A while ago, two years and three months, to be precise, I was reading through the on-line political blogs, Guido, Dale, Old Holborn, the usual suspects, and thinking ‘where are all the women’? 50% of the voting population, and yet rarer than a blue parrot in northern Brazil. The few examples that dared to flap their wings were set upon by hungry misogynistic vultures.

I devoured every scrap of information I could acquire on the various political parties, and discovered that Guido claimed to be something called a ‘Libertarian’. Now branching out into research on Libertarian beliefs, I thought I had found a home for myself. They seemed to accord with my Quaker principles of personal responsibility, a duty to help other people whenever you can, and a commensurate belief that there was no need for a vast government apparatus to dictate where and when we gave our fellow citizens a helping hand.

Thinking I might set up a female friendly blog along these lines, I e-mailed Old Holborn and outlined my plans; He replied inviting me to contribute to his new blog. I accepted the offer. Life with Old Holborn is never boring; he has an ego the size of Luxembourg, but matched by a heart the size of Belgium. I learnt a great deal from him, and whilst not always trusting his judgement, I did value his advice.

I joined the Libertarian Party. £15 and I got a very nice key ring. I didn’t get an invitation to the Libertarian Party forum, didn’t know there was one, or a members blog. The inner sanctum was reserved for the gentlemen it seems.

I was pleased to receive an e-mail from Henry North-London, a psychiatrist and Doctor, the parliamentary candidate for the Libertarian Party for Wood Green, and a frequent commentator on my posts. Several e-mails followed, always with the same entreaty to phone him. Eventually I did.

It is a long story but to summarise; Henry was leaving England, taking up a post with a French hospital, was aware that I had a cottage to rent, and would be pleased to fly to Bergerac if I would be kind enough to meet him.

My husband and I hadn’t got out of the airport car park with ‘Henry’ before we realised that he was patently unwell. ‘Henry’ gave every indication of being as mad as a box of frogs. I do not condemn him for suffering from mental illness; however, we had volunteered to put him in our guest room for the night. Two hours of listening to someone hold three different conversations at once whilst binge eating exhausted us.

A very early night for all was the only solution. We ‘parked’ the manic Henry one end of the house, and collapsed into our own room.

‘Henry’, or Dr Rohen Kapur, to give him his full kennel name, doesn’t sleep. He got up again.

During the course of that night, he commandeered my husband’s computer, signed him up to Skype, registered him with Gaydar, (keep a straight face folks, it gets better) held a lengthy 5am – 5am! – Skpye conversation with Ian Parker-Joseph, then leader of the Libertarian party, whilst exchanging e-mails with gentlemen from around the world who were pleased to forward photographs of their penis to this new registrant on Gaydar, and continuing to munch his way through the contents of our fridge.

When my husband came down to make tea, he snapped shut the lid of the lap top, and claimed he was just collecting his e-mail. We had no idea anything else had occurred.

Later, as we were driving him back to the airport, he showed me all the photographs he had taken of every ornament, every book, and every inch of our home. I asked him to delete them. He refused, they were for his Mother, he said. Since we were by now turning into the airport, it was a matter of a tussle for the mobile phone, or just breathe a sigh of relief and turf him out of the car. Guess!

Returning home, I opened the fridge door at about the same time as a howl of rage from the husband. This wasn’t the time to tell him that the fridge had been stripped bare. Something was wrong with his computer.

It was busy opening up page after page of photographs of supernaturally large members. Dozens of them. Penile, not the Dishonourable House of Commons variety. Some of their proud owners were offering to shag Mr G into the ground if only he would be kind enough to reciprocate with a photograph of his own….words don’t really do the scene justice.

We went out for dinner. No other option.

A few days later Skype wrote and told me that our fledgling Skype subscription, never used by us, had been suspended for contravening article xyz of the Telecommunication Act…

A week later, around the time Mr G recovered his power of speech, I heard of a more worrying development.

Dr Kapur, ‘Henry’, had arrived at the hospital bedside of someone I was in e-mail contact with. Coincidence? I shall never know. This man had been immobile in hospital for a year and was feeling exceptionally vulnerable. Henry had shown him all the photographs of the inside of our home as evidence of his friendship with this French based lawyer, and worse, was recommending that he ignore the advice of the Hospital Doctors, and take Vitamin D, as prescribed by the troubled Dr Kapur. Not surprisingly, my friend was concerned, and wanted to know if he was dangerous in my opinion; his wife and children were at home and he had no way of protecting them.

I was alarmed; I contacted Ian Parker-Joseph, in confidence; I really didn’t know what else to do. I have to say that a languid ‘he’s only been ‘Sectioned’ the once, insofar as I know’ is not really the reassurance I was looking for in respect of the party’s electoral candidate.

I didn’t expect my confidential enquiry to Parker-Joseph to go any further; however, within 30 minutes I got an extraordinary e-mail from Dr Kapur, telling me that Parker-Joseph had just phoned him, he admitted everything but said that he hadn’t meant to upset me……I also heard from Andrew P Withers, then Treasurer of the party. He too, had been told of my troubles and wanted to reassure me. Yes, Kapur was as mad as a box of frogs, but not dangerous.

Both Andrew Withers and myself were then subjected to a vitriolic series of e-mails, apparently from friends of Kapur and other psychiatrists, who all seemed to have had difficulties with the GMC and been suspended….the fiasco had taken on Alice in Wonderland proportions.

If this was representative of the Libertarian Party, I wanted out! Andrew Withers was incredibly supportive, and reassured me that the Libertarian Party was keen to retain members like myself. In England, I met Andrew in person; he seemed very friendly and charming. Good fun, in fact. All would be changing shortly, he reassured me once more. Stick with us, renew your subscription, and all will be well. I did. It did. Chris Mounsey was eventually elected leader. That was the last newsletter I ever received. I seemed to have fallen off the mailing list.

I kept quiet about my meeting with the Dr. Kapur. By that time Old Holborn and I were raising money to get Nick Hogan out of jail, and bleating about my difficulties seemed counter-productive. Besides, with Nick Hogan successfully released, Old Holborn was going to stand for parliament himself, and wanted to appoint me his election agent.

Finding yourself legally responsible for the behaviour of a maverick like Old Holborn is akin to playing Russian roulette, blindfold, with bullets in five chambers. I will never know how the cylinder managed to revolve to the empty chamber each and every time.

I was grateful for Andrew P Withers’ apparent expertise in electoral matters during the election period, it wasn’t an area of law I knew anything about. He has researched it in depth.

Meanwhile, Dr Kapur, despite yet another hearing at the GMC concerning his fitness to practice as a psychiatrist, was standing as an independent candidate in Wood Green. He had also taken to posting as ‘Clarissa’ or some such name on the web site of two ‘Libertarians’ who had taken an instant dislike to me and whose site appeared at times to be entirely devoted to derogatory articles regarding myself.  This was no time to make public my misgivings concerning the Party.

I heard nothing from the Libertarian Party save the constant flow of e-mails from Andrew P Withers. Always friendly, he begged me to renew my lapsed membership. He told me of his own troubles. He had been ‘targeted by Peter Mandelson’ as a fellow politician and a threat to that mighty beast of the Labour Party. That was why he hadn’t been able to stand for leadership of the party himself; but he did intend to do so in the future, please would I have patience? He wanted to see an inclusive party, not rent by factions, properly financed, with regular newsletters, everyone able to access the blog and the forum, and he was going to clear out all those who merely used the blog to abuse others. It sounded promising.

In the meantime, since I was a lawyer, could I help him with some of his submissions to the courts, battling his troubles? I obviously couldn’t give him formal advice, I am not licensed to practice in France, but I could help him informally.

The ‘trolling’ of my site, the vicious e-mails that arrived daily, my ‘outing’ as a result of having been publicly named as Old Holborn’s election agent, were taking their toll. My health was deteriorating, and it became increasingly difficult to write something cheerful each day with so much intrigue and confusion in the background. I decided to throw the towel in and give up the blog. Since I had by then invested in some valuable software, I decided to offer it to anyone who would make use of it.

Enter Thaddeus J Wilson. I have always known of his other blogging identities but never knew who he was in real life, despite having met him. Thaddeus persuaded me to keep writing, and he would deal with the e-mails and trolls, and contribute as well. Andrew would also contribute.

That was fine, except – Old Holborn had gleaned a scrap of information during my visit to England which had seemed monumentally unimportant to me – he gave me a lift to my destination one morning, later using that information to devastating effect to settle a score with an old enemy. I ended up taking the brunt of that score settling for having ‘revealed’ important information.

I was, for a long time, as mad as bloody Hell. I do believe the phrase ‘f**k you’ escaped my lips at the time, or words to that effect. Most unladylike. However, he has long since been gracious enough to apologise and been forgiven. Enough said, I have a lot of respect for Old Holborn, he is a maverick, he is irrepressible, tiresomely energetic, and the original loose cannon. Hence I have a soft spot for him…..

I was glad of Andrew’s contributions, regretting somewhat my agreement to keep writing on the blog. It had my name on it, and I felt honour bound to keep it up to a certain standard.

Andrew P Withers’ help came at a price of course.

First there were the endless submissions to the court to format, correct the spelling and grammar, and take out the paranoid observations regarding Peter Mandelson ‘spying on his web site’. That sort of uncorroborated opinion doesn’t impress judges.

As fast as I finished one submission, another would be e-mailed to me. More evidence of how he had been ‘targeted’.

Andrew had asked me several times to provide money, both to re-launch the Libertarian Party, and to ‘invest’ in his ‘multi-million pound business interests’ in Africa. The answer had always been the same. I wasn’t in a position to help anybody financially whilst we had two houses, maybe when we had sold one.

The court case was hotting up – somehow I never saw the submissions from the other side, I only got to see the material that was flowing back to the court – corrected and formatted by me.

Then a few days before the hearing, a panicked phone call from Andrew. His French barrister, a ‘dear, dear friend’, who had toiled ceaselessly at no cost to Andrew to prepare evidence of Mandelson’s dastardly doings from the French side of things, purely because he was so outraged at the injustice of it all, was needed as an ‘essential witness’.

Andrew felt that the ‘least he could do was pay his expenses’, but couldn’t get Euros transferred to him until the day before the hearing – a week hence – not enough time to organise flights. Could I possibly send him 3,000 in Euros to cover his expenses, and Andrew would put the money into my account in pounds – I would receive it next Tuesday at the latest!

Actually I couldn’t. I only had 2,000 euros available. It seems that would have to do. He e-mailed me back with the details of the French barrister’s bank account and his ‘undying gratitude’ to me.

Strangely, ‘next Tuesday’ the money failed to appear in my bank account, but with the court case the following day, I was too well mannered to berate Andrew.

The result of the court case was a surprise. It seems Andrew had voluntarily consented to being declared a man unfit to hold office for 5 ½ years by the insolvency service. This was, I was assured, merely a technicality; Andrew had agreed to the five and a half years because he couldn’t afford to fight the case any longer, and the judge ‘so obviously disagreed’ with this decision that he was allowing Andrew to continue to act as a Director in the meantime, pending an appeal.

The following eight months have been an education. It seems that the money had failed to appear in my bank account because ‘one of his financial advisers’ who was handling the ‘inward investment’ for his massive interests in Africa had gone on holiday to Malta. He would be back on Tuesday and I would get my money back then.

‘See you next Tuesday’ was a phrase that was to loom large in our lives for months afterwards.

Next Tuesday arrived, and lo! The MD of yet another multi-national company had gone to New York; the papers would be signed, ooh, by next Tuesday at the latest…

Then the next Tuesday, it seems that the money was coming via Brazil, it would arrive in Guernsey, by, let’s see, next Tuesday?

It must have been travelling by submarine, for there was no sighting of it for several weeks, not so much as a periscope. However, things were happening. The CEO of yet another well known multi-national company was flying in to meet Andrew; he would be tied up for several days in meetings. There were ‘contractual matters’ to attend to, and lo! The money would be with me by……Bluddy Tuesday. Yes, I am aware of the old joke regarding ‘See you next Tuesday’, I just hadn’t made the connection yet.

For months, MDs flew hither and thither, CEOs arrived in LHX, the world was full of acronyms, and Andrew was a busy man. Nobody ever just phoned him up; he ‘took conference calls’. Andrew had apparently swallowed whole the book of Management Speak.

The date for the next hearing grew closer, and there was a strange development. He was, he told me, depressed and deeply disappointed. The dastardly French barrister had issued a bill to Andrew for his work so far. There had never, he told me, been any question of payment; it had purely been on the basis of long standing friendship and his outrage at the injustice facing Andrew. Naturally Andrew had broken off all communication with him; Andrew and his wife were desperately upset at this calumny and the loss of a friend.

