The free market's safety net

The Sharing Economy Is a Free Market Safety Net - Foundation for Economic Education - Working for a free and prosperous world - Brittany Hunter:

September 15, 2017 - "The sharing economy has been one of the most groundbreaking market creations in our modern time even though its concept is quite simple. If you own a car, you can earn money as a driver. If you have an apartment or home, you can earn money renting out the space. There really isn’t much to the sharing economy. If you have property or a skill that is in demand by another consumer, you have the ability to earn money. And for those in between jobs or trying to figure out their next employment move, the sharing economy can be a lifesaver....

"I once had the pleasure of riding with a driver who was currently out of work while she was recovering from surgery ... and ... had used up all her paid time off.... But thanks to Uber, my driver didn’t have to worry about income or filing for short-term disability or other welfare programs while she waited to get back to work. She was earning money while avoiding the stir-crazy feelings of being trapped inside her house while she healed.

"Another driver I rode with in DC had recently moved to the United States from the Middle East and was trying to start his own catering business. Not only did Uber allow him to pay his bills while he was starting his business, it also helped him network. Each of his passengers was given a business card and one free 'trial' meal which he would personally deliver....

"I could tell dozens of these stories, as I am sure many of you could as well. Ridesharing helped all these drivers provide for their well being and even helped some build their businesses. But ridesharing is only one small sector in the broader sharing economy.

"One of the most stressful components of sudden unemployment is the worry that rent won’t be paid. But the homesharing sector has also provided a solution. As long as you have a friend who is willing to let you sleep on their couch or perhaps family who resides nearby, there are ways to rent out your lodgings in order to pay the bills.

"But the sharing economy is not limited to property. There are many who many find themselves unemployed without either a car or a rentable living space, but they may have a skill. Smartphone apps like TaskRabbit allow users to sell their own labor. If you possess the muscles needed to move boxes all day, you can become a mover. If you are capable of mowing a lawn, you can find someone in need of a yard trimming.... For those in the beauty or wellness world, there are also apps that will connect cosmetologists and hairstylists to clients....

"Work is not some construct invented by evil capitalists.... It is a source of pride and self-esteem.... When that daily opportunity to take pride in creation is removed because a person is unemployed, especially for longer periods of time, there are psychological impacts that extend far beyond the stress that comes with money problems. In fact, depression and unemployment are an ominous duo.

"Uber and ridesharing in general is a great way to not only socialize with other humans, but can also be beneficial for preparing for an interview. Once you are able to master the art of conversation without the often accompanying nerves, you have gained a skill that may help during the interview process.

"Is the sharing economy the perfect solution to the problem of unemployment? Absolutely not. But neither is our current unemployment system.... Our current unemployment system comes with red tape, strings attached, and a whole lot of bureaucracy. And all this must be endured before even receiving that first unemployment check. But so long as the government allows the existence of the sharing economy, the market can continue offering nearly instant employment opportunities to those looking for work."

Read more: https://fee.org/articles/the-sharing-economy-is-a-free-market-safety-net/
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Uber banned in London

London's Uber Ban Shines Light on the Sorry State of the Rule of Law - Foundation for Economic Education - Working for a free and prosperous world:

October 2, 2017 - "Transport for London (TfL), the government agency responsible for regulating transportation in the UK’s capital, recently decided to revoke Uber’s license to operate within Greater London. While many advocates of free choice and innovative technology have lambasted the decision as bad for the poor and (in the words of Chris Philp, MP) 'anti-free market,' the root cause of the problem — discretionary powers — remains unaddressed....

"British jurist Albert Venn Dicey, known for his 1885 work Introduction to the Study of the Law of the Constitution, [wrote] that the Rule of Law means 'the absolute supremacy or predominance of regular law as opposed to the influence of arbitrary power, and excludes the existence of arbitrariness, of prerogative, or even wide discretionary authority on the part of the government' .... In other words, the law cannot be implemented arbitrarily according to the official’s own whims but must be implemented according to legal principles such as reasonableness, rationality, effectiveness, and proportionality, to name but a few.

"The Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act of 1998 ... provides that no 'private hire' operator, such as Uber, may operate in London without a license. To obtain a license, a private hire operator must apply to TfL. TfL, in turn, has absolute (or arbitrary) discretion in who it does or does not grant a license to. Section 3(4) provides that a license may be granted only if 'such conditions as may be prescribed and such other conditions as the [TfL] may think fit.' The remainder of the Act is littered with similar provisions giving TfL unjustifiable amounts of power to decide what it 'requires' from prospective and re-applying private hire operators to have them licensed....

