On the EU, social thinking and local democracy


The People’s Pledge offered me the chance to supply a guest blog post, in which I argue that the EU should be abolished:

I detested the European Constitution. It was palpably statist and bound to produce an unaccountable bureaucracy. It was everything Hayek warned us about in The Road to Serfdom and against which Popper railed in The Open Society and its Enemies: a little elite was to steer our lives by widespread intervention – for our own good you understand – largely free of democratic control. The idea stretches back at least to Plato and it has fathered humanity’s most lamentable episodes.

For The Cobden Centre, I set out how The Catholic church in the UK has come a long way from Salamanca, the birthplace of economic theory:

The various doctrines of statism have failed. For those of us who wish to live in an ethical society which benefits all its members, it is time to rediscover that moral tradition of social thinking which began formally in Salamanca. It is time to refine and apply the doctrine of justice, peace, prosperity and fulfilment which is humble about the uses of coercive power and optimistic about the potential of individuals cooperating in society.

And the Bucks Free Press, reports my comments on uncontested District Council seats:

“Conservatives are standing in every seat but some people will be disappointed where there is no choice.”

The House of Commons backbencher said: “There is a real problem however.

“Most political campaigning today is single issue, so we know people do care passionately, but too few people are prepared to make a difference by joining a party and standing for election.

“In the end, all single issues have to be dealt with in the context of all the others and that means we need political ideas, consistent approaches and people prepared to stand for election on a platform.”

Follow the links for the full articles.

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