UKIP - A Libertarian Party?

[Sec. of State Superique]

There's no reason that there are many economical proposals of the UKIP that are basically related with Libertarian economical policies, such as a flat-tax, the end of smoking bans, massive cuts on taxes and an end of the inheritance tax but there are many other policies where the UK Independence Party cannot fit on that label.

There immigration position goes against the very principle of freedom and what's the purpose of their support for increased military spending? Honestly, I can't believe that people could fit the UKIP as a libertarian organization. As far as I'm concerned, they are just a bunch of far-right politicians.

What it's your opinion?

[Famous Mortimer]

They are an economically classical liberal party.

I don't think they are particularly socially liberal though.

So they aren't true ideological libertarians.

Then again, organized Libertarianism has always been primarily about market worship. The social liberalism is mostly just a Trojan horse for dumb young people.

[YL]

There are some libertarians in the party, but overall no.  I think they're closer to a sort of English version of Poujadism than to libertarianism.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Libertarian in the sense that Ron Paul is a libertarian.

[Sec. of State Superique]

Libertarian in the sense that Ron Paul is a libertarian.

Ron Paul is not calling for any anti-immigration agenda as far as I'm concerned.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

lolno

There are some libertarians in the party, but overall no.  I think they're closer to a sort of English version of Poujadism than to libertarianism.

Correct answer!

[DC Al Fine]

They're obviously the best choice for a libertarian in the UK, but are not a libertarian party.

[Sec. of State Superique]

Maybe they are paleolibertarians... :/

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Such things do not exist.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Libertarian in the sense that Ron Paul is a libertarian.

Ron Paul is not calling for any anti-immigration agenda as far as I'm concerned.

Even when Paul was less pro-immigration (pre-2009 or so), he wasn't in favor of the tough on crime stuff that UKIP has put forward.  Libertarians have supported UKIP only b/c the other options have been seen as even worse. 

[Lurker]

Libertarian in the sense that Ron Paul is a libertarian.

Ron Paul is not calling for any anti-immigration agenda as far as I'm concerned.

Even when Paul was less pro-immigration (pre-2009 or so), he wasn't in favor of the tough on crime stuff that UKIP has put forward.  Libertarians have supported UKIP only b/c the other options have been seen as even worse.  

Who are these people and how do you define "Libertarian"?

[Deus Naturae]

Even disregarding immigration, isn't UKIP pro-police state?

[Phony Moderate]

Even disregarding immigration, isn't UKIP pro-police state?

I don't know, but I do recall Farage defending the British security services on the issue of surveillance.

[All Along The Watchtower]

Libertarians don't exist outside of the Internet.

[Cassius]

If they were a libertarian party, I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole. Thankfully, they're not.

[Deus Naturae]

If they were a libertarian party, I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole. Thankfully, they're not.

I'm not saying they are, but you realize that's how they describe themselves?

[freefair]

They basically use that word in their website pre-amble to denote "Not Fascist".

[Cassius]

If they were a libertarian party, I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole. Thankfully, they're not.

I'm not saying they are, but you realize that's how they describe themselves?

Yeah I know, but I think that's just harmless fluff to try and make them sound more appealing to 'the centre' (not quite sure how, but there's probably been some research done on it).

[ingemann]

Are the Republican Party a Pan-Slavic party? Some parties and ideologies don't make sense outside of the cultural context they was born in, and American Libertarianism are one of those parties. They would in an international context just be described as a Neo-Liberal or Anarcho Capitalist party (the latter description are more of the description of the ideology some of its members hold, than their official ideology). So it doesn't make sense to talk about an Libertarian Party outside USA (unless it's European anarchist we're talking about) or in an context where people have been so assimilated into an American political context that they're unelectable abroad.
  

[ingemann]

If they were a libertarian party, I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole. Thankfully, they're not.

I'm not saying they are, but you realize that's how they describe themselves?

Yeah I know, but I think that's just harmless fluff to try and make them sound more appealing to 'the centre' (not quite sure how, but there's probably been some research done on it).

The only people who know what Libertarianism mean are people who spend to much time on internet boards. I doubt they have done any research on it, they have just used common sense. But I agree Libertarian do sound better to real people than Nationalist and Neo-Liberal when you describe your ideology.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Labels, Smaybulls.

Are UKIP Libertarians? Of course not, under any meaning of the word. They are Poujadists. Of course, this means that many of them would be libertarians in the United States but that's a complete different matter.

[Lurker]

The UKIP appears to be nothing more than you run-of-the-mill far right party, characterized by the typical paranoia and conspiratorial thinking.

On that note, I look forward to seeing their deluded supporters trying to explain why they won zero seats in the 2015 general election.

[Cassius]

The UKIP appears to be nothing more than you run-of-the-mill far right party, characterized by the typical paranoia and conspiratorial thinking.

On that note, I look forward to seeing their deluded supporters trying to explain why they won zero seats in the 2015 general election.

Because, to put it simply, the UKIP vote is too thinly spread to win seats under a plurality voting system (and is not big enough). There, vague supporter of UKIP explained it to you. On the other hand of course, getting seats in Parliament is largely immaterial, as long as the case can be made that UKIP denied the Tories seats that they could have won.

[Comrade Funk]

The UK Tea Party

[Supersonic]

No, they're a 'catch all' party just trying to pick up votes left right and centre.