For those of you with a fantastically detailed historical knowledge of Samizdata, you’ll recall the Liberty Club, which Brian Micklethwait posted several pieces about a decade ago.
This is a student society which I ran with Marian Tupy while at St Andrews. It was created because we were fed up with all the socialism promoted by Leftist students. And we didn’t want to attend Tory soirees with John Selwyn Gummer: we wanted to promote libertarian ideas. (By the way, Dr Tupy is now doing this, and I am doing this.)
Much to my amazement, the Liberty Club is going strong. And I was pleased recently to meet the new President, Daniel Pycock, who is fizzing with ideas for the club. He has a good list of speakers lined up for this term (I suspect he’s going to get a lot of abuse for inviting the brilliant climate sceptic Viscount Monkton).
Anyway, hearing about what the Liberty Club is up to made me go back to Brian’s write-ups. I noticed in the comments of one, a reader asked whether there were similar societies at other universities, and I wrote:
There’s the LSE Hayek Society. I am also in contact with someone at Leeds University who is looking into a setting up a Liberty Club.
Today, thanks to the work of the Freedom Association and the Liberty League, there are at least 16 such societies on campuses across the country. This is fantastic – and bodes well for the future of libertarianism in this country.
Brian’s articles:
St Andrews is at it again – March 8, 2002
Face to face with the St. Andrews libertarians – April 22, 2002
What life at university should be like – March 13, 2003
Liberty Club marches on – May 20, 2003
I’m speaking, in my NO2ID role, at Bristol University Freedom Society
http://www.bristolfreedom.co.uk/
in November. There was, as far as I am aware, no such organisation there in the early 80s. Not even a branch of the FCS.
Good news.
Can I come? The Union is only a 20 minute walk away from my Gaff, as Paul now knows.
St Andrews eh? Funnily enough the district in which I live. One wonders if kate and William joined any clubs and societies during their sojourn at St Andrews? And if so, which ones?
This is excellent news. From small acorns….