Happy New Year! The calendar has clicked over and a new year begins, and 2011 is consigned to history. It is natural at this time to reflect and also to look forward to what the new year brings.

Origins

In the summer of 2011 this website was hurried into existence as a stop-gap to bring together and report upon events for the community of activists that constituted the core of the UK Libertarian Party in London and the North West. Last year started as the first year of a comeback for LPUK with myself, Clarissa, Max, John and Ken enthusiastically working on the revamped website but by April, scandal and obfuscation had rendered the Party a dead man walking and the situation has not changed since. I hope 2012 will be a year in which this website can grow beyond its origins and become a natural destination for Libertarians and throughout the United Kingdom.

Identity crisis?

The line between the website as a publication and its audience as a group has been blurred, and it is still unclear how the two will be constituted going forward. For me, this identity crisis represents a weakness and strength.

Despite the website springing into existence just this year, the maturity of the London community allowed us to bring about a very successful piece of activism, 120 leaflets were distributed under the Libertarian Home name at the St Paul’s camp gaining press coverage in the City AM free paper with a certified distribution of over 100,000 copies, this is on a par with any piece of activism organised by LPUK members and is just the beginning.

At the same time, the establishment of an advertising supported website with profit making aspirations as the core for an activist community doesn’t seem to fit. To be a success in it’s present format requires input from a wide variety of unpaid contributors and I cannot aspire to replicate the Huffington Post’s reliance on audience size to attract them because my real aspiration – to generate activism – seems to preclude it. I will be consulting with activists and contributors through the spring to work out a strategy to address this identity crisis, but expect changes in format through the year.

January Events

As the year ahead rolls into view there are already events to start getting ready for.

Thursday 5th – our Southwark Drinks will indeed be going ahead at the Rose and Crown, Colombo Street, London as usual. As well as the issues above Michael Saxon has asked me to place the Wolfson Prize onto the agenda.

Sunday 8th January – John Watson, former treasurer of LPUK, hosts a meet up of Scottish Libertarians from 14:00 at The Cloisters (26 Brougham Street, Edinburgh – EH3 9JH) to discuss the creation of a new party in Scotland.

Tuesday 24th – the IEA hosts “Freedom and Pluralism: conflicts and convergence” a talk on liberal theory and 
the history of liberal thought from Jacob T. Levy of McGill University. Starting at 630pm at the IEA on 2 Lord North Street, London, SW1 (door on Great Peter Street).

Wednesday 25th the IEA host a panel on Well-being and the role of government asking “can government policy make us happier?” also starting at 630pm at the same address. Panellists include Jesse Norman, Prof J R Shackleton, Chris Snowdon and Jamie Whyte.

Thursday 26th – the ASI hosts talks on Monetary Reform & The Eurozone Crisis by Detlev Schlichter, Brendan Brown, Andrew Lilico. Starting from 1830 at the St Stephen’s Club, 34 Queen Anne’s Gate, London SW1H 9AB.