The Liberty League Freedom Forum this year just got a whole lot better. The media partner for the conference will be spiked magazine. If you haven’t seen it already, it is the “independent online phenomenon dedicated to raising the horizons of humanity by waging a culture war of words against misanthropy, priggishness, prejudice, luddism, illiberalism and irrationalism in all their ancient and modern forms.” Check them out by clicking here.

Keep an eye out for speaker features on journalists from the magazine, including Patrick Hayes in the great libertarian foreign policy debate, “To Intervene or Not to Intervene”, and Rob Lyons on the morality of food.

Why should you be at the Liberty League Freedom Forum 2012?

Well, apart from the fantastic deal of accommodation, meals, workshops and lectures over 3 days all for just £30, you’ll have the chance to get the tips and tricks of the journalists’ trade from Alex Singleton.

Alex Singleton is a public relations consultant [http://www.alexsingleton.com], where he trains many FTSE 100 companies on their media relations. He is also a former Leader Writer for The Daily Telegraph, where he edited columnists like Boris Johnson, and was Letters Editor of The Sunday Telegraph. In his session at the Liberty League Freedom Forum, he will tell you How to be a Journalist, explaining how the world of journalism really works, how you can become one, and how to get the papers interested when you have something to promote.

So hurry, and get your ticket to the Liberty League Freedom Forum right away by clicking here.

More reasons to attend the Liberty League Freedom Forum 2012? (Get your ticket here).

To hear Chris Snowdon give a fact-packed lecture on How to be a Prohibitionist. With smoking, drinking, drugs, fat, sugar in their sights, the prohibitionists just don’t seem to be giving up. Chris Snowdon is the author of “The Art of Suppression: Pleasure, Panic and Prohibition since 1800″, as well as “Velvet Glove, Iron Fist: A History of Anti-Smoking” and not to mention “The Spirit-Level Delusion: Fact-checking the Left’s New Theory of Everything”. In his session on prohibitions, you’ll be able to explore why prohibitionists keep appearing and how they are able to get away with banning things. You will also get the facts around endangered substances and activities, and how to enter the mind of the prohibitionist in order to stop them.

What can you expect? Well, check out this Economist review of “Velvet Glove, Iron Fist”, as well as his website by clicking here.

So make sure you have the opportunity to listen to and question him at the Liberty League Freedom Forum! Book now.

The Liberty League Freedom Forum 2012 is nearly here! It will be held on the weekend of Friday 30th march – Sunday 1st April at Newcastle University. All accommodation, meals, workshops and events over the course of the conference are included for the exceptionally reasonable price of just £30. Make sure you book your ticket now by clicking here . 

But what should you expect? We’ll be announcing more speakers over the coming weeks, but in the meantime, here’s a full list of the speakers and sessions so far:

Josie Appleton & Claire Fox:

• Should the State ever Intervene in Parenting? “All ideologies have a problem with children. Where do their rights begin and end? To what extent are they dependents, and what is the responsibility of the parent? Some fear that young minds will be misinformed or fed propaganda by their parents and schools, and others fear that parents might be unfit to raise their children. And what about children without parents or family? Whose responsibility is it to look after them? In a libertarian model, is there ever room for the state to intervene, or should this be the exclusive role of society?”

Kevin Dowd:

• Free Banking and Currency Reform: ”Do we really have a free market? Some economists believe that limited liability rules and a national monopoly on currencies mean we have a system of corporate capitalism at odds with the free market. What are the problems posed, and what kind of policies can deal with them effectively?”
• Doom & Gloom: Where is the Economy headed?: “The economic prospects of the country, Europe and the world are looking shaky. But is this just another recession about to pass, or are we in a much deeper crisis than is commonly imagined?”

Angus Kennedy:

• Ancient Greeks & Freedom: “Concepts of liberty have their roots in the ancient world. But what were these classical ideas of liberty, and where did they come from?
  Perhaps most importantly of all, are there lessons to be learned from
  the ancient Greek philosophers and political thinkers? Or was
  their concept of freedom flawed, particularly in light of slavery and
  the treatment of women?”
• The Renaissance & Liberty: “The Renaissance is known for the rebirth of ancient political ideas including the republican tradition of free citizens living in free cities
  and the struggle for liberty against tyranny as exemplified by Brutus. But
  do what extent were Graeco-Roman concepts of freedom applicable or
  realisable in a world of Popes, Kings and Emperors? What lessons can be
  learned from the period by classical liberals and libertarians?”

