The Future of the Libertarian Party
Andrew Withers has published his platform as part of his bid to become leader of the Libertarian Party. There is a lot of good stuff in it, although I don't quite share his faith in constitutions. Such documents do not defend freedom any more than the unwritten constitution we currently have - you only have to look at what the US constitution has been used to justify to see that. However, I think it would be good for the party to have a clear vision in order to develop.
And it also needs a clear plan of attack - something that I feel has been lacking thus far. Whoever the new leader is, they need to ask themselves some crucial questions.
Firstly, where is the party going to stand? Only the major parties are able to stand everywhere; more minor parties (particularly those with limited finances) prioritise certain areas over others. How did Caroline Lucas win in Brighton? Because the Green Party focussed a lot if its resources in an area that was very likely to vote Green in sufficient numbers to return an MP. The Libertarian Party needs to do the same - work out where it can win. Then build up organisations in those areas that can campaign on a weekly basis - getting leaflets out and so on. If I was the party leader, then I would choose 10 constituencies to focus on, based on high party membership in those areas and a general demographic likely to be open to the messages of the party. And then I'd get ready for the long-haul; the party won't win a seat at the next election and, most likely, not the one after. It will be a slow process, and will involve a lot of political grunt work. But that's how seats are won in this country.
Secondly, who is going to stand? The party needs to have credible candidates. Sure, they don't need to be Blair clones - the sort of middle-aged, middle-class PR obsessed clones currently running all three major parties. But they do need to have gravitas, conviction and a certain eloquence. They also have to be personable, since the party can only win locally at the moment - meaning that any candidate needs to be able to win over the locals. Now, I don't believe there are any natural candidates, and those chosen will need the time to develop and hone their skills. But working out who are the most electable candidates to stand is an essential part of the process.
Thirdly, where's the money going to come from? The party members give a lot, but their resources are limited. Instead, the party needs to find a way of getting money not only from existing and new members, but also from other sources. One way I would suggest is to run campaigns and ask people to contribute to those. An example from the past: running a campaign against ID cards could have generated extra revenue - "contribute and we will fight this incursion on our liberties". The money could come to the party - without people necessarily joining.
That said, the single best way to raise money is to get new members. And the best way to do that is through publicity. I don't know how to get that publicity, though - PR is not and never will be my strong point. However, one idea that does spring to mind is appointing/electing spokespersons in key policy areas - people who can fire off curts missives about/deconstructions of statist proposals. I'm not talking about people making policies on the hoof, but rather getting the daily attacks on statism seen throughout the Libertarian blogging world out to the wider media. Start getting attention by showing how the party is different to the mainstream.
Fourthly, who's going to work for the party? Because the party needs to start becoming professional, and that means people working full-time for the party. One of the things that bothers me when I read criticisms of the party is the failure to understand that its leaders run the party and work for a living. But there comes a point when the party needs people working full-time in its interests. Maybe there are people out there who can afford to do so voluntarily; failing that, the party needs to get the resources to employ people. Which goes back to the third question - the party needs to find the money to be able to afford this.
At the risk of being harsh, the party at the moment is the preserve of interested amateurs. Unfortunately, in the era of the professional politician and the 24/7 news cycle, that simply isn't going to work. The party needs to become more professional, more focussed and more competitive if it wants to move up to the next political level. And that involves not just ideological strength, but also organisational and strategic strength.
Labels: Libertarians, LPUK
posted by The Nameless Libertarian @ 9:29 am
10 Comments
10 Comments:
Yup, I can agree with all of the above.
Certainly, the needing to work bit is an issue. Ironically, if only we were all as wonderfully well-off as the Left seem to imagine we are, it wouldn't be a problem.
I have simply been inundated this year and—damn it!—I enjoy my work, so I have given very little to the party this year.
Anyway, I am speechifying at York Uni in the first week of November, if you're around and fancy a pint or eighty...
DK
Appreciate your comments- I have been fighting a protracted Court battle that comes to a head on Monday. After that I will outline where the money is coming from, my strategy, and the office I want to open
DK,
Definitely give me a shout when you're in York - I'll try to make it along to your speecifying and am always up for a beer.
Guthrum,
Look forward to reading about your plans - good luck with the court case.
