Nick Hogan Released -Official

It took the blogosphere just four days to raise
the near £10 000 to secure the release of Nick Hogan, imprisoned for
six months for flouting the smoking ban in his own premises and failing
to act as the States unofficial Policeman.

It took a further five days to convince Paypal
that the money collected was not part of some International Money
Laundering, Drugs and Sex trafficking Ring, and for the cash to be
released by a High Street Bank under the Money Laundering
'Regulations', during which time Nick continued to languish in Jail.
This in an age when Billions can be rocketed from London to Tokyo in
seconds by our trusted and well beloved Banking industry.

This was always a Libertarian issue, a civil rights issue rather than a
Public Health issue. The hypocrisy of taxing tobacco and punishing its
users beggars belief. If I choose to inhale noxious substances on my
own property, that is my own decision. If members of the public do not
like it do not come onto my private property, go somewhere else to
drink your own brand of poison (until it is banned next of course)

In an age of political parties queuing up to 'do something' which usually means banning something the Libertarian Party was pleased to support Old Holborn and Anna Raccoon with cash and what publicity and support it could muster. However we were more pleased that this attracted support and money from across the political spectrum and across the world.

We do not have to put up with this, we are the people not this Stasi inclined State

Just Do Something To Fight Back- This Is A Libertarian Issue

This is a Libertarian issue if there ever was one, for the sake of £1, you can get a man released from prison. Old Holborn is running a campaign to raise £10 000 to get his fine paid.

As of 16.00 Hrs Monday the amount raised was £3144.00



There has been a fair amount of comment in the blogosphere regarding the six month jail sentence given to Nick Hogan for flouting the 'no-smoking ban'.

Outrage has been duly expressed, here, there, and everywhere. Perhaps we can do better than just express outrage?

Nick was actually jailed for non-payment of the fine originally imposed for a 'mass smoke-in' on the day the ban came into force in 2007 in his pub, the 'Swan and Barristers' in Bolton. He no longer has that pub. He was fined again when council inspectors walked into his present pub and discovered a group of customers smoking - Nick wasn't even on the premises.

His wife, Denise, is now managing their present pub in Chorley herself. Their trade is so low that they don't even bother to open the downstairs bar. Nick is bankrupt, and had gone to court intending to argue that he could not afford the £500 a month payments demanded by the council towards their £11,600 bill for prosecuting him. He has already paid off £1,600. The court gave him a six month sentence instead, and he is currently in Forest Bank prison in Pendlebury, unable to help to earn the money which would ensure his release.

Denise has not even been able to speak to him since he was sentenced. She has merely been told to phone the prison on Monday to enquire when she might see him. She is confused, frightened, and feeling very lonely.

If all the people who disagree with the no-smoking ban contributed a few coppers, then Nick would be released. If you can't afford £1, then at least drop Nick a line and let him know he is not forgotten - not surprisingly, he is feeling very depressed.

Denise has just said to me 'all the people who disagree with the ban - where are they now? - and my Nick is in prison'. Quite.

Denise has no idea how to use the Internet, she has no idea how many of us are against the no-smoking ban. Let's show her.

£1 each - just 10,000 of you - let's see if the blogosphere can do more than merely rant in unison. Once the amount received totals the outstanding fine, they have to release Nick.

Nick's address is:

HMP & YOI Forest Bank
Agecroft Road
Pendlebury
Manchester
M27 8FB

OH UPDATE: Under the health act of 2006, it is the responsibility of the owner or the controller of "smoke free" space to uphold the law. It is not illegal to smoke in a shop or on a train. It is illegal for the owner or controller of the space to allow you to smoke.

Reprinted from the OH site

THE DONATE BUTTON IS ON THE OH SITE TOP RIGHT

The Libertarian Party is utterly opposed to people going to jail for offences such as this.

I Like This Idea...

I like it a lot.

Public spending as a percentage of GDP would obviously fall sharply, and those that depend on public spending would certainly feel the squeeze (although social welfare recipients could be given the option of staying on benefit if they relocated outside the City). But against that, Hull would attract entrepreneurs and private investment on an unprecedented scale - and with its easy European access, much of the inflow would come from overseas. There would soon be jobs for all.

I've had to turn down several job offers from several Hull-based companies as the returns quickly diminished when I factored in the cost of travel and tax making my take-home wage significantly lower than minimum wage; but significantly reduced taxation? That alters things quite a bit.

A future consideration for LPUK policy? I don't want to live off the back of you shandy drinking southerners- I want to compete and reclaim the revolution the collectivists have eroded over the last 3 centuries.

You Can't Have It Both Ways

Having left my car in the drive for fear of crashing it on my hill (partly because it's an icy death trap, partly because I'm a coward) I read in this mornings Metro that North Yorkshire county council is planning on cranking up their council tax to pay for snow damage (no link yet but the tax payers alliance has one from a few days ago from the Northern Echo.

