As we enter autumn, there is a pressing national problem: the prospects look poor for a free society with abundance, hope, security, lower taxes and better public services that the country can afford. The new Government appears unable to persuade its MPs to vote for even their most essential reforms to welfare and the immigration system, never mind the serious change we need across a wide field. Meanwhile, the two main centre-right parties look set to deny one another the opportunity to form a majority government at the next election.
It would be easy to lapse into defeatism. The state is failing too many people in need. Political promises to deal with insecurity, poverty and public service failure go unfulfilled year after year, whoever is in power. Initiatives multiply along with evidence of their failure.
It’s time to move upstream of party politics. The old managerial ideas which have been common ground between the parties are now failing. It is increasingly obvious that it is untenable to constrain what people think and say, expand the state, raise taxes, borrow more and debase the currency, weaken property rights, restrict choice and behave as if every social problem needs another lever pulled from Whitehall. Devolution is in vogue again, but shifting the same system to smaller geographical areas is not likely to inspire or succeed. Our problems need to be understood differently and a credible practical and moral case made for another way.
Instead, we need to entrench across all parties and opinion formers the ideas that will make it easier to build a business, keep and use more of what we earn, own a home and start a family, educate your children in line with your values, speak freely, associate in your own interests and escape from needless interference.
That’s why the Fighting for a Free Future project is stepping up our work to amplify the UK’s great voices for a free society.
Tomorrow in central London, we hold our next event to examine the prospects for liberty under this Government:
Silkie Carlo from Big Brother Watch will discuss Britain’s free speech problem. A society which wishes to make progress through freedom cannot police what people think and say.
Lord Dan Hannan will survey the prospects for liberty as Director General of the Institute of Economic Affairs. Can we make the case for greater freedom in the UK and rediscover the habits, culture and institutions on which a free and improving society depends?
And then our think tank panel will discuss what can be done:
While this is an invitation-only event, the arguments will not remain in the room. We will share the discussion and our key points on our social media channels in the days ahead, and to our followers here!
The UK is in a perilous position. Drift will not provide the improving prosperity and security the public is right to demand. While politicians inevitably follow public opinion, we will bring together and amplify voices working hard to change it with hope and rigour by fighting for a free future.
The case for liberty is not exhausted. In this pivotal moment, it must and will be made again.