"TfL provides an explanation for the revocation of Uber’s license. Among other things, it is not satisfied with Uber’s 'approach' to reporting crimes and how Uber obtains medical certificates....  It also criticises Uber for using security software Greyball to obstruct regulatory authorities. Greyball apparently enabled Uber to identify potentially-unwanted passengers and make it more difficult for them to book a ride....

"The UK is not the only country adopting a flexible approach to the Rule of Law when it comes to suppressing disruptive technologies. South Africa’s transport minister also recently played with the fanciful notion that he is able to create law from thin air by simply making a press statement and require Uber drivers – who operate differently from regulated taxi services in the country – to obtain permits. Section 1(c) of South Africa’s constitution, however, provides for the supremacy of the Rule of Law, and despite government’s ignorance of this provision, ministers can’t simply legislate from the sidelines.

"The UK and South African governments’ decisions to repress Uber, most likely to appease local taxi unions, comes at the expense of consumers. While many argue that Uber has flouted laws all over the globe by working essentially as taxis — but not being subject to the same regulation as other taxis — the issue is not Uber, but the laws themselves. Uber has truly revolutionized transportation by providing a quick, mostly-affordable method of getting a ride somewhere. Tourists no longer need to struggle over language barriers and subject themselves to haggling by uncooperative taxi drivers, because the app does it all for them. Laws which hinder this kind of innovation should be done away with, and there is no doubt that other taxi services would also benefit without excessive regulation.

"Government’s incessant desire to be in control of everything illustrates the whole point of the existence of the Rule of Law: to ensure tempered, reasoned, and constrained governance. The UK is the birthplace of the modern understanding of the Rule of Law, and it would be wise for it to live up to its tenets. A good place to start would be to repeal or fundamentally revise the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act."

Read more: https://fee.org/articles/londons-uber-ban-shines-light-on-the-sorry-state-of-the-rule-of-law/?utm_medium=push&utm_source=push_notification
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Government versus the sharing economy

The government needs to stop stifling economic growth — commentary - Gary Johnson, CNBC:

August 24, 2016 - "The sharing economy has captivated the attention of so many users and participants because services like Uber and Lyft enable more efficiency and convenience than hailing a cab. Have a spare room to rent out? That's done simply and easily with Airbnb or HomeAway.

"Technology is making it easier for all of us to be entrepreneurs — and that's a good thing.

"What should be the government's role in looking at such services as new opportunity generators? It's simple: Government should stay out of the way....

"But instead we're seeing established politicians team up with special interests in an effort to strangle new forms of enterprise and innovation from gaining traction — and threatening those special interests. Politicians like Hillary Clinton look at sharing services like travel, ride-sharing, finance, staffing, and music and video streaming and see a problem....

"Entrepreneurship may be celebrated in the abstract — but too many politicians have no hesitation in using government power to stop innovation. The challenge has become so obstructive that one technology trade group, the Consumer Technology Association, has had to put together a 'Disruptive Innovation Council' to specifically fight governments and established companies from strangling new businesses in the cradle....

"The establishment isn't really interested in making our lives easier or more convenient. To the contrary, their self- interests are best served by protecting us to death. Indeed, the Obama administration's Labor Department is so intent on tightening the classifications of independent contractors that soon there won't be any.

"City after city is regulating and outright banning Airbnb — prohibiting homeowners from earning extra cash, much of which, ironically, would be spent in those same communities, providing jobs and, yes, tax revenues.

"The same kind of special interest assault on entrepreneurship is happening under the name of occupational licensing. In the 1970s, only 10 percent of workers were subject to such licensing, a number that now totals 30 percent, according to a Morris M. Kleiner report. Lifting restrictions on occupational licensing is one of four keys to unlocking U.S. economic growth, according to the Cato Institute.

"The entrepreneurial economy exemplified by companies like Uber and Airbnb is really only beginning. Besides the expected growth in nontraditional approaches to services like travel, ride-sharing and staffing, technology and entrepreneurs will soon take us to places where other services, such as health care, will be similarly transformed — if only government and the politicians will get out of the way.

"Being ever an optimist, I am confident that even the government cannot forever stand in the way of an entrepreneurial transformation that consumers and the marketplace are so clearly demanding. And the result of that revolution will be really good for all of us, with the possible exception of recalcitrant politicians and their special interest patrons."