I now know all this to be utterly untrue. How? Because the French barrister has forwarded to me all Andrew’s e-mails to him, dating back to before the original hearing. Far from believing ‘his friend’ to be working for nothing, Andrew had agreed a 3,450 euro fee before the hearing, to be followed – in Andrew’s own words – by ‘a monthly retainer of 2,500 Euros as our legal counsel’. – and final insult, he was offering the barrister a carrot in the form of ‘more work from’ – none other than Anna Raccoon!

The rest of the e-mails are curiously reminiscent of Andrew’s to me. Endless promises, ‘inward investment’ always about to happen, etc., etc.

Still, I was not to worry about Andrew, everything would be fine. Ian Parker-Joseph had put up a blog post detailing the latest ‘outrage’ against him, and had a reply from another barrister who was prepared to help him pro-bono. It turned out to be a good friend of mine.

Meanwhile, Andrew was obviously too preoccupied with injustice to do more than offer grammatically scrambled blogposts that needed reformatting, the new barrister and I were both ploughing through international law books to see whether Mandelson was justified in trying to ban Andrew from representing anybody, anywhere, under any circumstances…..and a long week-end of vitriolic e-mails from my trolling friends had convinced me that it was not worth the candle, stuff the blog!

Andrew was hysterical – I couldn’t shut the blog! It was essential to his long term plans for the Libertarian Party. I was the most high profile blogging member they had.  I explained the problems the blog was creating in my personal life – to say nothing of the cost of providing the blog.

‘No Problem!’ wasn’t Andrew on the verge of becoming a millionaire – he would bear all the costs, if I would just put the blog back up and transfer the domain name to him. I sent him the domain name registration documents, he sent them back un-witnessed.

‘Not a problem’ he said, he would have the money in a few days – Tuesday? – and was so embarrassed at keeping me waiting like that, he would fly down to Bergerac, deliver the money in person, along with flowers, and a slap up dinner for all concerned. It was a refrain we grew used to. But could I just put the blog up in the meantime? My high profile was not only essential to the future of the Libertarian Party, but was also having the effect of keeping Andrew P Withers name on the front page of Google, rather than the despicable lies of Mandelson and co.

I sent a stiffly worded e-mail to all the people that were apparently going to be involved in this re-incarnation of Anna Raccoon, reminding them that I wouldn’t be writing anything, but would attend to the technical side. Nor would I be meeting any of the costs of putting the site back together.

‘Not a problem’, said Andrew. ‘and in the meantime, could you sign my nomination forms for the Libertarian Party, election in a couple of weeks; I have a trusted group of people who will help me revitalise the Party and in gratitude to you for all you have done, I would like you to be the chief nominee’. I did. I wonder now, how many other people did?

I put the site back up. I paid the several hundred pounds to have the archives reconstituted. This was no time to be giving Andrew a hard time for the money, wasn’t the court case in a few days? And the election? And CEOs and MDs were still trailing between international airports, conference calls were taking entire days, contractual matters more days, as soon as the court case was over he could start work again, and funds would be released… I’m not an unreasonable woman.

Andrew was now ‘Leader designate’ of the party, unable to take up the full position so long as the court case was outstanding. He was still Treasurer too, apparently unable to hand over the books until he had time to ‘put them in order’. That rang bells, for some time ago, Andrew had rung me one day asking if I happened to remember the name of the Libertarian member who had put up the money when the funds to release Nick Hogan were trapped in ‘money laundering regulations’.

As it happens, I had only ever known his Christian name. ‘Xxxxx Somebody’ I said.

He e-mailed me back a list of members with that Christian name; he urgently needed to raise funds for the party to meet some outstanding bills from the last election. Did any of them ring a bell? To my ever lasting shame, I said that one of them might do. He e-mailed me later that day to say that ‘Xxxxx somebody’ had kindly made a three month loan to the party and he was grateful for my help. Alarm bells were ringing in my dense skull, but Christmas was upon us. No possibility of all this high level finance being sorted out over Christmas, MDs and CEOs would be off to exotic parts.

Andrew rang me in great excitement from Newport, the final details of his deal with exotic international companies had been signed; he was to receive an interim payment of £1,000 a week from 1^st January. He would be on a plane down here just as soon as he had cashed the cheque. Meanwhile, he had assembled a high level team of computer experts who were at that very moment, working on a new web site for the party, I would be astounded! He was sorry he hadn’t been able to meet the broadband bill on the 1^st January.

Finally! The ‘I’m in Funds!!!’ e-mail arrived. Shortly followed by the ‘would Saturday the xth be OK with you’ e-mail. It seemed churlish to remind him that the domain name renewal invoice had been automatically paid from my account; I could sort that out when he arrived couldn’t I?

Then there was the ‘is it OK if I bring my partner with me, she has been so depressed with all this trouble, she deserves a break’ e-mail.  Can you be churlish after eight months of holding your tongue and being patient? I suppose so, but frankly I was more interested in seeing the colour of his money.

Then the ‘my partner has booked the flights, but the only ones she can get are for a week’ e-mail……deep sighs all round this household. We really didn’t relish the prospect of spending a week doing the tourist trail with a pair of non-driving visitors who were scarcely our favourite people.

Then there was ‘are there cash machines that take credit cards in France, I’ve only got 100 euros in the house’ the day before he arrived. I assured him there was. Ones that would let him withdraw 900 Euros a day.

They arrived! Cheerful, friendly, they’d bought some tea-bags for us, gratefully received; some second hand videos and books, all gratefully received, and…….?

And over dinner that night, with his girlfriend safely out of earshot, Andrew P Withers leaned across the table and said to me….’you really must give me your banking details so I can start paying back that money you lent me’…….collapse of stout party. I didn’t trust myself to speak; excused myself and went upstairs to Mr G, already abed, and said ‘you’re not going to believe what that little runt has just said’….

Lips were pursed the next day. There is a certain grim satisfaction in watching this sort of scenario play out in your home. We cancelled the restaurant reservations, cancelled the planed trip to Bordeaux, and cancelled all but one trip to sightsee. We weren’t about to expend precious petrol on this pair; to say we ate cheaply that week would be an understatement, except for the one day when Mr G very pointedly took them food shopping, and girlfriend bought four duck breasts, and a string of garlic.

Andrew’s girlfriend was a lovely girl, a very caring person, but even she, so she told me, had issued Andrew with an ultimatum that he must get a job by last September or leave her home. She had been supporting him, and his two grown up sons, for the past six years, and ‘it had to stop’. He had to give up this fantasy that he could only be a managing director; but surely, I said, Andrew must earn something (thinking of the £1,000 a week contract he’d told me of), he’s forever zipping up and down the country, one day in Plymouth, one day in London – it seems that she ‘has a good job and a petrol expense account’. ‘but, surely they notice that it’s Andrew’s car’. ‘Andrew’s car’? she said blankly. ‘Andrew hasn’t got a car, he uses my BMW’. ‘But he’s got a Landrover’…’Oh he had to sell that ages ago, when I gave him the ultimatum’.

She was monumentally embarrassed when she realised the true situation. I felt very, deeply, sorry for her. Turns out that Andrew had been too busy with flying CEOs and MDs to actually pick up and pay for their air tickets; she’d had to do that, credit card of course. She bought a bottle of wine for us too, embarrassed by Andrew’s monumental intake of Mr Gs red wine stocks. Mind you, Andrew was putting away three times that amount every night, but it was the thought that counts.

Andrew’s naps after dinner proved useful too. The girlfriend had had her fair share of wine, and we got chapter and verse out of her. Depressing chapter and verse.

Mr G very nearly flattened him one night, as Andrew began his ritualistic descent into wine fuelled bravado; every time his girlfriend started to speak, he would silence her, and launch into yet another fantastic story of how he was a millionaire by the time he was 25, how he would be posting us our money – yeah! and interest too – precisely, next Tuesday, when he was back home, he posted money all the time, his children were so expensive, you couldn’t keep up with teenagers demands for money……Mr G, fuelled by my retelling of the ‘other’ version from the girlfriend, was fit to bust. I shouldn’t have stopped him, Mr G would have given him a lesson he wouldn’t have forgotten.

We decided we’d give him until ‘next Tuesday’ when he was back home in England to put the money back in our account. Somehow we got through the week without giving him a flying sightseeing tour from the top of the church tower…..losing our temper would have made repayment all the more unlikely.

Next Tuesday arrived with the monotonous regularity of all the other Tuesdays……he announced that he ‘had the money in Euros’; it was ‘sitting on his desk’, but there was a problem…naturally! It seems that he couldn’t insure the cash. He couldn’t possibly take the risk that it wouldn’t get to us….Mr G gritted his teeth and gave him the IBAN and the BIC code for our bank account details in Jersey. A straightforward bank transfer would do the trick.

Well, you won’t believe this, but Andrew’s bank is the one and only bank in the universe that won’t accept Euros, even though they’ve just issued them to you… apparently he had to post them up to Leicester (Post? I thought you couldn’t post cash any longer?) and get them accredited to his bank account before he did that. They should reach Leicester by….next Tuesday.

Mr G kept his cool, I blew a fuse.

The next e-mail claimed that his bank was refusing to transmit the money unless they were informed of the exact address and bank account number of the recipient. At four minutes to eleven he e-mailed me that request, explaining that his bank was closed after 11… I decided to use those four minutes to discover what this bank was playing at. They advised me that they were open until 7 at night, they didn’t require that information, and further advised me that I shouldn’t give that information to anyone.

Events moved fast after that. I sent Andrew an unspeakably angry e-mail. I copied his girlfriend in. He replied straight away saying he ‘had no idea where I had got the idea from that he was earning £1,000 a week’….either he hadn’t told her that or it never was true! Needless to say, I fired straight back reminding him exactly where I had got the idea from.

The following week, 1110 Euros turned up in my account.

The morning after, a strange little post appeared on Andrew’s site saying he had written to the French tax authorities, because ‘the French Tax authorities have very sharp teeth and are not particularly friendly to ex pats from England who try to work on the black or who are a bit vague about their off shore bank accounts and working arrangements’.

I didn’t take very kindly to that implication; my tax affairs are whiter than white, and the French tax authorities are fully aware of my off-shore arrangements which are dutifully declared for tax each year. Double tax as it happens, since there is no dual taxation agreement with Jersey.

You pathetic little shit, I thought. It was nothing to what I thought later.

In short order, Andrew decamped from my web site; and reappeared on Old Holborn’s site; I found that my newly acquired password to the lpuk web site had been changed; my posts were removed from the blogroll. I now know that at the same time, he told party officials of the ‘unhinged nature of Anna who has overreached herself in the property Market’ and further ‘he was now concerned that Henry, while not a typical individual, was stitched up by Anna in regards to the events surrounding his expulsion’ and that party officials were advised not to communicate with me owing to my ‘erratic but tenacious phone manners’. He had ‘borrowed’ money from me, and it was all a misunderstanding owing to ‘late payment by a client’.

All this a full two months before I gave up on him honouring his word. It seems that for having the temerity to expect to be repaid, albeit eight patient months later, I was going the same way as the French barrister. Classic totalitarian tactics for dealing with a problem – smear the messenger. The stench of Nu-Labour hangs over it.

Since when I have had an interesting phone conversation. It seems I am not the only Libertarian Party member who has been persuaded to put cash Andrew’s way, one way or another, and has found ‘Tuesdays’ surprisingly bereft of repayment; nor am I the only Libertarian, member or not, that he is indebted to; nor am I the only legal beaver who has spent hours pouring over text books on his behalf.

The “Andrew P Withers Benevolent Society” we call ourselves. In fact if all Andrew’s creditors were laid end to end, you’d be approaching half a million quid. Pretty impressive.

There’s no one to complain to, for all e-mails to the party go through the lpuk web site, controlled by Andrew. All post goes to Andrew’s personal address, including the bottle of whisky that some kind person sent to Chris Mounsey when he was still leader, and that Andrew’s girlfriend was kind enough to tell me Andrew drank himself. The Party has a new office, set up by Andrew, in his home village – conveniently in the centre of the High Street. The Party official functions were held by Andrew – still Treasurer until he ‘gets the books in order’, and ‘Leader designate’ until he sorts out his court case.

The next development was the appearance of the ‘Andrew P Withers’ personal domain, and accompanying blog. Duly littered with Libertarian badges as you would expect of the leader of the Libertarian Party, it carried duplicate wordy treatises on Libertarian values. It seems Andrew could find the money to pay for a domain name, even if he couldn’t pay for mine.

