Report of Libertarian convention in London on 27-28 October

Last week-end saw the holding of the Libertarian Alliance/Libertarian International convention at the National Liberal Club in London.

It's the first time I've ever attended, and overall I was pleasantly surprised, even though I didn't have much idea what to expect.

We met in the Lloyd George room (an irony considering his role in the rise of welfarism and the decline of classical liberalism), and broke for refreshments in the (now ex-) Smoking Room - a reminder, if one were needed, of just how dismal the prospects for liberty appear in the UK at present.

Points of interest/Action points of note? Try the following for starters:
- The Law of the Sea.  Our inglorious Leaders are trying to award themselves control of the (sea?)lion's share (possibly via a branch of the UN). Considering how poorly state-managed resources are conserved (North Sea fishing grounds, anyone?), we need to raise a hue and cry about this one. Yes, folks, socialism and conservation are NOT in fact natural bedfellows - consider for instance the USSR's environmental legacy (in view of Chernobyl, one hesitates to use the word "glowing" even in jest).

- Law and Order. Things would improve greatly if we moved wherever possible towards a restitutionary focus (i.e. getting the offender to pay the victim, instead of taxing the victim and other innocents to keep the offender in prison). There are plenty of less/non-violent crimes for which this approach would be cheaper and probably more satisfying than the current approach.

- The Surveillance Society. It's probably here to stay. The question is who "owns" or controls the images and other data gathered about us? We may also wonder why the Panopticon State is being created, and just how privacy and freedom are linked (if at all). More of my own thoughts on this later.

- Houseman