Why leaving UKIP is right for anyone who loves freedom.

Daily Echo

THE UK Independence Party's Bournemouth conference kicked off yesterday with a controversial call to legalise all drugs.

The provocative statement was made by guest speaker James Whale and left many party delegates "stunned and appalled".

Party representatives were quick to stress that the former TalkSport presenter's views are not official party policy.

But they also insist they are "not afraid" to debate big issues that other parties shy away from.

While it is good that UKIP have the balls to debate the subject, their reaction to James Whale's pro-freedom comments are a shame.

UKIP struggles with its membership, because while its leader is fairly Libertarian, his membership is made up of a real mixture of people, united by their hatred of the EU. I stuck it out with UKIP for much longer than I should, because I agree that the EU is probably the single most important issue at the moment. I still vote UKIP when there is no Libertarian candidate and will still vote for them at EU clown parliament elections.

However, I became more and more uncomfortable with the alternative that UKIP would provide, if they were to form government. There are still large chunks of the party that clamour for National Service and that blowing the shit out of Iraq was good. They are old school authoritarians really, no better than the old parties.

I can't see the point in replacing tyranny on a European level, only to have it on a national level instead. It may be a slightly better tuned tyranny, but it is still one set of people, forcing others to do things against their will.

The drugs issue is simply pathetic in the world today. Let me get one thing straight from the start though, before I put my case. I think most drugs are pretty abhorrent. Anything that can make people like Amy Whinehouse and Pete Doherty into the pathetic wrecks that they are, really can't be classed as good. Indeed, you would have to be an utter moron to follow their path.

That does not matter though. It is THEIR bodies and THEIR choice what they put into those bodies. There are other drugs that clearly don't do anywhere near the same sort of harm and if people want to use them, then they should be FREE to do so.

Of course there is a caveat to legalising drugs. That caveat being that if you commit crime while on them, then you will be punished harshly. Indeed, maybe even more harshly than you would have been, if not on drugs. That way, only the people who actually hurt others will be punished and the system would have much more capacity to make sure that punishment is made in full.

So James Whale was right. I totally see where he is coming from with his views and I find it sad that party that pretends to stand for freedom, exposes itself for what it is. Just the same as the old parties, with a slightly different more local form of authoritarianism on offer.

Thanks, but no thanks and it is why UKIP are my substitute choice, instead of my primary.

You want and believe in freedom in Britain, then you only have one choice. That is the Libertarian Party.