The successful Westminster news blog founded by libertarian old-hand and pamphleteer Paul Staines has carried a paid-post portraying reliable lifestyle-libertarian Chris Snowdon as a blood sucking vampire. The no-holds-barred attack comes across laughably as it attempts to trick us into a misprounciation and paint Snowdon as paid shill for gambling interests:

Christopher “Silly Count” Snowdon writes for the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) which purports to be a libertarian think-tank. However, it usually “thinks” the same as the business sectors which fund it

Guy Herbert, No2ID remarked that the article shows a conspiracy mindset in which “No-one disagrees with the righteous honestly, only as paid servants of evil.”

The article goes onto to provide a definition of the nanny state (“an empowered regulator”) while attempting to label it as the opposite:

It is not “nanny-state” to require sensible enforcement by an empowered regulator of sensible gambling regulations. Gambling should never be regarded as a “free-market” issue.

Reactions were mixed. Some agreed and disagreed with the thrust of the article – supporting regulation of the Fixed Odds Betting Terminals. Other’s were dismissive:

Sponsored content accusing someone of… sponsored content. Couldn’t make it up. – Prez

A minority of frothy-mouthed left wing nutjobs really has it in for [Chris Snowdon] – Gaz Corfield

Paul Nižinskyj of Conservatives for Liberty expressed concern:

It’s a shame Guido don’t realise how much damage this does to their credibility. My respect for them has gone through the floor.

To which Guido replied:

On the other hand I have replenished my cellar…

Snowdon, however, takes it well:

If they can only get their warped message out by paying for space on a libertarian blog then good luck to them!

Overall, it seems this post is unlikely to persuade anyone, and Guido is a good person to waste nanny’s money on. What is important is that everyone is still getting along fine.