No.

Presuming other councils are planning similar rises I have to say that with the amount of money they are squirreling away to make up for their own inadequate pension funds and their cowtowing to central govt. diktat this is beyond the pale.

NYCC predict the cost of pothole and road repairs to be £1m; I wonder how much they've spent on climate change advisers and consultations? You know, that thing that was supposed to usher in snow free Christmas' and Winters? Here in the midst of the coldest winter since global warming beganwe find these self serving, meeley mouthed fools again demanding money for a problem they claimed, with the pride of King Cnut, that we would never see again.

Remember as sad as it is your local council is the states representative to it's people; it derives the majority of it's funding directly from central government-fleeced taxpayer money (or, as is the case with our current structural deficit, IOUs in you children and grandchildrens names).

May I humbly suggest to my North Yorkshire colleagues that prior to February 17th (the date the proposals are debates with the full council, if they can get there through the snow) that you let David Cameron's conservatives know anything less than a funding neutral transfer of funds from their global warming shibboleth to road repairs and winter protection will result in them being (r)ejected at the next (local & general) election.

Grips have got to be got; here's a start.

First Authoritarian Outing Of Tory Party Policy

A Prisoners Earnings to Be Taxed
and the money used to fund Rape Crisis Centres

Fabian social control using the Tax system, how novel !

Strengthening Police stop and Search powers, and 'grounding' orders

The Police will love that, and abuse it the same way they did the Terrorism Act

Anybody caught carrying a knife should expect to go to jail

That's me buggered then, I had better start practicing gnawing through stuff as an alternative to carrying a tool to do the job.

Allow Police to use surveillance powers in routine cases without need for authorisation

The Stasi Charter, the DDR did this they bugged and followed people and completedly missed the 1989 revolution. Do CCHQ not watch films like the 'Lives of Others' or read books like '1989, The Berlin Wall, My Part In Its Downfall' by Peter Millar.

The Police will love this

Replace Police Authorities with Elected Police Commissioners.

No No No, Elected Chief Constables. In Swindon when the Authority said they were going to rip out speed cameras, the Chief Constable just said he was not accepting that, and would put more mobile units on the street. The Chief Constable should set out his Policing Priorities in his manifesto, not drafted by the likes of Jack Straw.

VOTE TORY, VOTE FOR AN AUTHORITARIAN POLICE STATE


This crap comes out the same day the Met was chastised for allowing a taxi Driver sexually assault forty women, because they basically could not give a toss.

Yorkshire Region Coordinator

As you are no doubt aware the regional coordinator for Yorkshire stood down recently and left the Party. As Libertarians it is important that the Party is a grass roots body with its members having a big say in how their region/county/district is run.

Yorkshire Libertarians are a reasonably sized and active group within the Party and we looking for a regional coordinator to step in to the role quickly. The task isn't onerous and we can provide support from the NCC. As he lives in the North West the Chairman, Gregg Beaman, (gregg.beamann@lpuk.org) has volunteered to help and work closely with the co-ordinator. Typical duties include:

· Organise local meetings and stir up activism and local recruitment

· Greet new members and make them feel welcome - I copy the coordinator on introductory emails

· Vet anyone who wants to stand for office in any of the assorted elections that we have. Again the NCC will be involved and we need someone with local knowledge and personal contacts to help us

· Attend NCC meetings. These will be held every two months or so and assistance with expenses is available. Unfortunately they are like to be in London as all roads lead to London and it is easier for the South West and Scotland teams, for example, to get there

If you would like to consider this role please feel free to contact Gregg or me and we can discuss it with you.

It has also been suggested that if we cannot find anyone for the role that we merge Yorkshire and North West as they are also active with a coordinator. Being a Yorkshireman myself I'm not sure restarting the War of the Roses is the best solution, so give the position some thought.

mailto:simon.fawthrop@lpuk.org

Exciting Times Cost Money

Things should start getting a bit more exciting for the LPUK in the next few weeks, the NCC have been pondering the publicity blackout enforced by the Main stream Media. Not ones to don spidermen outfits and dangle from the House of Commons roof or a nearby bridges, we needed a cost effective alternative. Chris Mounsey our new leader has this now in hand, and when the go is given, LPUK members will be the first to know.

My job as treasurer is however to prepare for the upswing. At the the Conference I said I hoped that we could open a permanent office staffed by at least one part time official and backed up by volunteers. My target date for this is May 2010. To do this I am relying on a core of donors to guarantee the wage bill and other running costs.

However we will need office equipment of all descriptions, if you think you can donate that Louis XIV desk please let us know asap.

In the meantime we still need to up our donation rate, so please give generously as a member or as one of the LPUK's supporters. Monthly Standing order forms can be quickly set up to our account so please contact us at donate@lpuk.org