Some days later, the site underwent a transformation. Gone was any mention of Libertarianism, badges gone, previous posts all deleted. In their place was a picture of the new improved Andrew P Withers. He’d never given me pictures for his avatar on AR, telling me that he was waiting to get some professional pictures done when he’d lost some weight. He’d obviously found the money. This Andrew P Withers was professionally lit, in formal suit, and looking both expensive and expansive. It accompanied a fulsome biography telling of his exciting international life as an experienced businessman and general all round trustworthy chappie. To my utter amazement, it went on to tell of how he was standing as a candidate in his forthcoming local elections – but not as a Libertarian candidate, as you might imagine, as an Independent! Wasn’t he a local business man with premises in Clevedon, perfectly equipped to sort out the financial improprieties of Clevedon Council? A handy walk in office in the High Street for those essential consultations with your local representative…..

The lpuk blog announced that it was experiencing some difficulties with the ex-Mandelson’s Office apparently using ‘ripping software’ to monitor them and it’s new incarnation would be delayed by some weeks.

Today, the list of candidates in the forthcoming election has been published in the local paper, no Andrew P Withers. Changed his mind; about a number of things. The proud new ‘Andrew P Withers dot com’ website is invitation only. Closed to the public. Strangely shy. So is his ‘Looking for a Voice’ Blogspot. Not before his announcement of his standing as an independent candidate was picked up by a local reporter.

I have contacted the party before publishing this, of course. My first contact, the membership and subscription office forwarded my enquiry directly to Andrew – and then curled up in a corner and refused to communicate. I then enlisted the help of an ex-member who contacted Tim Carpenter. We received a reply over a week ago, saying they were ‘investigating’, and have failed to reply since then. Examination of the party accounts show that there are at least two different ‘lpuk’ accounts under the control of Andrew P Withers. One into which you pay your subscriptions, and a completely different one into which the Party member was directed to pay his ‘three month loan’ – now six months old. Unfortunately, the party structure has failed to modernise its accounting package into the promised ‘accounting units for regions’, a move which would have ensured that the £1,500 loan showed up in the formal declaration of loans. The legal situation is that loans under £7,500 do not have to be declared to the electoral commission, perhaps this is why it has come as a surprise to all but the parties involved.

Surprisingly, a few days after my investigations began, the member found another £450 had turned up in his bank account – sent by ‘fastest transfer’, by Andrew P Withers, no longer the Treasurer, but apparently able to make transfers. He waits with interest to see when, and if, he receives the balance.

The French barrister, still owed many thousands by Andrew, was surprised to find that Andrew ‘was repudiating the voluntary undertaking he had signed agreeing that he was an unfit person to hold office’ – surprised because in France, if you sign an undertaking to a court, it is simple ‘contempt of court’ to then repudiate it without the court’s agreement. Do the English not have such respect for their courts?

The other English barrister has simply put his experience down to ‘time wasted’ – he has met many such people given the line of business he is in, defending the ‘duckers and divers’ of this world.

We have given up; I am not spending the rest of my life wandering around muttering to myself, ‘the little runt never did repay us’. Whilst I can think of far more deserving homes for that money; what I really resent is the disillusionment, the lack of hope for the future, the lack of belief that there might be a corner of politics that is not peopled by unprincipled individuals willing to lie and cheat to line their own pockets and avoid an honest day’s work. He has used me, used my blog, to ensnare others into giving him credit, and then sought to blacken my name when he thought my patience might be exhausted.

The Libertarian Party may be content with such a person being their public face, but I am not.

Nor am I going to write my blog with one hand tied behind my back wondering what is being said behind the scenes, and what retribution is going to be exacted next for daring to expect him to honour his debts.

Over the past few days, they have been sending out frantic e-mails trying to get membership subscriptions in – for some reason I do not seem to be on this mailing list. Just as well, for I would not entrust another penny to them.

This blog is formally no longer affiliated with the Libertarian Party.

I still hold fast to my Libertarian beliefs though.

Just ‘don’t tread on me’.

Dick the Prick
April 16, 2011 at 12:50

I’m sorry you had the guy in your home, in your own home! How very
annoying. Furry chin up, all the very best to you and Mr G

Dr
Rohen Kapur April 16, 2011 at 11:31

Very well, I have been restrained so far. If those people who wish to vent
their venom against me in a matter that has only been half discussed with a
salacious sensationalist story, here on this blog then I shall let you know
that I shall not be silent for much longer.

My blog address can be reached through the link on my name. If anyone has
been using the old henrynorthlondon blog address please be advised that it is
now henrynorth.londonZ.blogspot.com

Frankly this has turned in to a Help me I’m a victim story. The truth could
not be further removed from this. Anna is no victim. She is an adult and the
childish nature and knee jerk responses hitherto placed on this blogpost in
the comments make it worthy of the playground.

I am not prepared to enter into discussion at present. I am busy. I shall
post the full chapter and verse in time for the Half term holiday.

Janos April 16, 2011 at 13:12

My blog address can be reached through the link on my name. If anyone
has been using the old henrynorthlondon blog address please be advised that
it is now henrynorth.londonZ.blogspot.com

The link in your name still points to your old address. Your new address
is
henrygodonlyknowswhoIam.blogspot.com not
henrynorth.londonZ.blogspot.com.

HTH

Comment edited by Anna and further entries discontinued for the
time being – we’ve all had our say, now the matter will be investigated
behind closed doors – I shall be pleased to announce the result when it
appears.

Wherever he hides out these days, I have had more than enough of
him using this blog to try to drive traffic over to him. I still remember
with glee the night he tried to post as ‘Anonymous’ using the e-mail address
attached to his picture…..’Anonymous’ promptly appeared accompanied by a
beautiful picture of Henry North London! Sound of cackling laughter off
stage in Raccoon Towers. A classic fail thanks to WordPress.

Anyway – enough of this, he’s had his chance to speak, and now he can go
back to his little blog – he’s barred.

NuLabourNemesis
April 16, 2011 at 11:23

Without dwelling on the nitty gritty AR’s miserable experiences, it becomes
evident why LPUK is so much less than the sum of its parts.

Always nice to hear news of the “much maligned and misunderstood” Dr Kupur
– the parliamentary candidate whose concessional post on the returned Lib Dem
Member’s blog prophesied that the PM’s new child would be “retarded” http://bit.ly/fCL8Oe

Zaphod April 16, 2011 at 07:44

I often disagree with Anna, but I have never doubted her honesty. I still
don’t.

I am amazed by her patience over this, and impressed by the calm way she
has related her story.

I never got round to joining the Party. (Usual lame excuses). So I don’t
need to make strenuous efforts to keep an artificial open mind. I pity those
who do need to.

Anna, you’ve clearly been well and truly conned. Thanks for warning the
rest of us.
It must have been very difficult deciding how and when to go
public.

It’s a pity the party has been so horribly damaged, but they have been
conned too. Someone had to blow the whistle. Someone brave enough to take the
backlash.

Herding cats, indeed!

Dominic Alkins
April 16, 2011 at 06:19

Anna

I can only imagine what you have had to go through and you have my deepest
sympathies.

While Anon argues above that we should await the outcome of the LPUK
investigations (with which I agree – innocent until proven guilty and all
that) I have no doubt in my own mind that the core of what you have written is
absolutely correct and that APW has behaved (at best) dishonorably.

I was introduced to the idea of Libertarianism a few years ago (as a
disillusioned Tory) and after discovering the many libertarian blogs included
your own I found LPUK. At last I thought, I’ve found a new small party where
my beliefs and ideals fitted, where I could read and agree with what was being
written rather than just scream inside at what I was reading hearing from the
MSM.

I joined the party in the hope that, while all things start small, we would
see slow and solid growth. This year I let my membership lapse because, as a
passive member, there seemed to be a degree of disruption and turmoil in the
party organisation.

I do not doubt the sincerity of the majority of people that have been
involved with party, but this is a mess. I had been thinking recently that I
should get around to renewing my membership. Not now. Or at least not until
the current shenanigans has been resolved.

There are times that I have considered that perhaps Libertarianism is not
suited to a party structure – that we are a disparate group of individuals
with differing takes on what it means to be a Libertarian and different ideas
about what a Libertarian future might be. While I’ve come close to taking that
position, I still do not. But the LPUK as it currently stands is not ‘fit for
purpose’.

I shall still inhabit AR (plus OH, DP and all the other usual suspects) –
devouring posts, sharing with my peers and occasionally commenting. Please
keep going Anna. Hopefully having now got this into the open you will feel a
weight lifted and we will again be able to enjoy your blogs.

All the best to you and Mr G.

Kinderling April 16, 2011 at 02:42

Liberal with your money, Libertine with theirs.

Thank you Anna for exposing Libertarians as the perverted narcissists they
really are, with a ‘nice guy’ liberal face to anyone who pays.

Fasists and Communists seer half their brains for a sense of peace into a
perfect kingdom tailored to them, a world for men or one without them, but
this is where all the bi-polar people escape for a sense of fulfillment: weak
before the strong and strong before the weak.

SadButMadLad
April 16, 2011 at 06:58

Correction necessary. Don’t tar all Libertarians just because of what one
person has done. There are bad apples in any group, organisation, party.
It’s how you cope with such bad apples which is a sign of a robust cohesive
group and also a sign of how you enact your principles when reality hits as
opposed to a nice hypothetical world where you can say anything you
want.

Delphius April 15,
2011 at 23:29

Sorry to hear of your troubles Anna.

I must admit that if it was me, I’d have thrown in the towel long ago, so I
admire your perseverance.

Old
Holborn April 15, 2011 at 23:10

Lesson 1.

Do not herd cats

Anna
Raccoon April 15, 2011 at 23:31

Lesson 2 – if you do try, make sure one of them isn’t a Raccoon.

John April 15, 2011 at 22:08

As treasurer I have phoned Anna , the claims are being investigated.

Mike April 15, 2011 at 20:59

“…Andrew had rung me one day asking if I happened to remember the name of
the Libertarian member who had put up the money when the funds to release
Nick Hogan were trapped in ‘money laundering regulations’.

As it happens, I had only ever known his Christian name. ‘Xxxxx Somebody’
I said.

He e-mailed me back a list of members with that Christian
name…”

You do realise that this act was almost certainly illegal under UK Data
Protection legislation? If a true reflection of events, this alone ought to
preclude the reinstatement of Andrew into any position of authority within
LPUK, and ought to be reported to the ICO. Have you done so, or intend to do
so?

Anna
Raccoon April 15, 2011 at 21:23

I agree, and concur.

I am not resident in the UK, and could only do so via the French
authorities, however, the member himself may well wish to take action.

Gildas theMonk
April 15, 2011 at 20:11

I know certain facts referred to here are true. Anyone who wants to have a
go at Ms Raccoon can do so over my, or more likely, their, dead body. I think
that says it all, really.

Ian R Thorpe April
15, 2011 at 19:47

Anna,
I had thought of giving some financial suopport to the Libertarian
party as a result of your blog and others such as Old Holborn. When Mr.
Withers became more prominent however I backed off. It was nothing specific,
just a gut feeling that things were not quite right.
I’ll continue to be
libertarian in principle (because I can’t be liberal now, that word has been
hijacked by Stalinists) but I will be very careful in future to not refer to
UKIP as a bunch of nutters.
I might even have to vote for them.
I must
compliment you on your forebearance however. If anyone had done those things
to me there would have been blood, a lot of blood. And none of it mine.

Robert Edwards
April 15, 2011 at 17:59

What a depressing account, which is somewhat improved by being so
well-written. The plausibity of the con-artist has ever been a wonder to me,
the more so because they get into these situations knowing full well what it
is they are trying to do. It’s when you discover that you are not the only
victim that you realise that it takes a certain egg-box mindset to keep up the
pretence.

But good luck with it all, AC…

Caedmon’s
Cat April 15, 2011 at 17:07

Oddly enough, today I received an email from lpuk, alluding broadly to some
of the above issues; it was actually inviting me to join them on the ‘journey’
(whatever that is).
In view of the fact that I’m more more inclined to be a
freewheeler than to pitch my lot with any organised party, I won’t be taking
up their kind offer. The shenanigans with APW only go to confirm that my
non-participation is justified.

Anon April 15, 2011 at 17:17

May I suggest waiting untill the conclusion of the investigation being
conducted by the NCC? I am speaking as a member and this has worried me, but
I am not jumping to conclusions because new information seems to be
appearing as we speak.

If it is found that infact Andrew has done nothing wrong and that the
post is not wholey correct, the influence of the blogosphere will seriously
have to be called into question. It cannot be right for accusations this
serious be posted up for a public discussion when it seems Tim Carpenter was
only contacted last friday by Anna…
not even a week has passed to allow
for this to be looked into and it has been blasted all over the place,
damaging not only Andrew wither…
but party members such as myself who
have NOTHING to do with this.

Anna
Raccoon April 15, 2011 at 17:49

Correction Anon. My first contact with the party was on Sunday 3rd
April at 14.39. I stressed that the matter was urgent. I am still awaiting
a reply to that one.