TNL
"...the single best way to raise money is to get new members. And the best way to do that is through publicity. I don't know how to get that publicity, though - PR is not and never will be my strong point"
Then for Pete's sake stop using hackneyed, ignorant, reflex terms of abuse like 'PR obsessed'. It makes you look more amateurish than by your own admission you are, not to mention ridiculous when, later on in the same post, you say that what you need is some PR professionalism and expertise.
Heart in right place but must try harder.
http://bit.ly/bmoeD5
I have to be honest, I had never heard of the Libertarian Party until I found your Blog.
The first thing would be publicity. You need to get on the national radio, somehow. At least make people who are disillusioned with the meja aware that the party exists.
I have, I am afraid to say, no constructive ideas.
Hi,
I'm a member of my local tea party. We started out as a group of about 50 people meeting in a neighbor's barn on a cold March evening literally surrounded by hay and pitchforks about 18 months ago. We have now grown to over 900 people and meet every other Friday in a church meeting hall. Our membership is actually quite larger as some people have now split off and formed sister tea party groups in nearby localities.
We formed different groups where individuals were responsible for education, outreach, advertising, etc. Volunteers hold education classes regarding our constitution and rights and offer classes free to the public. We also have a research team who spend their time thoroughly researching candidates and reporting back to the group. We had someone train a group of us to be effective citizen lobbyists. We covered each section like education, business, healthcare etc. At least one member from our group would then attend legislative meetings and speak on our behalf from each sector and report back to the group what was going on in the legislative session. We hold "meet the candidate" nights where the public is invited to hear local candidates speak. We organized so that our people would win delegate nominations and therefore could vote for the senate candidate of our choice to run for office both at the state and local level.
We attend every public event like 4th of July city parties and hand out leaflets. We march in various parades with our t-shirts and hand out information. We hold peaceful rallies on the steps of our capital building where we will have politician speakers attend. Each week members invite and bring in newcomers.
Once a month our state senator now meets with the leadership of our group to hear what we think on issues and how we want him to vote. A few months ago we ousted the establishment candidate that no one thought possible and put in one of our guys. We certainly have the senator's ear as he is up for re-election in 2 years.
Good luck!
Oh, we also have a local website that has a message board to discuss political issues. We advertise meetings and other social events like meeting in a park for picnics and games.
We also have a volunteer who sends out mass emails to our members telling us when a vote is about to happen and encourages us all to phone our local and state politicians to tell them how we want them to vote. I think this has helped alot. Sometimes our politicans receive so many calls it is hard to get through.
We also do robo calls and personal calls reminding people of important events and rallies to attend.
We also support our local sister groups. For example we have an under dog candidate running for office out of my precinct but we understand how important it is to get this person in office. Our members will be volunteering for this candidate by dividing up shifts to make calls and handing out leaflets, even though we can't vote for him. He is in a tough fight and needs all the recognition and help.
The rallies on the capital steps give candidates like him a platform to speak and reach people.
Hope some ideas will help.
Prodicus,
There is difference between being PR savvy and being PR obsessed. All three of the main party leaders appear to be the latter. Yes, you have to be popular to be elected - but a true 'conviction politician' would risk unpopularity in order to do the right thing. Cameron, Clegg and Miliband all seem reluctant to do this.
The leadership of the main parties have fallen under the sway of the PR people; they need to remember that PR has its uses, but if it becomes an obsession it will only lead to a bland mediocrity in politics. On the flip side of the coin, the Libertarian Party needs to use PR to raise its profile, but make sure it doesn't become the focus for all the party's operations.
As for your patronising assertion of "Heart in right place but must try harder" - well, I don't think it applies here. I'm offering my views on the party I am a member of - something I'm more than entitled to do and something that I hope will further the constructive debate about the future of your party. To dismiss what I've written because you think you've found a contradiction in my post(which actually doesn't exist) is pretty pathetic really.
TNL
There's PR and there's propaganda. Many cannot spot the difference.
I am also not sure Andrew's concentration on a constitution is the right way to go, however I do agree with you we need to focus our resources on an area that is potentially more likely to vote libertarian and then build the base from there.
Perhaps asking all the members where their strengths lie and seeing if they would be prepared to volunteer some time using these strengths to support the leadership, in this day and age it doesn't matter where we are (other than for attending meetings etc) as everything can be dealt with online.
Until the members get more involved in however minor a way, we are going to struggle to get the message across. However we need to identify what areas we need them to get involved in to support and grow the party perhaps a section on the website can you do this?
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