Rob Lyons:

• Food: Myths and Morality: ”Is food a moral issue? For classical liberals, this sometimes boil down to the issue of how far the no harm principle extends to animals and the environment. But is there also a degree of alarmism and misinformation about the issue? With food miles, obesity ‘pandemics’, farming concerns, and a distrust of supermarkets by food critics, how have wealthy societies that have solved the age-old problem of famine become so concerned about what we eat?”

Mark Pennington:

• What is Free Market Environmentalism? ”Within the libertarian tradition, property rights are often king. Many support even the right to pollute, so long as it provides economic progress. But to what extent are we able to pollute without threatening the rights of others? And are there free market mechanisms for dealing with this problem, or might it fall to Rothbard’s solution of imposing bans on certain levels of pollution? At its extreme, and accepting the threat of climate change, can we find a free market environmentalist
  alternative solution?”

Madsen Pirie:

• Economics made Fun: “What are the basics, and what is the best way to present them?”
• Philosophies of Freedom: ”Where does libertarian and classical liberal thought come from, and how has it evolved? Who are the key philosophers and why are they important?”

Alex Singleton:

• How to be a Journalist: What makes them tick? “How does the world of journalism really work, how can you become one, and how do you get them interested when you have something to promote?“

Chris Snowdon:

• How to be a Prohibitionist: “Smoking, drinking, drugs, fat, sugar… The list is endless. But why do prohibitionists keep appearing, and how are they able to get away with banning things? What are the facts around endangered substances and activities, and how can we enter the mind of the prohibitionist to best stop them?”

Jamie Whyte:

• How to win the argument: Addressing fallacies and persuading audiences
• Philosophies of Freedom: “How does classical liberal and libertarian thought fit into the wider context of philosophical thought? Who are the key philosophers and why are they important? And what are the big flaws and questions that freedom’s advocates should address?”

…Excited yet? There will be many more announced over the next few weeks. Make sure you book your ticket by clicking here.

Why should you be at the Liberty League Freedom Forum 2012? (Get your ticket here).

To listen to Jamie Whyte talk about ‘How to win the argument: Addressing fallacies and persuading audiences’. And there is nobody better for this session, having taught Philosophy at Cambridge University, and written “Bad Thoughts: A Guide to Clear Thinking”, as well as “Crimes Against Logic”. He was also famously one of the debaters on the pro-Hayek side on BBC Radio 4′s “Keynes vs Hayek Debate” which you can still listen to here.

As a special treat, Jamie will also be giving a lecture on the ‘Philosophies of Freedom‘. For more of a taster of what you can expect, read his blog at CityAM, and his old blog at the Daily Telegraph.

So make sure you have the opportunity to listen and perhaps even debate with him at the Liberty League Freedom Forum! Book now.

Newcastle upon Tyne

Dates: Friday 30th March – Sunday 1st April

Time: Registration opens from 4-6pm on Friday 30th March, and the Conference will end at about 5:30pm on Sunday 1st April

Conference Venue:

Herschel Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE1 7RU

Price: £30, including accommodation and meals for the weekend

Click here to BOOK

Confirmed speakers so far include:

Kevin Dowd, the UK’s expert on competing currencies and free banking, and author of “The Alchemists of Loss”.

Claire Fox, director of the Institute of Ideas, and frequent panellist on BBC Radio 4′s ‘The Moral Maze’

Angus Kennedy, head of external relations for the Institute of Ideas

Rob Lyons, deputy editor at spiked and author of “Panic on a Plate: How Society Developed an Eating Disorder”

Mark Pennington, reader in Political Economy and Public Policy at King’s College London, and author of “Robust Political Economy”

Madsen Pirie, President of the Adam Smith Institute, and author of “Economics Made Simple”, and “How to Win Every Argument”, and “101 Great Philosophers”

Alex Singleton, former journalist for the Daily Telegraph, and media consultant

Chris Snowdon, author of “The Art of Suppression:
Pleasure, Panic and Prohibition since 1800″

Jamie Whyte, former lecturer in Philosophy at Cambridge University, author of “Bad Thoughts”, and famously one of F. A. Hayek’s defenders in the BBC’s Keynes vs. Hayek radio debate.