My last contact with the party was 17.46 on the 11th of April.
It
read as follows:

Do we have any time limit on this ‘patience’ you require from
me?
Anna

This is the e-mail that Tim ‘felt unable to reply
to’ – or even acknowledge.

I have been displaying patience since June of last year – with no time
limit set on how much longer this was likely to drag on for, and not even
an acknowledgement, my patience was expended.

Strangely I have been sent a copy of the e-mail that Caedmon refers to,
in which I am described as ‘an ex-member’ – if so, that is news to me! I
have not received the e-mail sent to other embers asking them to renew
their subscription, nor am I able to access their on-line service to check
the date when renewal is due – I gather it has been disabled in the past
few days – nor to pay my subscription if it is due. Very odd.

SadButMadLad April
15, 2011 at 17:51

There are data protection issues to take into account if someone’s
records have been changed without the authorisation of the member.

overthehillandfaraway April 15, 2011 at 15:50

The more I see of people the more I love my dogs

Brian April 15, 2011 at 15:10

Anna,

Sorry to hear of the fuss and bother you have endured. Would you consider
puttting up a Paypal button so that your fans can make a contribution towards
the financial losses you have suffered through being an open and kind person?
If so, I pledge £10.

Anna
Raccoon April 15, 2011 at 15:19

Very kind of you Brian – but no – I have no wish for my readers to
reimburse me. The only person who should do that is Andrew Withers.

I might just make a donation of his debt to me – to the Libertarian Party
though, thinking about that. It would draw a line under all this for me.

I note that Andrew is now posting on his site that he is reporting the
French Barrister to the French tax authorities…….it seems to be a pattern,
ask for repayment and he lashes out and punishes you! Most helpful whilst
the party is investigating all this.

He also states that I ‘handed the web site over to him’ – as I stated in
my piece, I did indeed send him the form for transfer of ownership, I have
them here in front of me….he sent them back un-witnessed and thus useless!
If I can get my scanner working this afternoon, I shall post an image of
them so you can see for yourself.

Anon April 15, 2011 at 15:42

Anna – IF it is found by the Party that Andrew has done wrong, I would
seriously ask you to consider taking an official role in the party to
assist it with the reforms needed to bring it up to scratch.

I understand that this whole situation has most likely put you off the
LPUK for life but I would ask you to not blend Andrews’ wrong doing (if
found) with any wrong doing on behalf of the LPUK itself. If it is
revealed that there has been financial misconduct, the no. of victims will
soar from yourself and the other members you have made reference to… to
the entire membership of the party.

Please consider this as a serious request should the results of the
investigation confirm your experience and the concerns raised.

Anna
Raccoon April 15, 2011 at 15:24

You have also reminded me of something!

Some of you were unable to operate the French Paypal service when I was
collecting money for Carol Hill, (the dinner school lady) and asked if you
could make a donation via the Libertarian Party. Andrew gave his consent for
this.

I never received any money via this route – so if anybody did send money
to the party which rightfully belongs to Carol Hill – would you make
yourself known to me please?

Monoi April 15, 2011 at 14:33

As a member of LPUK, and having recently sent £50 for the fund raising
regarding the no debt rallye, I am dismayed at this story in several ways.

I agree that innocent until proven guilty should be the rule, but I am not
quite sure why Anna Raccoon would come out with this story in public if it was
total fantasy on her part. I also do not quite understand why it took this
post from her to have the party issue a statement and for AW to step aside,
especially if she has taken the trouble to avoid this course of action in the
1st place.

So it does indeed stink to high heaven.

But what I also find strange is the reaction by people who were apparently
so clever and found the party so amateurish that they did not join, and for
some reason now feel that they are vindicated. Obviously, it does not seem to
occur to them that if someone like AR got taken in, it was probably more by
luck/apathy/lazyness than judgement that they did not join. I’m also not sure
how they feel the need to criticize the party when they chose to do nothing to
support what they supposedly believe in for the sake of £15 a year.

If what is alleged is confirmed, then I hope it will be a lesson learned
for LPUK and it will be the stronger for it. Let’s not forget that with
Labour, with Brown and Milliband, the LibDems with Clegg and the conservatives
with Cameron, it would not be the 1st time that a political party has a wrong
‘un as a leader. The difference is that I may have squandered £15 with LPUK
(although I do not believe so), the others have cost me and the country far
more.

Thank you Anna.

Anon April 15, 2011 at 17:03

It seems that she only contacted the party through Tim Carpenter on April
9th last week. I thought this was something that has been dragging on for
months… it hasn’t even been a week!

john April 15, 2011 at 13:40

The party have any 7-12 active volunteers, one thing we need is more
volunteers to help build the party, the party at the moment is not more that a
website with random meet-ups plus a first campaign “rally against debt”. The
members are not a bunch of drones who follow orders, its up to members if they
want to get involved. I wish come of these individuals who spent as much time
criticising the party spent as much time getting involved in the party, the
LPUK would be in a better position. The LPUK is not perfect, there is a lot
needs fixing, re-doing however it needs more volunteers.

Anna
Raccoon April 15, 2011 at 13:47

I very much doubt that you have more than a handful of members who have
spent as much time as I have promoting the party, or devoting their time and
money to helping the party prosper. This individual certainly feels that she
has put in more than enough donkey work on the ground to be able to afford
to criticise the party.

What is your preferred length of service before being allowed to
criticise?

Perhaps if your volunteers were better treated you would have a few more
than 7-12 active ones?

Anna
Raccoon April 15, 2011 at 13:51

I wasn’t aware that the ‘Rally Against Debt was an lpuk initiative – did
Andrew tell you that? Perhaps you should let the organisers know!

“A few days ago two young UKIP supporters, Annabelle Fuller and Harry
Aldridge, had the idea of organising a Rally Against Debt as a
counterbalance to the rally that Miliband had addressed. They set a date of
May 14 and created a Facebook page to gauge support. Within hours they had
been inundated. Yesterday the Taxpayers’ Alliance campaign group pledged its
backing, joining the Institute of Economic Affairs and hundreds of
Conservative and Liberal Democrat party members.’

http://rallyagainstdebt.org/

Anon April 15, 2011 at 14:08

No where is it ever said or implied that this event is the initiative
of the Libertarian Party. It clearly states that we are looking to simply
take part and be a presnse in support of the event.

I cannot help but feel that you are now going from simply bringing up
your falling out with Andrew to attempting to tarnish the entire
party.
Andrew is not organising this effort.

Anna
Raccoon April 15, 2011 at
14:44

Anon, I was replying to John’s comment at 13.40:

Quote: “plus a first campaign “rally against debt”.”

Anon April 15, 2011 at 14:17

If you so wish, I can forward you the actual newsletter I recieved from
the party about this event.

Please also check the party facebook page events where it clearly
states that this is not a party event and links to the original
organisers, promoting members to join their page and take part.

The North Briton
April 15, 2011 at 10:23

I’m just shocked that any remotely smart people got on board with these
dolts in the first place. Even I recognised that LPUK was a bunch of
know-nothing scammers within about three minutes of reading their tripe.
Woefully unlearned and unlibertarian ideology, and the obviously worrying
online activity of ‘Henry North London’ were pretty massive fucking alarm
bells to me.

Mr Ecks April 15, 2011 at 10:23

Sorry about your troubles Anna.

Never joined LPUK and won’t be doing so now.

Politics is the vilest trade and attracts scum the way shit attracts
flies.

Trooper
Thompson April 15, 2011 at 10:02

Let the truth be told, whatever it is. Everything must be in the open.

davidb April 15, 2011 at 09:17

Aaargh I have to go to work. Not enough time to read this fascinating
article. Its funny the fringe nutters our society churns out is it not? Is it
the public schools perhaps? I know a guy who is a regular contributor to Any
Answers. He is on so often that it got me wondering how many others are
regulars. There’s a woman from Liverpool I reckon I hear from frequently at
least. My guy is a regular on some Conservative Party type blogs too.

Blogging appeals to all us self important opinionated nutters. I am one.
Mea culpa. Our views are the only right ones. We must be heard. We drift in
and out of political parties. Its so British. In a Terry Thomas sort of
way.

I have to go earn a crust now. I’ll be back late tonight. Love this post

BM5849 April 15, 2011 at 09:09

Hello Anna

I have been on the receiving end of your assistance on this blog before and
– unlike, thankfully, many on here – have had the ignominious experience of
being called to account for my actions when I was “mad as a box of frogs”.

I have met Dr Kapur on a number of occasions and he has come across to me
as being relatively balanced – although my opinion in such matters is likely
jaded by my own experience of illness.

Should any of your interlocutors choose to attempt to make contact with you
via the legal system in regards to this or other posts please let me know (you
have my contact details, I believe?) and I will be happy to assist in whatever
limited way that I can.

With best wishes – et bonne chance!

J.

Mike Spilligan
April 15, 2011 at 09:08

I’m so upset that you’ve had all this trouble, Anna, and from the usual
tenor of your postings I’m certain that your story here is true, but perhaps a
little understated.
Having looked several times at the LPUK philosophies
and objectives, I like much of what I read, but somehow what wasn’t stated was
more somewhat worrying. Unfortunately, there is a high frequency of egoism in
political people, which is why they elbow their way to the front, and why so
many of that sort are unsuited to be politicians. We can all name many
examples across all the “big” parties.
Please keep posting – there are many
interesting and developing subjects other than LPUK.

Mrsknownothing
April 15, 2011 at 06:45

You are a decent person and very tolerant. I have been bemused to notice
the National Death Service blog being prominently displayed on various blog
lists because I was aware that Henry North London (Rohan Kapur was a nutter).
Why? Because I saw his sacking from a hospital locum position posted on his
own website (and subsequently removed.) Apparently, he insisted on video-ing
the whole sorry episode believing that he came out of the encounter looking
good. He didn’t. He was a basket case and how on earth he was ever given an
agency job is a huge worry.

I know nothing about Andrew P Whithers or whatever he calls himself. Sound
like an opportunistic bastard. Or maybe, like HNL alias Rohan Kapur a raving
lunatic.

Take care.

JuliaM April 15,
2011 at 09:48

“I have been bemused to notice the National Death Service blog being
prominently displayed on various blog lists ..”

NDS is a group blog, so all members with posting rights (I’m one) are
likely to be displaying it on their own blogs.

Surreptitious
Evil April 15, 2011 at 06:43

And the “henrynorthlondon” blog seems to have hit the buffers as well.
Although he’s complaining about being smeared in the comments beneath the LPUK
announcement.

Tom VanAntwerp
April 15, 2011 at 03:49

I’m flatmates with Chris Mounsey’s brother-in-law, who just shared this
with me. Sometimes I look at the LP we deal with in the States and get angry
about how useless and dysfunctional it can be. Today I’m just happy not to be
part of the LPUK. Very sorry about all this insanity, and I hope you can find
more productive and rewarding ways to advance liberty in the future.
Sympathies from America.

Thom April 15,
2011 at 03:44

Oh. My. God.

I am awestruck and extremely dismayed by this; disheartened mostly and will
wait to hear what the reply is from LPUK (to which I renewed my membership a
few months ago, still have business cards, was even going to stand as a local
councillor until my wife advised otherwise – never will I doubt her intuition
again).

Nothing has changed about my politics or life beliefs; I am still a
libertarian and still want to see my ideas represented in politics and not
just as a fringe; freedom should be central to our daily life.

This is not the sort of post you can write sensibly to at ~4 in the
morning, but a sick wife and my own chest infection has given me cause to;
will need to see what a day brings.

For the record I too have met Dr. Rohen Kapur at one of the previous AGM’s
(London I believe, shortly after becoming Regional Coordinator, a post I’ve
now resigned a few weeks back for lack of time); he struck me as at the very
least an eccentric individual and at most a deeply troubled one; some time
later when I’d seen an array of comments he’d left on other’s blog’s including
yours and OH’s I must say I was not surprised. I hope he seeks help; it
doesn’t make you a weaker person; just ask the Skip Licker (sadly gone, blog
deleted at last check).

This is truly unsettling.

Angry
Exile April 15, 2011 at 03:38

Very depressing read, AR. I had wondered why the shutters had been pulled
over LFAV and why the LPUK blog seems to have been borged by the party site. I
hope it’s resolved and that LPUK doesn’t fall to bits as a result because
despite the contradiction I think the UK does need a party for libertarians to
get behind and to promote the idea of libertarianism to those who just think
in terms of left and right. I don’t think it’s taking sides to say that you
have my sympathy for all the aggro you’ve dealt with.

Jiks April 15, 2011 at 02:43

Very sorry to read all you have been subjected to, Anna.

