The Tories - Still Not Libertarian

Far be it from me to smile smugly and to do my "I told you so" dance, but as DK points out, there are some disappointed Tories out there with Cameron's latest pronouncements on alcohol. Well, seriously, what did those "Libertarian Tories" expect? Cameron isn't a Libertarian - he even said so himself. The giveaway for his ideological beliefs is in the name of the party he leads. Yep, he's a Conservative. So of course he's going to espouse Conservative policies. 

A lot of Tory members seem to labour under the delusion that Libertarians such as myself aren't members of the party because of Cameron. Well, they're wrong. I don't like young "Hug a Husky" Cameron, but there is a wider problem with the Tories in my book. Namely that they are not, never have been and never will be Libertarian. For any rhetoric you may get on economic liberalism, there will be a whole raft of socially conservative policies also coming from the Tories. It is what they do, see? They are the Conservative party. For every member of the party like Carswell, Hannan and (on occasion) Davis, there are another 40 members of the Daily Mail reading, blue rinsed prudes just looking to condemn and ban any behaviour that they don't approve of. I know, I was a member of the Tory party for a few years and I saw them all in all of their "glory". And even if there is a growing Libertarian posse within the Tories, they are still going to have to look after the blue rinse brigade. After all, it is only that lot that kept the Tories afloat in the dark days of the early part of this century. 

Cue a thousand and one Libertarian Tories muttering about the "politics being the art of the possible". I understand the concept; I just don't think that converting the Tories into a Libertarian party is actually possible. Look at the leader, look at the membership, look at the political history and look at the policies.  Libertarians in the Tory party should stop deceiving themselves. Their party will never be Libertarian. 

Finally, think about where we are now in the electoral cycle. Cameron is riding high in the polls, he doesn't need to do this sort of Daily Mail pleasing, bansturbation style bollocks. So why does he do it? Because it is what he believes in. And for "Libertarian" Tories currently thinking this sort of thing is bad, just wait until Cameron is in power and struggling in the polls. Then you will see just how little he actually cares for the Libertarian ideology.