Read more: http://www.cnbc.com/2016/08/24/the-government-needs-to-stop-stifling-economic-growth-gary-johnson-commentary.html
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Gary Johnson's 'radical pro-innovation message'

INNOVATE2016: Libertarian Presidential candidate says “We need to Uber everything” | TechCrunch - Andrew Keen:

July 10, 2016 - "Whatever one thinks of his ideology, Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson may be the pro innovation candidate that Silicon Valley has been waiting for.

"We need 'to Uber everything' Johnson tells INNOVATE2016 guest interviewer CALinnovates’ Kish Rajan.

"The sharing economy, he believes, is the 'model of the future' and should be encouraged, rather than regulated against. It’s 'so short-sighted' of local authorities, he insists, citing his problems in trying to rent his own property, to outlaw Airbnb. If [he's elected] President, the 2016 Presidential candidate promises, 'we’ll stop with the restriction.'

"Johnson may also be more in sync with Silicon Valley on both surveillance and immigration. The mass collection by the government of our personal data, he argues, has been pointless. He is equally outspoken on immigration, saying that 'we are a country of immigrants' and we should 'embrace immigration' by getting government out of the business of establishing quotas....

"It’s going to be interesting to see how this radical pro innovation message plays out in 2016."

Watch video at: https://techcrunch.com/2016/07/10/innovate2016-libertarian-presidential-candidate-says-we-need-to-uber-everything/
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A newbie's guide to Uber and Lyft

What is Uber, What is Lyft, and Which Should You Use? - Jess Bolluyt, Gear & Style Cheat Sheet:

March 26, 2016 - "Whether you need a safe way to get home after a night out or are seeking a ride to the airport, there’s little reason to call a cab anymore. In most cities, the easiest way to get a ride is to fire up your smartphone, open an app like Uber or Lyft, and with a few taps, a car will be on its way to you. These services are generally cheaper than a taxi, and Uber specifically is continually cutting its rates — which can be great for users, but not so great for drivers — in order to create a service that’s cheaper and more convenient than actually owning a car.

"When you request a ride, your driver will automatically get directions to your destination, and you pay for your ride with the debit card or credit card you’ve saved in the app. These services are designed to offer a more convenient and connected version of taxis, which can be time-consuming or difficult to hail. Here’s what you need to know about the two leading ride-sharing apps, and how you can choose which one is best for you.

"Uber and Lyft are the two ride-sharing apps that dominate in most cities. You’ve probably heard about them in recent headlines, since they’re disrupting the traditional taxi industry and using tactics both innovative and aggressive to build workforces of independent drivers. Uber was founded in 2009, and Lyft was founded in 2012. Both services offer iOS and Android apps, and Uber offers an app for Windows phone users, too. While there are plenty of apps that enable you to hail a licensed taxi, Uber and Lyft are different, because each has its own drivers....

"Drivers for both Uber and Lyft offer different types of cars and services, and depending on how many people you have with you and what kind of vehicle you prefer, you can select what ride to request via the Uber or Lyft app. Lyft has fewer options than the many you can select from in Uber’s app, but its services cover everything that the average user will need when requesting a ride. A standard Lyft has room for you and up to three friends, while Lyft Plus is a higher-priced ride for up to six passengers. Both services also offer carpooling services, which give you a lower-cost ride if you share the car with another passenger; Uber’s is uberPool, and Lyft’s is Lyft Line.

"UberX is the company’s most affordable option, followed by uberXL, which is an inexpensive service for larger groups of people. UberSELECT is a service that takes “the next step toward luxury,” followed by UberBLACK, which gets you a ride with a professional chauffeur in a livery-registered black luxury car. Finally, UberSUV has the highest base fare, with a luxurious vehicle that has room for you and a bunch of friends. In some cities, Uber also offers UberLux, with higher-end cars, and UberAssist, for seniors and people with disabilities, who need extra assistance or a vehicle that can accommodate a wheelchair.

"Despite their differences, the services and their apps have similarities, too. To ride with Uber or Lyft, you’ll open the app and follow the on-screen instructions to hail a ride. Each app will show you a map of your current location and show you the available cars nearby.... When you enter your destination and request a ride — and optionally get an estimate of how much it’s going to cost — a nearby driver will accept the request.