I know from my own experience how easy it is to be dragged into these
situations and how hard it them seems to escape afterwards.

Barking
Spider April 15, 2011 at 02:02

Well done for kicking this Lefty conman into touch, Anna.

Anon April 14, 2011 at 23:41

Speaking as a Libertarian Party member:

1. These accusations are serious and I am glad that the NCC has acted
quickly to respond and investigate. I await for them to shed more light on the
matter and remind those quick to condem of the principle of “innocent until
proven guilty”. I am not taking sides but would ask Anna to condem some of the
aggressive/threatening comments being posted on here, particularly those
looking to highlight Andrews address etc.
There is absolutely no need to
turn a personal falling out into a public whitch hunt.

2. I am also very upset by the fact that hard working, dedicated members of
the Libertarian Party are having their hard work condemned and tarnished on
the basis of a personal falling out between two individuals. There seem to be
many people seizing the opportunity to turn libertarians against each other
and against the party. The party has announced it will investigate the matter,
surely it only makes sense to await it’s official findings?

I have no personal views on the matter yet as I was not involved in this
and do not know the full details… Which I why I am waiting for the NCC
response and conclusion of the investigation, and I urge other rational
individuals viewing from the sidelines to do the same before jumping to
conclusions.

Libertarians of all people should not presume guilt until proven, and the
Libertarian Party has taken it upon itself to sort out this accusation.

2Mac April 15, 2011 at 00:17

I am not a Libertarian as far as I know. I have always felt like a
socialist with rightwing nationalist tendencies. I take exception to your
comment about my comment mentioning AWP address. I quite clearly stated that
we should protect his address. I even detailed specifically the address
(“Andrew Withers of the Libertarian Party, both at Flat 3, 33 Castle Road,
Clevedon, Somerset, BS21 7DA”) I wished to protect in order to avoid any
misunderstanding.

I definitely did not dispsplay any threatening behaviour. I simply made
reference to the type of activity that often happens to “Alleged Assholes”
who have their address details published on popular websites and then
followed that with a please that no such action should happen. God Forbid. I
even specifically details the type of action that I did not wish to see
happening.

As for being a “Rational Individual” I do not think I have ever attempted
to give that impression to any of my comments. In fact I am as mad as a
hatter. Fortunately my knowledge of this insanity is what keeps me from a
trip in the kart with square wheels to the big house with padded walls.

My last point would be that all my comments are meant as jest. They are
jokes and not to be taken at all seriously by anyone other than little
jessies trying to defend little tossers.

Anon April 15, 2011 at 00:31

“Alleged Assholes who have their address details published on popular
websites”

May I enlighten you of the fact that it is a legal requirement for this
detail to be published, and it was not always the case that the Party was
registered with Andrew. Whether you imply it or not, this has nothing to
do with an individual ego, but rather a voluntary act to allow the party
to function in accordance with law.

2Mac April 15, 2011 at 01:02

Sorry,

You misunderstand Anna Raccoon is the Popular Website I was referring
too. Not the other one that YOU run.

Anon
April 15, 2011 at 01:36

I have no connections with the NCC but am simply a party member. I
do not run anything in regards to the party or the website.

I would simply ask that bloggers and fellow libertarians await the
official results of the party investigation before condemning it, it’s
efforts and it’s members who are not at odds with people posting
here.

If the accusations hold true, we stand to loose out hugely as a
result and would be the first to condemn the actions of Andrew. It
should also be brought to your attention that the question of
liability may also be at stake for other party members, this is not
about one group being set against another in defence of one
person…

The important thing is the truth and there is no incentive for the
party to present anything but this in it’s conclusion.

In regards to publishing these details, I ask you to seriously
consider what you are doing in light of the situation. It is not a
question of responsibility or honor, but of decency. If it is found
that Andrew has in fact done nothing wrong and that this article is
not wholey accurate, an innocent individual (and his family) will have
been put through a whole deal of unjust and unnessisary stress and
pain based on a personal falling out/missunderstanding with Anna.

Whilst I sympathise with Anna and am not taking side, I am in no
possition to jump to conclusions or condemnation of anyone as I simply
do not know the facts… and I believe this is the case for the vast
majority of people who have posted here.

Until all is revealed from both sides, it cannot be right to gang
up on one person simply on the basis of something we read on a
blog.

Anna
Raccoon April 15, 2011 at 06:00

Anon, I completely agree with you – I am just sorry that the party failed
to respond to me in any concrete manner that would have made this post
avoidable. Since they all went to ground, a public airing was the only
solution. I had in fact asked them for a date by which they would have been
able to ascertain the facts and which I would have been happy to abide by –
they failed to respond. I would say they have only responded quickly since
it has become public.
I am not sure how long you would think was
reasonable for me to be ‘smeared’, to use Andrew’s favourite word, from
behind the lines before I responded? I have done nothing wrong except dig
deep in my pocket and devote hours of my time to supporting the new
revitalised Libertarian party.
Andrew had choices – to be honest and
upfront, or not. Had he asked for a loan telling me that repayment was
dependant ‘on his clients speedy repayment’ I would have refused. He gave me
to believe that he had the money, just not in Euros. He also gave me to
believe that it was a kind hearted gesture on his behalf – not telling me,
in fact later totally denying, that he already owed the man money and paying
some of it was the only way of getting him to England. I would remind you
that this has been going on since June of last year.
Had it been my
intention to damage him or the party, I would have posted this long, long
ago.
My debt is immaterial – it was not to the party, it was to him –
however in trying to find out what was truth and what was lies from Andrew,
I discovered that other people were in receipt of a similar catalogue of
prevarication and late payment – party members. That made it a party matter.
I do not accept responsibility for the fact that the party chose to bury its
head in the sand until forced to act by this post.
My husband telephoned
Andrew from a borrowed mobile phone not three weeks ago, so that he wouldn’t
recognise the number, he was given the opportunity to come clean then – he
reiterated once again that the money would be with us by ‘next Tuesday’…….it
wasn’t. further attempts to contact him from the same mobile phone were cut
off by Andrew.
All he had to do was tell the truth. It was that
simple.
I then discovered that he was blackening my name behind the
scenes. I have just today received yet another e-mail from a party member
telling me of what Andrew was saying about me months ago.
Frankly I have
made myself ill with worry as to the correct course of action – given that
the party wouldn’t speak to me. Do I keep quiet and let other people end up
in the same predicament as I, or do I risk imploding my own blog by
publishing what I know and end up hosting all out war?
Which is the route
of ‘do least harm’? Unfortunately, the party left me only one route. Speak
out.

The Penguin
April 15, 2011 at 11:33

Damn right, and I admire and am envious of your patience and
forbearance. If you save just one more person being screwed over by this
odious git, then well done indeed.

The
Penguin.

John April 15, 2011 at 12:09

” I am just sorry that the party failed to respond to me in any
concrete manner that would have made this post avoidable.”

Did you try to contact the treasurer regarding issues you have with the
party accounts?

Anna
Raccoon April 15, 2011 at
12:22

Since Andrew was the Treasurer -NO.

I did contact two other party officials though, Simon Fawthrup
(spelling) and Tim Carpenter. Fawthrup forwarded my enquiry straight
thought to Andrew via lpuk. Since Andrew controls the web site, there
was not much point in trying to contact other party members with an lpuk
web address….

So swallowed my pride and contacted Chris Mounsey, who I have never
got on with particularly well, but to his great credit, he made contact
with Tim Carpenter ‘off’ the lpuk web site, and has maintained a
thoroughly professional and neutral attitude on all this. Unfortunately,
Tim Carpenter then went into hibernation, having made it plain that he
did not intend to have any direct contact with me having been forewarned
by Andrew that it was ‘unwise to do so’ (amongst various other
derogatory remarks that Andrew had taken care to fill him in on…..

I still gave it another week – and a reminder e-mail asking how long
it might be before they came back to me, to see if they had summoned up
the courage to speak to the deadly Anna. I also waited until the latest
accounts had been lodged with the electoral commission, just in case
anybody had any last minute thoughts of things they really should have
put in the accounts.

The blog post was seen and approved by all the innocent parties in
this for accuracy before publication.

I truly don’t know what else I could have done – do you?

john
April 15, 2011 at 13:00

Few points

Andrew is not the treasurer.
Andrew does not control the
website, other than having rights to post a news article.

Any questions regarding the party accounts please contact the party
treasurer.

Anna Raccoon April 15, 2011 at 13:37

Mea culpa for believing Andrew then. I should
by then have known better than to take as truth anything he
said.
He told me that he could not formally hand over as
‘Treasurer until ‘he had got the books in order’ – since the
accounts were only signed off a couple of weeks ago, at the time of
me trying to make contact with the party I assumed that he still had
the books. Even so, there was no address for the incoming treasurer
beyond the lpuk one, which Andrew had already told me that he had
taken control of – so had I gone looking for a contact for the
incoming treasurer, I still would not have made contact without a
non-lpuk web site address.
“Andrew does not control the web site”
– yet again, that is the complete opposite of what he had told me.
He told me, and my husband, and indeed his girlfriend, that he had
assembled his own team to revitalise the web site, it was to have
its own server to prevent it being hacked, I was to do the SEO, and
it would be under his control. That was at the beginning of
February.
If what you say is so, can you tell me why I was
removed from the party blog roll subsequently and my password
changed? If it was not a petty action by Andrew, on what grounds was
it done – by whose authority? Why was I not informed?
The party
accounts will be on line on the 27th May courtesy of the electoral
commission – I have previously published the address where they can
be accessed.

john
April 15, 2011 at 14:05

‘Treasurer email : john.watson@lpuk.org
Phone
number available on reply”

The books was completed at the end of the year ready for the
transfer, however there was other delays due to family birth and
government bureaucracy and a few other delays (Personal).

What is this regarding the accounts package? The accounts is
being switched from sage to another accounts package.

The new LPUK site is out of control of Andrew and has been
replaced the LPUK blog, the site is now headed by Ken the
communications of the party.

This is not about taking sides, I still need clearer picture of
what’s happening, please email me when you can.

Anna Raccoon April 15, 2011 at 14:10

I certainly will, I am not at home at the moment, I shall
return in an hour or so. I appreciate your attitude.

Tim Carpenter
LPUK April 15, 2011 at
16:47

Just as a clarification.

Anna, you sent your first email to me last Friday, 8th April.

Chris contacted me later that day, and Anna, you recall you
contacted me on Saturday 9th April, wherein I replied to you the same
day asking for patience as this will be investigated, also reminding
you of what I told Chris, in that the truth was the objective.

You emailed me again, two days later, on Monday 11th April AM, but
I was in no position to reply.

You posted this three working days afterwards. yesterday, Thurday
14th April.

I have not “gone into hibernation”, nor was it a week since any
contact. It may have felt like it to you, but that was not the
case.

As an NCC member, I stand by the objective that I told Chris, and
he reiterated, above, the truth based on hard facts and that innocent
parties should be revealed, while the guilty only held accountable for
their wrongdoing and no more.

I hope that clarifies matters.

Nic Coome
April 15, 2011 at 23:44

Contacting me, as Chairman, at the time would have been cool.
Anyway, we are communicating now so all should be capable of
resolution.

Nic Coome
Party Chairman

Andy
Janes April 14, 2011 at 23:25

So sorry to hear of your experiences.

Bugger (the
Panda) April 15, 2011 at 10:21

Did you used to work, or still do for Munton’s

Saul April 14, 2011 at 22:28

After giving Job lessons in patience, you would be forgiven for putting it
all down to experience. We should be thankful that this can of worms has been
opened.

I am not normally associated with bad language, but I am reminded of one of
my favourite actors Al Pacino, in a scene from his Oscar winning role in Scent
of a Woman…

APW, TJW, HNL and the rest of you poor excuses for manhood..Fuck You
Too!!!

For Charlie read Anna…

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/MovieSpeeches/specialengagements/moviespeechscentofawoman.html

pendlewitch April
14, 2011 at 22:17

Hmm I thought getting a personal email asking me to re-sub was an
interesting personal touch. So glad I’d long decided that LPUK wasn’t for
me!

Devil’s
Kitchen April 14, 2011 at 22:14

“I will be interested to see what DK says about this, if
anything…”

I will try to find time to comment more fully, if I can: however, the job
that prevented me from being an effective leader and, these days, a prolific
blogger is still just as much fun (and work) as always so…

In case anyone hasn’t realised, I am the “ex-member” that Anna contacted to
try to ascertain what she should do. I should point out that I did not show
her the accounts but, since I had just signed them off, I was able to answer
one or two questions.

Like many people, I had not suspected any of this about Andrew (although I
did wonder what it was he did for a living, precisely) until Anna sent me the
unedited version of the post above.

