Parliament group | None |
| Colours | Blue and yellow |
| Website | |
| http://www.libertarianpartyuk.com | |
The Libertarian Party, also known as the Libertarian Party UK (or LPUK), is a libertarian political party in the United Kingdom. The party describes itself as "largely minarchist in scope".
The party was founded on 1 January 2008 under the leadership of Patrick Vessey who registered the name with the Electoral Commission on 21 November 2007. Annual accounts held by the Electoral Commission, show that the party claimed to have 314 members at the end of 2008, and a net annual income of £3,395. By December 2009, the party claimed 500 members. In May 2008, the Daily Telegraph leader writer, Alex Singleton, explained why the founders would have been better advised to set up a pressure group rather than a party. Singleton believed the new party would reduce the influence of libertarianism.
On 17 September 2008, Vessey resigned as party leader and was replaced by Ian Parker-Joseph, an IT consultant. Interviewed before the 2010 elections, Parker-Joseph claimed many policies which interfered with personal liberty were initiated by IT companies who invited ministers to their conferences The party claimed a membership of 1000 and hoped, in the wake of the MP expenses scandal, "to establish themselves in the media landscape with a couple of robust performances". He said the party wanted much smaller government and would initially cut taxation to 10% before removing it altogether. It could remove many layers of bureaucracy from the NHS to make it as efficient as private industry.
In the 2009 local elections, Andrew Hunt came bottom in Cambridgeshire, Wisbech South, with 140 votes. In the United Kingdom local elections, 2010 Stuart Heal came bottom in Manchester City Council, Miles Platting and Newton Heath ward.
The party participated in the United Kingdom general election, 2010. Nic Coome stood in Devizes, coming last with 141 votes (0.3%), and Martin Cullip in Sutton and Cheam, coming second last with 41 votes. On 28 November 2010, Andrew Withers was elected as party leader. In the May 2011 local elections, Withers was elected as an independent parish councillor for Clevedon Walton ward in North Somerset, resigning around March 2012.
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