"You’ll be able to see your driver’s profile, complete with his or her name, a headshot, information on the make and model of their car, a photo of said car, and an estimate of how many minutes it’ll take the driver to get to you. Some drivers will call or text you when they arrive, and when you spot the car, you can get in. On the ride to your destination, you’ll be able to sit back and relax as the driver navigates to your destination. (You can also check your route in the app.) At the end of the ride, you’ll be able to see the final cost, give your driver feedback, and if you’re using Lyft, add a tip. One thing that people love about Uber and Lyft is that they’ll never need to fumble with cash or a card, which makes it considerably more convenient than a traditional cab.

"Additionally, Uber and Lyft have the same requirements for their drivers, and while you should be as careful about your safety as you would when taking a cab, both background-check their drivers, and you can report any problems directly to the company — something that you can’t do as easily with a traditional taxi company."

Read more: http://www.cheatsheet.com/gear-style/what-is-uber-what-is-lyft-and-which-should-you-use.html/?a=viewall
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UberX ride service legalized in Edmonton

Edmonton becomes first city in Canada to pass Uber-friendly bylaw | Edmonton Journal:

January 28, 2016 - "Edmonton became the first city in Canada to pass an Uber-friendly bylaw Wednesday, leaving the California-based company scrambling to get provincially approved insurance before a March 1 deadline....

"Alberta’s Superintendent of Insurance ruled last July that Uber’s existing policy does not adequately cover consumers. Since then, at least two insurers have said they are working on policies specific to ride-sharing. None has been approved so far.

"Uber can’t get a licence under the new bylaw without provincially approved insurance, and an Uber driver caught without it could face a $5,000 fine....

"Despite repeated attempts from several councillors, the bylaw contains only a token minimum fare of $3.25 per ride. Council will revisit that in six months, sooner if administration sees anything they judge to be predatory pricing.... The taxi industry will be the only ones allowed to hail a cab on the street or by phone using the regulated rate....

"Uber started operating its UberX service in Edmonton in December 2014. It uses an app to link private individuals and their personal vehicles with paying customers for a rate that’s about 30 per cent less than the regulated taxi rate.

"Edmonton tried and failed to shut down Uber with a court injunction. They’ve since ticketed at least 70 drivers under the old bylaw, but those tickets are still being fought in court."

Read more: http://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/police-lift-lock-down-on-edmonton-council-chambers-for-uber-debate
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Free State Project over 90% of way to 20K goal

Libertarian group Free State Project says it is nearing its goal to move to NH with 20,000 people | New Hampshire - Meghan Pierce, Union Leader:

January 3, 2016 - "New Year's morning the Free State Project announced it has reached 92 percent of its goal of signing up 20,000 people to move to the Granite State.... As of Friday, 18,406 people have pledged to move to New Hampshire within five years of the project reaching its goal of 20,000 signatures.... This new number of signers also reflects a jump of two percent over the past few weeks.

"'We attribute that most of this growth is coming from targeted Facebook advertising,' Carla Gericke, Free State Project president, said Friday. 'We're pushing a lot more money into this and we're hoping to trigger the move in the next few months.'

"The Free State Project was inspired by a 2001 essay written by Jason Sorens, a Yale graduate student at the time. He theorized in the essay that if 20,000 committed activists moved to a single state with a small enough population, they could successfully shape policy and culture to create a more free and open, Libertarian society....  [M]ore than 10 percent have already moved to New Hampshire and these 2,000 plus 'early movers' have already had an impact....

"Early movers have participated in civil disobedience in Keene, where liberty activists calling themselves Robin Hooders fill expired parking meters just ahead of parking enforcement officers. As well as in Portsmouth, where liberty activists led Free Uber, a group battling city officials over the legality of being an Uber driver operating in the city....

"Early mover and Croydon School Board Chairman Jody Underwood has lead the fight for school choice in her town, maintaining that state law doesn't prohibit school districts from paying tuition to private schools, especially when it is in the best interest of the student.

"Many have also served in state government, including single mom and state representative for Manchester's Ward 5, Amanda Bouldin....

"Like many Free Staters, Bouldin believes community, not government, should care for those in need. So five years ago she started Shire Sharing, which, according to its website, is a “collaborative effort among liberty activists to address social ills through voluntary action and private charity.... This past November the charity delivered Thanksgiving meals to more than 600 households across the state....

"Some people have disparaged the Free State Project for not yet reaching its goal after more than a decade, Gericke said, but that has actually worked out for the best....