Interestingly enough, my membership lapsed the day after she first
contacted me; I have not renewed it at this stage for a number of reasons—some
obvious, some not so.

For all that I am sometimes offensive and occasionally lacklustre, I have
always tried to be honest and, as such, I gave Anna as much help as I
could—including giving her a line to Tim Carpenter. Ultimately, both Tim and I
wanted to find some definite facts (not because I didn’t believe Anna but
because it is good practice).

Many have pointed out that a Libertarian Party is an oxymoron; maybe it is.
But what we—or, certainly, I—wanted to do was to try to give people an
opportunity to vote for a party whose policies they believed in, rather than
voting for the party whose policies they despised the least.

Perhaps the LPUK is doomed to fail: so be it. But we tried.

And me? Well, I am satisfied that I have always been honest, if not
inspiring.

DK

Anna
Raccoon April 15, 2011 at 04:47

DK,

I can confirm that you did not show me accounts – they are available on
line at the electoral commission.

http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/party-finance/legislation/legislation-on-political-parties

Can I just say that you are the last person I expected to be as
responsible and helpful as you were, and I am just sorry that the party
ignored the opportunity to sort this out in private and waited until I had
published it.

Thank-you for everything.

Cascadian April 14, 2011 at 22:08

Anna, thank you for writing this, hopefully it will serve as a warning to
others, although the major damage seems to have been done. Kind, hospitable
and considerate people have been (and in the case of the girlfriend may still
be) victimized by this sociopath

Like others I had wondered about your reasons for abruptly terminating the
blog several months ago and of cryptic remarks from Old Holborn about
obtaining the funds for Nick Hogan’s release. The fog is beginning to clear
and I stand in admiration at your calm acceptance of what must have been an
extremely unpleasant period of your life.

Once again, I am angry with an injustice system that seems to accept and
encourage this kind of aberrant behaviour, and for the second time this week
find myself wishing that some frontier justice could be administered.

In former times, certain regulars (parties who were occasionally “of
interest to the police” -maybe even Kray brother contemporaries) that
frequented the pub where I worked in the east-end of London would certainly
have wished to “discuss a bit of outstanding business that the landlady has
with you”. Luverly geezers, just don’t give them any lip.

I miss those days, though their “philosophy” undoubtedly does not line up
well with your Quaker beliefs there was a quick and usually beneficial
resolution to the innocent parties favour.

The Filthy
Engineer April 14, 2011 at 22:01

I’m sorry for you Anna. It is so easy to be sucked in to a scam such as
his. I was so nearly sucked into a scam involving the painter contracted to
paint the outside of my house. He was, oh so plausible. I was lucky. I, by
sheer coincidence met the man who had shared a prison cell with him.
Thanks
to you for having the integrity to share this with us.

wassname April 14, 2011 at 21:59

What Engineer said! I am an Engineer too. Forget Party things. If you stick
to being you, I’ll visit you. I don’t always agree with you but you are big
enough to expect that. Hail Anna! whoever you may be. Do you know something? I
think from now on I’ll label your blog in my bookmarks as ‘Anna Raccoon and
Friends’. Forget politics.

Yikes! April 14, 2011 at 21:51

Wow, that’s an eye-opener. I went to the last LPUK meeting and they all
seemed like a nice crowd. Not so sure about attending the next one now, if
there even is one.

tomsmith April 14, 2011 at 20:59

Very sorry to hear about this Anna.

I am sad that it took you so long to work this out about these con artists.
I too naively joined the party but luckily I understood exactly what they were
after a couple of weeks.

There are lots of extreme nutcases attracted to “libertarianism”
apparently, although they never seem to live it.

Fred Thrung April 14, 2011 at 20:39

I was always a bit suspicious of his rants, but thought that was
over-reacting. So I waited for a long time before signing up to LPUK –
thankfully I never did.
The good thing that has come from this post, Anna,
is that it explains your occasional absences from the blogosphere. So glad to
hear your assurance that you’re staying with us.

sixtypoundsaweekcleaner April 14, 2011 at 20:33

This is terribly depressing, but please don’t let bad experiences stand in
the way of preaching the truth. Some of us need to hear it.

Nic Coome April 14, 2011 at 20:12

The Libertarian Party has released a brief statement on this matter at http://lpuk.org/

Nic Coome
Party Chairman

Anna
Raccoon April 14, 2011 at 20:18

Indeed they have:

“This morning, very serious allegations were posted on the internet
regarding the conduct of Andrew Withers, leader of the Libertarian
Party.

Given the nature of these allegations, Nic Coome, the Party Chairman, and
Andrew have agreed that he will temporarily step aside from his role as
Party Leader until such time as the matters have been fully investigated by
the National Coordinating Committee.

In the meantime, Nic will act as Party Leader.”

Anon April 15, 2011 at 01:48

Anna.

I am not taking sides and wholey sympathise with your personal falling
out with Andrew. But may I ask for you to consider what some posts on here
are doing by posting Andrews’ personal details including his home address
and condemn this?

I am not an official LPUK spokesman, or do not have anything to do with
the NCC… but I await the results of their investigation before making any
conclusions.

However it does not seem right to me that people are posting the man’s
home address on here and jokingly making references to what they “do not
want to see happen to him” or things of this nature. Without wishing too
appear to be taking sides, please ask some of these people to restrain
themselves a little… it’s the right thing to do.

Surreptitious
Evil April 15, 2011 at 06:38

Election agents and some other people have their addresses published
in official documentation. Should we not be putting election leaflets
online because they contain addresses?

My name and address were put online by the local council because I
was elected to the “Community Council”.

Climate Change
Denier April 14, 2011 at 19:51

Christ on a fucking bike !!! What bunch of misfits, fucktards and hoons the
Glibertarians turned out to be after all….

I’m just glad I wasn’t suckered in and voted BNP instead.

Michael April 15, 2011 at 00:04

oh the irony…

Captain
Ranty April 14, 2011 at 19:50

Well, you can all join my party.

It’s the Just Say No party.

Cost to join?-fuck all.

Leader?-none

Manifesto?-just say erm, no. (That’s the whole thing. Goes on a bit, I
know).

Benefits?-limitless.

Knock yourselves out. Have some fun and piss off the establishment at the
same time. It’s a win-win!

CR.

Snowolf April 14,
2011 at 19:43

Bloody hell, Anna. That’s saved me a few quid at least next time the email
comes in for membership renewal. I’ve been beating myself up a little about
not being as involved with the party as I’d have liked. Glad I didn’t bother
now.

2mac April 14, 2011 at 19:33

After much thought I have concluded this is one of those rare occassions
when calling someone (APW and the Creepy Dr/Photoguy) a Complete Cunt really
does not feel like like strong enough language.

Anna,

You know the little weasles are reading all your supportive comments. I bet
they are crying into a glass of wine someone has purchased them, while they
sit in a home someone else has paid for.

It seems the LPUK Top management team should apply for direct
representation in the House of Lords where they would be right at home along
with the other parasites, lunatics and spongers.

Livewire April 14, 2011 at 19:32

washbasin with lisp quotes Descartes – “I think therefore I am”
As a
sense of humour emergency doctor I may be a bit ‘NHS’ today…

Michael April 14, 2011 at 18:59

I remember attending the first LPUK AGM in York a couple of years ago, the
main people in the party seemed like a decent bunch of people, and quite
honestly I would not have suspected this from those at the top.

I will be interested to see what DK says about this, if anything…

As for Henry North London (didn’t he have some connection to Richard
North?), from his comments and blog posts you could tell he was radio rental
straight away, shame you went and met him

Katabasis April
14, 2011 at 19:37

Absolutely no connection between Henry North and Richard North as far as
I know.

Dr
Rohen Kapur April 14, 2011 at
22:42

No connection to Richard North, More a connection to Rachel North London
if anyone has read the first few posts on the blog. Which it seems most of
you haven’t .

Do I care. Not in the slightest.

Michael April 15, 2011 at 00:34

I read it ages ago don’t worry, unfortunately the link in your name
doesn’t work so I can’t amuse myself with your words of wisdom just
now.

Dr
Rohen Kapur April 14, 2011 at 18:54

I shall post a riposte upon my site. But not today, I need to sleep on this
little kiss and tell story, and reveal how even I had misgivings about the
French Bergerac story. Photos and all.

Until then I refute the above story. I shall go into it chapter and
verse.

Salut mes amis A Samedi on Henry North London 2

Salted
Slug April 14, 2011 at 21:33

While you’re doing that, I’ll drag out some foam-flecked, swivel-eyed
emails from you, which ought to show you in the right light.

SadButMadLad
April 14, 2011 at 22:39

Now, now. Please don’t use AR as your battleground. Keep it to your own
blogs please.

2Mac April 15, 2011 at 11:32

No Point going over to the SANE doctors Blog. Seems there is nobody
there. Many articles. No comments.

It seems the lights are on but nobody is home!

Dr Rohen Kapur April 15, 2011 at 00:00

Salty, please remember that the statute of limitations has not elapsed
as yet. The high court is a 35 minute journey from me. I warn you not to
go where you are going, lest you get a writ in the post.

rantinrab April 15, 2011 at 09:47

I bet he is shitting himself now, eh Doc!

SaltedSlug April 15, 2011 at 10:25

You can’t imagine my terror. I cannot rest, for sleep brings with
it Lovecraftian horrors heralding the dark and merciless wrath of
Rohen Kapur.

There is a legal mind so masterful, so genius, that obstructions
like not knowing my name or address, the ample available proof of his
insanity or the statute of limitations being 12 months are as nought
before him.

Truly, I fear the night.

Anonymous
April 15, 2011 at 13:12

What a twat.

Jim DiGriz
April 14, 2011 at 21:43

I am sorry, but I have met you and you are completely and utterly barking
mad.

Yourself, IanPJ and Withers are like an unfunny version of the three
stooges with tinfoil hats.

Dr Rohen Kapur April 15, 2011 at 00:02

Have you? Shame They dismissed Semmelweiss as mad but everyone washes
their hands in the hospitals now.

Mr Ecks
April 15, 2011 at 10:14

Actually they don’t

SaltedSlug April 15, 2011 at 10:30

Well as they say: To wear the mantle of Galileo, it is not enough
alone to be persecuted, you must also not be underpants-chewing
batshit.

I may have paraphrased.

Gildas the
Monk April 15, 2011 at 14:43

hahahhaha!

microdave April 14, 2011 at 18:47

I met APW just before the last election – he seemed a decent sort of guy.
This just goes to show how wrong you can be in judging someone’s
character!

At least all he got from me was a signature, so I guess I must consider
myself lucky. Reading of your horrific experiences with him makes me angry,
and I hope you can put it behind you, and move on. It even makes Peter
Mandelsnake look slightly less evil than he previously did…

David C April 14, 2011 at 18:41

Well done for putting all this down Anna. It’s really important that things
like this are out in the open if libertarian politics is to advance: we need
to have the courage to expose these people. Blogs like yours will start to
change things – but not overnight.

Stabledoor April 14, 2011 at 17:27

What an extraordinary tale. I’m quite attracted by the principles of
libertarianism and had thought about joining the party, but it sounds a bit of
a shambles! Sorry you’ve have such a rough time with Mr Withers. Please don’t
stop blogging – this is one of my favourite sites and though I hardly ever
comment I visit every day and would miss you all very much.

Westerlyman April 14, 2011 at 17:22

I am deeply saddened and annoyed at the shabby treatment you have received
from Withers, who is clearly delusional.

I once worked for man like him. They are so plausible until you reckon up
what they actually do instead of what they say.

I recently renewed my membership of LPUK and, having read your piece, am
frustrated by his undermining of the party and its aims. I actually believe
that there has to be a political movement if libertarian ideas are ever have a
chance of becoming widely accepted in the UK.

I certainly shall not renew my membership again until there have been some
big changes with LPUK and there is a leader that we can respect and trust.

John April 14, 2011 at 17:18

Can’t comment on the article until I read in full

I agree the party is an amateur, however for me its the only party which is
standing for libertarian principles. If there was another party truly standing
for what I regard libertarian principles I would be the first to leave.

If supporters/members are critical of the party they are free to get
involved, help make changes or even stand against the leader or any other
position.

If there is ever another party standing for libertarian principles we need
to fix what we have, so those who are critical of the party I hope they will
get involved or even stand against any one at the top instead of sitting on
the side lines.

To Anna , understanding your now critical of the party, and I wish your own
criticism was followed by actions. (i.e standing against Andrew).

So my challenge to any one who has criticism of the party

– Start your own libertarian party, if its good enough, with supporters,
the LPUK will most likely be disbanded.
– Get involved and help make
changes.
– If you don’t like the leader, stand against him/her.

