The battle against Big Government – join the debate!

Wednesday May 19, 2010

The Free Society, an offshoot of the smokers’ lobby group Forest, today announced an exciting new programme of events that will take place in London in June. Full details click HERE.

In association with the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), the Adam Smith Institute, Big Brother Watch, The Manifesto Club and Liberal Vision, The Free Society is hosting a series of debates entitled Voices of Freedom: The Battle Against Big Government.

Subjects include ‘The Freedom (Great Repeal) Bill’, ‘Big Government is Watching You’, ‘Can a Big Society be a Free Society?’, ‘Hyper-Regulation and the Bully State’; and ‘Who Holds the Liberal Torch in 2010?’.

The debates will be chaired by Mark Littlewood, general-director of the IEA; Claire Fox, director of the Institute of Ideas; James Panton co-founder of The Manifesto Club; and political blogger Iain Dale. They will be held at the IEA on 3, 10, 5, 24 and 29 June.

Speakers currently include Philip Davies MP; Steve Baker MP; Michael White, assistant editor of the Guardian; Ross Clark, author of The Road To Southend: One Man’s Struggle Against the Surveillance Society; Dr Eamonn Butler, director of the Adam Smith Institute; Alex Deane, director of Big Brother Watch and former chief of staff to David Cameron; Dr Tim Evans, president of the Libertarian Alliance; freedom of information campaigner Heather Brooke; Chris Mounsey, leader of the Libertarian party; Josie Appleton of the Manifesto Club; and journalist Philip Johnston, author of Bad Laws: An Explosive Analysis of Britain’s Petty Rules, Health and Safety Lunacies and Madcap Laws. More speakers will be confirmed shortly.

Announcing the series of events, Simon Clark, director of Forest and The Free Society, said: “The Conservatives say they are going to tackle Big Government while the deputy prime minister, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, says he wants to ‘transform our politics so the state has far less control over you, and you have far more control over the state’.

“Voices of Freedom: The Battle Against Big Government will hold the Conservative-Lib Dem administration to account. Our goal is a society that adopts a sensible and pragmatic approach to social and economic affairs, trusting people to make their own decisions about how best to live their lives, mindful of the effect their behaviour may have on other people.”

Welcoming the series of debates, Mark Littlewood, director general of the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: “The emergence of a Conservative-Liberal coalition government might now provide the opportunity for a politics based around individual freedom and responsibility, rather than government diktat. The new prime minister and deputy prime minister use the language of liberty, but will they have the guts and determination to actually put Big Government into reverse gear?

“The case for freedom was often ignored by the previous administration. This series of debates is an important contribution to ensuring that the new government listens rather more closely.”

Dr Eamonn Butler, director and co-founder of the Adam Smith Institute, Britain’s leading free market policy think tank, said: “The message of the election was that the public are fed up with politics and politicians. Their fat, bloated, bullying, self-obsessed Big Government just isn’t working for us. It’s time for a root-and-branch re-think of what government is there to do for us, and how it does it.”

Alex Deane, director of Big Brother Watch, said: “The sheer size of modern government is one of the biggest problems facing Britain, and not just because of the debt it generates. Politicians never tire of spending other people’s money, but as government gets ever bigger, they bully and control more and more, too.”

Josie Appleton, convenor of The Manifesto Club which campaigns “for freedom in everyday life”, said: “Government has expanded into virtually every area of life, undermining the role for morality, community and personal judgement. There is a Home Office commission on drinks promotions such as ‘free drinks for the ladies’ while local authorities have policies on the composition of children’s lunchboxes. The bigger government grows, the more civil life and citizens shrink.”

Julian Harris, executive director of Liberal Vision, a Liberal Democrat pressure group, said: “Big Government is proving to be the Greek tragedy of our age as po-faced politicians gather to bail out each other’s crises. With their debt spiralling upwards, our civil liberties go down the drain. It’s time for real change, not the vacuous kind proposed by leaders who simply want even more control.”

For further information:

Simon Clark 07774 781840
Karen McTigue 07713 250347

Note to editors:

The Free Society (TFS) is an offshoot of the smokers’ lobby group Forest. It campaigns on behalf of those who want less not more government interference in their daily lives.

Venue for the series of debates is the IEA in Westminster and each event will be preceded by a drinks reception hosted by The Free Society and supported by Boisdale of Belgravia.

The Voice of Freedom programme will conclude with a “Smoke on the Water” riverboat party on July 14 co-hosted by Forest, The Free Society and Free Spirits.

Admission to each event is strictly RSVP only. Email contact@forestonline.org or telephone 01223 370156.

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