"There is already a community of Free Staters who support the newcomers in various ways — showing up to help them move in, holding 'orphan Thanksgivings,' and recommending local doctors or auto shops, she said....

"To fund the Facebook campaign ... go to www.facebook.com/FreeStateProject.org, It has already raised more than $8,000 toward a $40,000 goal."

Read more: http://www.unionleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20160103/NEWS06/160109902
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Fast Company profiles Uber CEO Travis Kalanick

What Makes Uber Run | Fast Company | Business + Innovation - Max Chafkin:

September 8, 2015 - "Jordan Kretchmer remembers what Travis Kalanick was like before Uber was Uber.... He was in his early thirties, an engineer who talked like a sales guy, smart as hell and high on life. He wore a cowboy hat and referred to himself as the Wolf, after the cold-blooded, coolly rational fixer played by Harvey Keitel in Pulp Fiction. He was tireless — always on the move, always thirsty....

"Although Kalanick had been a startup guy since high school, he was a grinder, not a mogul. He had made enough on his last one, RedSwoosh, to buy a house and do a bit of angel investing. Uber, the on-demand transportation app that he cofounded with Garrett Camp in 2009, was still more or less a toy, a personal limo service for the founders and their friends in San Francisco. When Camp, who’d bought back his old company StumbleUpon at about the same time, asked Kalanick to run Uber full-time, Kalanick [initially] said no....

"In five years, Uber, which dispatches low-cost taxis and limousines operated by independent drivers, is likely the fastest-growing startup in history. It has more than 1 million active ­drivers — meaning they did at least one trip in the past week — operating in 330 cities (as of mid-August) and a valuation of $51 billion, which is roughly equivalent to the market capitalization of General Motors. It is a global phenomenon that is redesigning urbanites’ relationship with the world around them, transforming their smartphones into control pads for their harried lives. Uber — the first company since Google with a service so popular that its name is in regular use as both a noun and a verb — has spawned an entire category of business known as the one-tap economy: Millions of people now routinely open an app to enlist a distributed workforce to deliver groceries, hot meals, and their clean laundry on demand.

"But no other one-tap-economy company has changed society like Uber has. The availability of cheap and reliable transportation has helped spur a real estate surge in San Francisco and a nightlife boom in downtown Los Angeles while also (at least according to some studies) reducing drunk driving. Uber’s classification of its drivers as independent contractors has sparked a national conversation about the changing nature of employment and has made Uber a litmus test on jobs for the 2016 presidential candidates. Elsewhere, Uber has been seen as a stand-in for the excesses of global capitalism, prompting violent protests in Paris and Mexico City.

"All of this influence has come at the price of Kalanick’s reputation. The 39-year-old has been presented in an almost cartoonish light, coming off as either a Randian Superman, a Snidely Whiplash–style mustache-twirling villain, or both. And yet Kalanick has wooed some of the most august financiers in the world to give him, essentially, a blank check. Key staff members from some of the world’s best-run organizations, including Facebook’s head of security, President Barack Obama’s campaign manager, and a good-size chunk of Carnegie Mellon’s driverless-car research division, have gone to work for him."

Read more: http://www.fastcompany.com/3050250/what-makes-uber-run
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Paris cabbies strike & riot to protest Uber

French anti-Uber protests turn violent as cabbies burn cars - Yahoo News UK - Agence France Presse::

June 25, 2015 - "Protests in France against ride-booking app Uber turned violent on Thursday as taxi drivers burned cars and blocked access to airports and train stations.

"Some 2,800 cabbies took part in the strike, with more than 30 blockades nationwide, including the access points to Paris's Charles De Gaulle and Orly airports, police sources said.

"Taxi drivers in France are furious over an Uber service called UberPOP, which puts customers in touch with private drivers at prices lower than those of traditional taxis....

"One private chauffeur, who said he did not work for Uber 'or any other app' was dragged from his van by angry cabbies when he reached a blockade in the west of Paris. They slashed his tyres, smashed a window and then set it on fire.

"'Why did you come to work, you know we're on strike today,' shouted one cabbie, while AFP journalists saw another car on fire further down the road....

"Police eventually fired tear gas and broke up the protest on the western stretch of motorway, clearing burning tyres from the road that rings the capital, but there were later attempts to stall traffic....

"Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve called for calm and said he had told prosecutors to bring a prohibition order against the UberPOP service....

