What's the Best Result for Libertarians at the Next General Election?

Whatever happens next year, the General Election will not see a Libertarian - or even a Libertarian leaning - party in power in this country. Whilst the Libertarian party will fight some seats, it will have to focus on simply achieving a modicum of electoral success rather than setting its sight on power. A Libertarian government will hopefully happen one day; as it stands, that day is still far, far away. So the question has to be put - what would be the best result for UK Libertarians in the 2010 General Election?

Obviously, a continuation of the Labour government would be a disaster; not just for Libertarians, but for the country as a whole. Labour have bankrupted us, undermined our troops fighting in hostile environments, and treated civil liberties as a problem that needs to be legislated out of existence. Labour have been like a virulent wasting disease for the UK; they will leave our country as a fraction of its former self, and in dire need of radical reform to make it healthy again. No, more from the Labour party is an utterly horrific idea.

There are, of course, "Libertarian" Tories who will tell you that the best bet is to hope the Tories will get in. Whilst I dare say that the Tories may increase economic freedom a little if they win power after the next election, I can't see them being that economically radical. And everything indicates that any future Tory administration will be just as socially conservative as previous Tory administrations. The Tories may increase your economic freedom, but they will have no qualms about sitting in judgment over how you live socially and what your moral beliefs are - you can look at pretty much any pronouncement from IDS to illustrate this. Once again, it is worth noting that the Tories are not Libertarian, and it is naive to expect them to behave in a Libertarian way.

Finally we have the Liberal Democrats. Of course, they're not going to be able to form a government after the next election, but even if they could, a Libertarian can't hope for a Lib Dem victory. Their curious mix of right and left-wing policies always leads to the conclusion that the Liberal Democrats are political gadflies, constantly trying to triangulate between the other two main parties. And any close analysis of their politics shows them to be neither Liberal or Democratic.

Therefore, none of the above would the most appropriate choice for a Libertarian looking for the best victor at the next General Election. Unfortunately, one of those parties will form the next government. Or will have to share power with another of those parties.

Which is what I reckon would be the best result for a Libertarian after the next General Election; a coalition government. Preferably between the Tories and the Liberal Democrats. Sure, a coalition government would prevent any radical policies being implemented, but that is rather the point. Any radical policies after the next election will probably increase the power of the state; therefore, a coalition government could prevent the sort of statecentric radicalism - that forms the post-Blairite consensus - from wreaking further destruction on the UK. Furthermore, the social policies of the Lib Dems would help to neutralise the social conservatism of the Tories, just as the social democracy of the Lib Dems would be offset by the natural instincts of the Tories. Whilst those two parties struggled to make a coalition work, anti-statist parties like the Libertarians could build up their profile and work towards becoming a viable political force.

Ideally, the next government would roll back the frontiers of the state. Since that isn't going to happen, the best a Libertarian can hope for is some sort of paralysis in the next government, and a coalition would be the best way to achieve that.