John

Timac April 14, 2011 at 17:42

I’m afraid it seems Mr. Withers is far too entrenched for that. Just look
at the disclaimer at the bottom of the official website:

“All content copyright the UK Libertarian Party, unless otherwise
stated.
Promoted by Andrew Withers on behalf of the Libertarian Party,
both at Flat 3, 33 Castle Road, Clevedon, Somerset, BS21 7DA”

I say you call for an extraordinary general meeting, hold a vote of no
confidence in A. Withers, post this news on your website and distribute PR
to all your members and amongst the Libertarian blogosphere as a fresh start
recruitment drive. It will probably do the party the world of good.

Cambridge April 14, 2011 at 16:59

We stand with you Anna.

The truth will out.

BenSix
April 14, 2011 at 16:37

The whole “start a party” thing is overrated anyway. I’m all for
alternatives if they’ve got a chance but if you’re still obscure as a Belgian
translation of Finnegan’s Wake it’s a bit futile. Voters aren’t
curious; they generally go with whoever they’ve always gone with or whoever’s
not the disagreeable incumbent. Rather than enduring all the egotism,
wrangling and exploitation of a party structure it’s probably wiser to
increase awareness of your cause/ideology on a more wide-ranging basis and
wait ’til you’ve built support.

Onus
Probandy April 14, 2011 at 16:18

Thank you.

sconzey April 14,
2011 at 16:16

Allow me to join the others above in offering my sympathies to you. The
most awful things happen to the nicest people.

I am relieved now that I let my subscription lapse shortly before DK became
leader. I’m just annoyed that the time and energy (and money) of so many good
and well-meaning people was wasted; and that should another opportunity to
really bring about some liberty in this country arise, those same well-meaning
people will be cynical and wary.

Joe Public April 14, 2011 at 16:00

Thanks for sharing your experience with your readership. And revealing
gullibility takes an awful lot of courage.

Is it any surprise that politicians are held in such contempt?

On a lighter note the “…. ‘he’s only been ‘Sectioned’ the once, insofar as
I know’ is not really the reassurance I was looking for…..” reminds me of
Spike Milligans riposte after being told he was crazy: “At least I’ve got a
certificate to prove I’m sane”

Michael
Fowke April 14, 2011 at 15:23

Very long post this.

Michael April 14, 2011 at 19:10

Captivating read, tho’

Caedmon’s
Cat April 14, 2011 at 15:22

Anna – in view of what you’ve written, I’m glad to be a free-range and
freewheeling (conservative) anarchist…
I know that there have been some
internal wrangles within the ranks of the Libertarian Alliance as well..

Katabasis April
14, 2011 at 15:04

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMQAnhIzGbA

foundavoice April
14, 2011 at 14:57

Anna, I couldn’t believe what I read.

Have put a link of support on my website – we need to flush out these
scoundrels.

FAV.

Bill April 14, 2011 at 14:51

Anyone who professes a desire to be a politician should be lobotomised!

backwoodsman
April 14, 2011 at 14:33

Dear Anna, as always, your inherant sense of decency shines through your
wonderful writing. Once I realised it was going to be a car crash, I couldn’t
wait for the denoumont.
I enjoyed one or two of the pieces AW wrote on
here, to the point of considering membership of the LP. However, he never put
up a link to their site, which struck me as odd.

Giolla
April 14, 2011 at 14:27

Wow, that’s an eye opener to put it mildly. Does rather prove that the last
people you want in politics are those that want to be in politics. Has saved
me 15 quid though, do you have a tips jar?

Matt April 14, 2011 at 14:16

I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite so bonkers in all my life. Glad
you’re rid of the nutters now, and free of most of the stress and
inconvenience they brought to your life. I never understand what motivates
someone to con, cheat and lie their way through life, destroying lives and
people in the process. At least you’re on the way to making it through to the
other side.

Jim Greer April 14, 2011 at 14:04

Who didn’t know that liberatarians are all mad chancers hoping to make a
quick buck by subverting basic principles of society and natural justice?

blindcyclists April 14, 2011 at 14:14

Natural justice is – I can kill you, and eat you, and take your stuff,
and it’s tough shit. Think you mean something else there, if you don’t then
yes, libertarians would like to subvert that. Who wouldn’t ? Also, sweetie,
there are no “basic principles” of society, whatever mummy told you about
Marx.

You’d have been wise to have read the other comments before posting
yours, then you wouldn’t be looking so daft in the face of the proof of the
complete opposite of your point.

berenike
April 14, 2011 at 20:36

:facepalm:

DavidNcl April 15, 2011 at 06:25

Actually, it was realising that LPUK had an understanding of
libertarianism as deep and as profound as yours that kept me away from
them.

Katabasis April
14, 2011 at 13:55

OMFG!

Anna, I’m so so sorry to read this.

The whole shambles is a tragic, unforgivable turn of events both for you
and your family and for those of us hoping and wanting to put our energies
into a genuinely principled political alternative.

I have removed my blog’s link to LPUK and will not be renewing my
membership now. I will not return to the party unless and until it has been
through a complete transformation.

Looks like our only libertarian hope is within the libertarian part of UKIP
now…. :-/

I want to offer my help and hand of friendship but given your experiences
you’re probably reticent to have anything to do with anyone else who is just
another faceless blogger and I certainly don’t blame you.

What a crushing shame for everyone this is. I feel crushed for both you and
for all of our hopes of a libertarian rallying point.

David
April 14, 2011 at 13:55

A really shocking read Anna, although I let my LPUK membership lapse I was
still hoping to see it do well. Just a month ago I commented on my own blog
about how it seemed to have ‘new focus’ under Andrew Wither’s stewardship.
Ho-hum.

http://politicaptions.tumblr.com/ April 14, 2011 at 13:52

I’m absolutely stunned! I’ve heard of you before but never read your blog,
I’m ashamed to say. I shyed away from the Libertarian Party with their
extremely libertarian views on firearms but heard quite a few ‘nutter’
rumours.

Glad you’re keeping your libertarian (small ‘l’) principles.

PS. Did your husband delete his gaydar profile?

ivan April 14, 2011 at 13:44

Anna, there is one thing in the debacle you describe that I, and I suspect
many others,are thankful for – we got you back.

The other thing it proves what my father said in the only time I talked
politics with him, that anyone that wants to go into politics is the
last person to do so and in fact should be banned.
I knew he was correct
then – I went to school the the person standing as candidate, a person that
had failed at everything he undertook and only wanted to be a politician
because of the position and perks.

One other thing, isn’t having a Libertarian party a bit of an oxymoron?

Time
Traveller April 14, 2011 at 13:24

Anna – I share the views expressed here – that this is an appalling way to
abuse your decency and trust. All I know about this excuse for a man is what
I’ve read here and I’m sorry to say that he had me fooled (not unusual!):
there again, the tone of the site has returned to its former glory since he’s
been gone!

As for being an independent libertarian, I think it’s the only way to go;
being part of a party involves compromise which is necessarily alien to
libertarian principles don’t you think?

Regards

Mike
Cunningham April 14, 2011 at 13:14

I believe that the first error made was when you listened and then replied
to him.

Long time back, I was considering going into buisness overseas with a
colleague. Two days before signing up, I met with another friend who sat back
in alarm and said, “Business, with that clown? He has been in and out of
bankruptcy court so often he has his own bench.”

You are well out of his shadow, as long as you learn from your
mistakes!

chris
white April 14, 2011 at 13:10

“All post goes to Andrew’s personal address, including the bottle of whisky
that some kind person sent to Chris Mounsey when he was still leader, and that
Andrew’s girlfriend was kind enough to tell me Andrew drank himself.”

That was from me. :/

Still, nothing compared to what you’ve been put through.

Timac April 14, 2011 at 13:02

I’ve been an activist and canvasser for the US Libertarian Party, was a
member of a prominant University Libertarian Club where I was involved in
numerous student politics campaigns and have been on the payroll for political
parties in the UK before. I also have a cordial relationship with members of
the Spanish P-Lib.

I was very close to joining the LPUK but it seemed very much amateurish and
inactive. I now have no intention of joining for the time being until they get
their act together – and it seems, purge themselves of assholes.

What a shame. I’m just the sort of person they need to join up. I hope this
is a wake up call for them.

Sam Smith April 14, 2011 at 13:01

Hi Anna,

My advice –

(1) Join the Conservative Party.
(2) Join the Conservative Party.
(3)
Join the Conservative Party.

and also …

(4) Join the Conservative Party.

– Sam

rantinrab April
14, 2011 at 13:10

I’d rather gouge my eyes out with a rusty spoon.

Andrew April 14, 2011 at 13:30

Even better:
(1) Join Ukip.
(2) Join Ukip.
(3) Join Ukip.

and also …

(4) Join Ukip.

JuliaM April
14, 2011 at 14:21

Far better idea – don’t join ANY political party. Why give them your
money before they are in a position to take it by force?

Engineer
April 14, 2011 at 14:48

I’ll second that.

I’d never heard of political blogging a couple of years ago, because
I’ve never been that political. However, I do care about the way my
country is governed (mainly because I and the people I care about live
in it), and was scratching my head a bit about the way things were going
when the Damien McBride thing cropped up. Guido’s blog got mentioned, so
I dipped a toe, and discovered that I’m far from the only person bemused
by politics.

What have I learned? Well, that politics isn’t for me, and that if
you’re going into it you either have to be very determined indeed or
have a skin like a rhino – or both. It seems to attract liars, shysters
and screwballs like dung attracts flies. Trouble is, I can’t think of a
better way of managing the country’s affairs fairly, so I’ll carry on
using my vote for the least-worst option in the prevailing
circumstances.

I suppose I should start the Apathy Party, but to be honest I can’t
be bothered….

Dave H
April 14, 2011 at 19:10

My sentiment entirely. I favour the method of government where if you
want something done you either pay for it yourself or encourage others
who agree with you to share the cost. No taxes.

Sorry to hear what’s been going on, Anna has obviously spent her life
being a nicer, more trusting person than I ever was.

Angry
Exile April 15, 2011 at 03:04

QOTD worthy, that one, Julia.

Lescromps April 14, 2011 at 12:51

Bloody hell,what a tale,now you;v given us the heads up we know what to
expect,sounds like fraud to me .Love your bloggs,looking forward to more.

mongo April 14,
2011 at 12:37

I feel like Ive stumbled into a private party as the family start settling
old scores, I`m no joiner of political parties or clubs etc and if I confessed
to any political beliefs I would edge towards Libertarian but your post Anna
has reminded me how politics attracts the worst shysters and dangerously
deranged amongst us, and how they manipulate genuine honest folk.

Guess I`ll stick to lamposts and piano wire for the job lot of em.

Good luck.

Ps I have a talent for retrieving owed monies without any fuss.

Death Rides A
Tryke April 14, 2011 at 12:23

Withers is, plainly put, a nutjob. Fact

Uncle
Marvo April 14, 2011 at 12:22

Hi Ms Raccoon

The only surprise in that was that you didn’t already have Henry nailed as
an absolute nutjob ages ago.

Keep it up!

Marv

rantinrab April
14, 2011 at 13:08

She did. As did I. Met him once, that was plenty.

rantinrab April 14, 2011 at 12:18

I’m glad I went with my instincts and did not renew my membership a year
ago.

Bugger (the
Panda) April 15, 2011 at 10:17

I take a Marxian view on political parties, Groucho no Karl.

Any part which allows people like me to me a member doesn’t deserve
me.

Never have been and never will be a member of any political party but
will support their manifestos as an when it suits me.

Longrider April
14, 2011 at 12:04

This makes my experience with a Walter Mitty character last summer pale
into insignificance. The promise of a job that became ever more elusive had
the old alarm bells ringing. I subsequently came across a web of deceived folk
who had wasted time and money being taken in by this chancer. One company had
spent £30k renovating a training room because there would be “loads of work”
that never materialised. To add insult to injury, he buggered off to another
company to con them, leaving them in the lurch a few months later – out of
pocket, naturally.

I got off lightly on balance.

There are plenty of them out there, it seems.

Richard B April
14, 2011 at 12:04

My gast is truly flabbered.

Subrosa April 14,
2011 at 12:00

Situations like this are common within political parties where chancers see
superb opportunities to play on the beliefs and passions of others. I’m sure
you’ll be much more content as a libertarian ‘independent’. From my own
experiences I know I will never be a member of a political party ever again,
but that’s not to say I won’t support policies of which I approve.

You’ve the patience of a saint but I’m sure you will never again allow
anyone to abuse your professionalism and hospitality.

Welcome to the world of independence.

GoodnightVienna April 14, 2011 at 11:58

Wjhat a sorry tale! You have the patience of a Saint, Anna. Thank you for
bringing this to our attention.