"Cabbies in France, like their colleagues in several other countries, have held several protests against the app -- some of which have turned violent, with Uber clients and drivers reporting being assaulted.

"On at least two occasions in Strasbourg in the east of France last week, taxi drivers posed as customers in order to lure Uber drivers to isolated spots where they were assaulted by cab drivers and their vehicles damaged.s"

Read more: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/french-anti-uber-protests-turn-112758946.html#3AW0Ql7
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NYC seizes 500 cars in Uber crackdown

496 Uber cars seized by New York City authorities - Business Insider - Graham Rapier:

June 17, 2015 - "Facing increasing pressure from the taxi industry, authorities in New York have begun to crack down on Uber — issuing tickets and seizing cars of Uber drivers who participate in illegal pickups in the city.

"Between April 29 and June 15, the New York Post reports that NYC authorities seized 496 cars from Uber drivers taking illegal street hails, mostly at the three airports in the region....

"Uber spokesman Matt Wing said that 'street hails are not permitted on the Uber platform — period. This is a small group of bad actors and the violations add up to less than one hundredth of one percent of our rides over the same time period'....

"The seizures of Uber cars were part of a larger operation that confiscated a total of 938 for-hire vehicles operating illegally, according to Taxi and Limousine Commission spokesman Allan Fromberg....

"Uber will soon face a major test in New York. Mayor Bill de Blasio will appear in court on June 22 to face allegations from four of the city’s largest taxi financiers that the city should not have permitted any passenger pick-ups through an app. They allege that an 'e-hail' is synonymous with a traditional street hail, the exclusive domain of yellow cabs."

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/496-uber-cars-seized-by-new-york-city-authorities-2015-6
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Eight great libertarian apps (video)

8 Great Libertarian Apps! - Reason.com - Nick Gillespie & Joshua Swain:

April 9, 2015 - "Here are 8 great  apps that make your world a little freer—and a whole lot easier to navigate.

Waze is a real-time, crowd-sourced map that not only tells you about traffic jams and finds the cheapest nearby gas station for you but also warns you of speed traps, police checkpoints, and ticket cams....

Open WhisperSystem’s Red Phone and Text Secure provide easy end-to-end encryption for phone calls, text messages, and chats. If you’re on Apple iOS, check out Signal.

Meerkat and Periscope allow you to livestream everything from your kids’ soccer games to police stops directly to Twitter....

The Peacekeeper Emergency Response System app cultivates 'benevolence' and independence in communities by allowing you to create your own personal emergency response network so that friends, family, and others can come to your aid at a moment’s notice—and you can come to theirs.

And then of course there’s Uber, the ride-sharing app that almost singlehandedly undermined taxi cab cartels all over the world....

http://reason.com/reasontv/2015/04/09/libertarian-apps
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Self-described libertarian UKIP's 1st elected MP

Westminster rocked as Ukip wins first MP in Clacton and comes within grasping distance of Labour stronghold - Matthew Holehouse, The Telegraph:

October 10, 2014 - "Douglas Carswell made history in the early hours of Friday after he triumphed in the Clacton by-election to become Ukip's first elected MP, while the party came within grasping distance of winning a Labour stronghold in a second contest.

"Mr Carswell recorded a resounding victory over his Tory challenger with 59.6 per cent of the vote and an increased majority of 12,404 - six weeks after rocking Westminster by defecting from the Tories."

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/ukip/11152995/Westminster-rocked-as-Ukip-wins-first-MP-in-Clacton-and-comes-within-grasping-distance-of-Labour-stronghold.html

Can Douglas Carswell ride the Ukip tiger? - Matthew Holehouse, The Telegraph:

October 10, 2014 - "Mr Carswell is self-described libertarian, and one of Parliament's most radical thinkers about who has power in Britain, what a Parliament is for, and how the country must change if is to be rich again.

"He says new political parties should be like Uber and Spotify, tearing through markets and disrupting vested interests. He quit the Tories ... because [the party] refused to modernise enough and junked its 2010 manifesto on power of recall. He likes 'iDemocracy' so much he wrote a book on it.

"He loves free markets. He hates corporate cartels. He hates the Old Boys in Westminster who killed off open primaries. He welcomes the free movement of people, but worries about how to create a common British identity with which people can feel British in an age of transient labour and Skype relationships.

"He hails feminism, and says political correctness is just 'good manners'."

Read more: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/matthewholehouse/100289261/can-douglas-carswell-ride-the-ukip-tiger/