Sue April 14, 2011
at 11:45

I’ve missed *been”, taken advantage of… I make typing mistakes when I’m
annoyed

Sue April 14, 2011
at 11:43

I am really angry about this. You have been nothing but a kind generous
friend to me. I’m sorry you’ve taken advantage of, I wish I could have helped.

Sue x

Disenfranchised of Buckingham April 14, 2011 at 11:41

Shucks, just paid my £15 to LPUK.

Mr Civil
Libertarian April 14, 2011 at 11:38

I was aware of the tale of the Doctor; this was when I still thought the
LPUK was a good idea, and I was involved in what they called the Judicial
Committee, so I was listening in on what I guess amounted to the “hearing”.
Rohen was, IIRC, given a three month suspension of membership. My membership
lapsed shortly after the second AGM where Chris became leader, and as such
everything else is new to me, though. Since then, of course, my libertarianism
has taken a more left wing approach, blah blah blah.

It’s pretty surprising, all of it; but it could be worse. At least we’re
not discussing Labour’s finances.

Engineer April 14, 2011 at 11:26

Anna – not that it’s the slightest use, but – I have profound sympathy for
you. I’m one the majority of people who believes in the basic mantra of
dealing with others as you would have them deal with you, so events such as
these sadden and anger me. I’ve met the occasional screwball on the
crazy-paving path we call life, and and can confirm that they cause mayhem out
of all proportion to their contribution to life. Sometimes, just walking away
is the only sensible thing you can do.

I do hope that when the dust has settled, you feel able to keep the Raccoon
Arms open for business. A visit is always thought-provoking, often funny, and
most of the ‘regulars’ are so obviously decent people in seach of relief from
bewilderment at life, politicians and everything. Still – it’s your cyberpub,
it’s your life, and you should make your decisions.

Let this be a lesson to life’s p*ss-takers – don’t mess with Scouse
Raccoons!

Anna
Raccoon April 14, 2011 at 11:33

The Raccoon Arms will remain open, I promise you. SadButMadLad has proved
to be a solid and unassuming individual, more interested in keeping this
virtual pub open for you all than hearing the sound of his own voice. It
makes a lubberly change!

He understands my desire to provide a platform for your voices, rather
than our own – we just open the doors and give you a conversation starter.

With this behind me, I might even find my sense of humour again, I know I
put it somewhere safe.

Livewire April 14, 2011 at 12:45

Echo everything that Engineer has said. The effect of the serial-debtor
mentioned is to increase mistrust in everyone unfortunately. Still, like
Rogue Traders, naming and shaming is the best way of dealing with them.

Blue
Eyes April 14, 2011 at 11:24

Just wow. You have about a million times more patience than I would in a
similar situation. Perhaps that is how you ended up being in the supporters’
club in the first place.

lenko April 14, 2011 at 11:17

My sympathies Anna… the worst of it being the gradual erosion of your trust
in others. Many years back, in another life, I was a credit controller, and
was subject to all the usual excuses to explain delay after delay in
repayment. The world is filled with Walter Mitty’s!

And I agree with your other commenter — what goes around comes around. In
the end, there is always a comeuppance. If and when it happens, please do post
it on the site.

Incidentally, I live in Bristol, so if you need anyone to pop down to
Clevedon…

Longrider April
14, 2011 at 12:01

So was I once – and yes, the excuses can be amusing if you are not
personally affected by them.

I was aware that there was something going on behind the scenes. My
membership is due about now and like the Nameless Libertarian, I’ve been
pondering whether I should renew. I think, on balance, it will be no.

T. P. Fuller
April 14, 2011 at 11:11

Anna, you must pay more attention to your spelling! You misspelled the word
“runt”!

Peter April 14, 2011 at 11:11

A very sad and cautionary tale, but thanks for sharing it with us.

I am afraid it tends to reinforce my view that party politics is not the
way forward for libertarian ideas.

Clarissa April 14,
2011 at 11:10

Oh boy… I was aware that there had been some falling out between you and
Andrew but not what the details were. I’m going to have reread this again
properly – not just skim it at my desk – later and then probably pass it
around to a few others for similar digestion.

rantinrab April
14, 2011 at 12:23

Hello Henry!

Anna
Raccoon April 14, 2011 at 12:33

NO, ‘that’ Clarissa is quite genuine!

rantinrab April 14, 2011 at 13:04

Ah, right. It’s confusing, all this malarky!

Clarissa April 14, 2011 at 13:24

Thanks Anna. I did wonder when commenting if I should have indicated
that I wasn’t Henry but decided that the regular readers would know I
wasn’t.

JuliaM April 14, 2011 at 14:18

We do indeed.

rantinrab April 14, 2011 at 15:42

I knew that!

Joe
Public April 14, 2011 at 15:48

Can any reader truly know ‘the on-line persona’?

SadButMadLad April 14, 2011 at 16:14

I know who I am!

Gildas
theMonk April 14, 2011 at
17:18

I am completely confused about who I am!

Sister Eva
Longoria April 14, 2011 at
17:22

That’s hardly surprising, is it!?

John April 14, 2011 at 19:29

As a VERY small party, no physical base, what address do
you expect the party to use?

I think we can’t go just by Anna comments, there is two
sides of every coin.

And LEGALY the party needs “Promoted by” under UK election
laws.

2Mac April 14, 2011 at 19:46

Is this his real home address? God forbid that you have
brought this to the attention of the interweb. This is how
people end up getting Taxi’s and Takeways delivered to their
house or office during working hours.

After a couple of days of such action a persons
address/office would be blacklisted from every delivery
service / taxi firm for 30 miles.

I really hope this does not happen to Andrew Withers of
the Libertarian Party, both at Flat 3, 33 Castle Road,
Clevedon, Somerset, BS21 7DA

Please Please nobody do this to such a good chap.

Timac April 14, 2011 at 20:27

That’s fair enough. The Party should be based in London
if possible anyway. Somerset?! Look how easy it is for
P-Lib, for example, to organize and grow so quickly by
basing themselves in Madrid, though they are a disparate
bunch

Ancient and Tattered Airman
April 15, 2011 at 00:14

John, may I remind you of a very old saying “There’s none
so blind as those who will not see”?

2mac April 14, 2011 at 11:05

Anna,

I too have been unfortunate enough to be involved with people who seemed
unable to tell the difference between total bullshit and truth. They get very
upset when found out.

Two in particular come to mind. Years have passed and their spectre still
haunts my memories. One was a serial liar who I worked for and the other had
created a whole entire life that did not exist, fake passports, Qualification
documents, tatoo’s for military service, a whole live.

At times I suffer from lack of judgement and quick temper and I did kick
the latter out into touch with the sole of my boots via the walls of my flat
he was living in at the time.

I saw one recently and he had become a Jehovahs Witness. An ideal
occupation for a lying little scum bag.

I find hating them very theraputic.

What they say does not matter,because they do not matter.

Max Farquar
April 14, 2011 at 10:51

Well done Anna!
I shall now happily return this site to my blogroll,
safe in the knowledge Withers that deluded chancer will no
longer be a part of it.

blindcyclists April 14, 2011 at 10:47

I had suspected, from reading Withers’ stuff, that he was possibly a stone
bonker. IPJ most definitely is, as is obvious from his own paranoid
outpourings and the few (brief) exchanges I’ve had with him.

This had put me off joining the LPUK already – not that I’m much of a
joiner anyway – but jesus, “madder than a box of frogs” is putting it
politely.

Having had the misfortune to meet similarly dishonest/delusional and
abusive personalities, I know there is simply nothing that I can say other
than thank you. Thank you for bringing this to light. You have my deepest
sympathy.

An apposite quote :

“Don’t you ever get sick of the endless parade of buffoons who claim the
authority to speak on your behalf: politicians, intellectuals, celebrities,
commentators – defining and characterising you in every detail … from your
‘distinctive … sense of humour’ right down to your fucking ‘collective
subconscious iconography’ … who are all simply, liars and thieves.”

Character ‘Munroe’ in Greg Egan’s excellent ‘Distress’

gladiolys April 14, 2011 at 10:30

Anna: I admire your attention to detail, your tenacity and your refusal to
keep quiet for the sake of party. It is welcome in this world to see someone
put belief before affiliation.

2mac April 14, 2011 at 18:54

I totally agree with. Tell the truth as it is known to you and
experienced by you. Let others decide what they think of your honesty.

A world of politics where honesty become frequently deployed would be a
rare treat indeed.

berenike April 14,
2011 at 10:30

Poor you! These people get away with so much, and spoil so much for other
people. It seems so unfair that some minor swindler or drunk gets a criminal
record and a jail sentence while these people walk unpunished.

Ex-Liverpool
Docker April 14, 2011 at 10:27

Heh love, it would have been worth the 1110 euros for the benefit of giving
him a ‘Liverpool kiss’!

JuliaM April 14,
2011 at 10:27

Oh, my good lord..!!!

“I have to say that a languid ‘he’s only been ‘Sectioned’ the once,
insofar as I know’ is not really the reassurance I was looking for in respect
of the party’s electoral candidate…”

You have a gift for understatement… !

Talwin April 14, 2011 at 10:21

My late mother would have said, “What goes around, comes around”. The
notion is, of course, usually bollocks. But you can always hope………..

Ed P April 14, 2011 at 10:19

APW: Mr. Micawber meets Billy Bunter?

Oh dear, just as I thought the Libertarian Party was resurgent. I hope to
go to their next monthly meeting (at the Rose & Crown in Southark on 5th
May) – I will report to you after it.

r4vi April 14, 2011 at 16:13

Please do come along. We’re not fruitcakes

Trooper Thompson April 15, 2011 at 20:08

I think it’ll be the most interesting yet!

Timdog April 14,
2011 at 10:09

Jesus what a monumentally depressing post Anna. LPUK manifesto in the bin
then, like you I still think Libertarianism is the way forward, shame the
party itself is no better than any other political party.

You must have got some catharsis out of finally setting all this down in
public though?

Anna
Raccoon April 14, 2011 at 10:13

At least I am no longer feeling guilty that my silence is luring other
people into a similar situation. That’s about the best I can say – beyond
that, yes, monumentally depressed about it all.

Macheath April
14, 2011 at 13:52

Hope you’re feeling happier now you’ve seen the response here;
sometimes the only thing to do with a dead rat is bring it out and lay it
on the carpet.

Best wishes to you and the stalwart Mr G.

Longrider April 14, 2011 at 15:40

Well, I’m not sure about the carpet…

The Penguin
April 15, 2011 at 11:05

So sorry that you have been taken advantage of by these parasitic scum.
So glad that you are able to rise above the situation.

The
Penguin.

SadButMadLad
April 14, 2011 at 10:02

This is quite dynamite stuff and many of you will be shocked, annoyed, or
just plain flabbergasted. It is decisive and there will be people taking sides
and people will be falling out with each other. Please at least be civil when
you slag each other off.

indeed April 14, 2011 at 09:49

HUGE HUGS!

Crass and somewhat brainless comment by me perhaps, but genuine in
intent.

Randy Hack April 14, 2011 at 09:45

Well this will prove interesting!

lenko April 14, 2011 at 22:33

Sorry 2Mac… For some reason that was slightly garbled on my computer
screen. It looked like “Andrew Withers of the Libertarian Party, both at Flat
3, 33 Castle Road, Clevedon, Somerset, BS21 7DA”.

Can you please confirm?

The Penguin April 15, 2011 at 11:38

Yes, please don’t anyone do anything silly, no matter how appealing such
actions seem….flippers crossed as I type!

The
Penguin.

Anon April 15, 2011 at 01:58

This may be true…
but this would require for a London based member to
volunteer their property address for public display of a political
organisation. The fact that Andrew has volunteered this upon himself is
nothing short of selfless… especially now considering the fact that a backlash
as seen here is exposing him to a witch hunt.

I am not an official in the party, just a regular member…
I will be
affected if these accusations hold true and have no interest other than to
discover the truth.

But I am very disapointed by how quickly so many “libertarians” have jumped
to condemnation and support of accusations without even allowing for the man
to present a defence or for the party to conduct an investigation.

What have the hard working, dedicated members of the party done to deserve
the tarnish that comments here are providing? A personal falling out with
Andrew is to risk and brand the entire Libertarian Party and all of it’s
members and supporters? Is that just?

JuliaM April 15,
2011 at 05:54

“…how quickly so many “libertarians” have jumped to condemnation and
support of accusations without even allowing for the man to present a defence
or for the party to conduct an investigation.”

Hasn’t the party been given more than enough time to do that?

*reads post again*

Yup, looks like it to me.

The Penguin April 15, 2011 at 11:40

Can’t you read? The little runt has had more than enough time and
opportunity to make things right with Anna, and instead took to smears and
innuendo and threats. Get real.

The
Penguin.