Reaction to the Inaugural British Tea Party Event
On February 28, an extraordinary meeting took place in a crowded room in Brighton on the south coast of England. The tea party movement, scoffed at by much of the British establishment, quietly arrived in the UK. With little publicity, and certainly none of it positive except on the blogs, Kenny Irvine arranged a successful event for the Freedom Association in two days time.
So successful was the tea party gathering that the 300-person capacity of the room was reached quickly and people had to be away. This was a British event, so the tea was consumed and not tossed anywhere. There was a cash bar as well for those wishing to have something a bit stronger — another British tradition.
The main speaker for the event, Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan, did some pre-event publicity. Oddly enough, it was through U.S. media outlets like Neil Cavuto’s Fox News show and Hot Tea Radio.
In both of these interviews, Hannan was keen to assure people that no tea would be harmed in any way. American observers found the fact that a tea party event in the UK was being planned both ironic and amusing. However, the problems discussed were as serious as the ones with which American tea party attendees are concerned: high taxes, bloated government, and fiscal irresponsibility.
ToryDiary reports and responds to potential criticism of a UK-based tea party movement:
To those who might criticize him for aping a foreign idea in Brighton today, he said that there is nothing foreign about meeting to say that we as a people should have a say over what revenue is taken from us. Mr. Hannan repeated his oft-made call for a complete rethink of the role of the state in Britain today and said that it was vital that ministers push powers downwards and outwards and restoring democracy.
Hannan makes the case yet again for the need for such events to call attention to what is going on via his own blog.
Let me say it one more time. Gordon Brown has doubled the national debt. Every second, it rises by another 5,000 pounds. Our deficit is 12.6 per cent of GDP compared to Greece’s 12.7. All this despite the additional trillion pounds taken in taxation since 1997.
Good wrap up, Ian.
I, for one, welcome our British cousins to the Tea Party family!
Excellent. I do hope and pray that there will always be an England.
Please note: Kenneth Irvine was merely a consultant and never a member of the party. I apologize for the misunderstanding.
I have no current connection with the UK Independence Party. As a consultant, I acted as the party’s Campaign Director for the 2009 European election campaign. The party came second in that election and beat the governing Labour and Liberal Democrat parties.
The Freedom Association, for whom I organised the Dan Hannan meeting, is a non-party organisation. Its officers, members and supporters include Parliamentary members of the Conservative, Labour and UK Independence Parties as well as independent cross-benchers in the House of Lords.
It warms my heart to see our brothers from across the pond getting into gear to take back their country.
I apologize for the misunderstanding. okay
Shoot. I could’ve gone, but I didn’t think about it until too late. And we had what was reported to be a HUGE storm coming up the Channel from the direction of Brighton (fortunately, it mostly landed on France).
Honestly, I’ve been coming here since the mid-Nineties, and I can’t work out why the Brits haven’t risen up and marched on Whitehall. I thought the petrol protests from a few years ago might come to something, but they flared and died away.
2 things, Andrew. First of all, and I am willing to guess that Tom Brokaw unintentionally meant to give the Tea Party Movements on either side a boost, when in the 6 minute presentation of explaining
Canada to the United States, during the NBC run up to the Opening Ceremonies of the Vancouver Olympics, we see very early on in the piece these words on the Peace Arch between Surrey, BC. and Blaine, Washington: Children of a common mother.
In just over 5 years, it will be the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta. I purport that the Tea Party movements on either side of the Atlantic are doing the most to prepare for that auspicious anniversary. For, what does the Magna
Carta bestow upon the governed – you are more than sweepings.
These are exciting times in which to live, because I am confident that I speak for more than myself in that there is nothing like a good fight. The powers that be will defend their perks to the hilt, so it will be a knock-down, drag out affair. The winner, of
which I am positive will be the Tea Party movement, will be bloodied, but triumphant.
Nothing like a little grass roots uprising to bring people together!
Pip pip cheerio!
Got to love the decedents of the likes of Winston Churchill and Mr. Locke, not to mention the folks who gave us wonderful instruments of Liberty such as Habeas Corpus and the Magna Carter.
God Bless our cousins across the Atlantic, may we always be brothers and sisters of Liberty.
I have a sense of optimism regarding our good cousins that I haven’t had in years! Mr. Hannan will hopefully lead Britain to a more sensible, liberty-oriented system of governance which will be more responsible with the public funds. Just like what we want here.
“ENGLAND-STAN”….is well on it’s way to be devoured by their “immigrants”…Islamic of course. Do try to keep a stiff upper lip….mates.
They have gone a long ways downhill in Dear Old Blighty, and have a lot of work to do if they think they can reclaim their Nation.
I have been the only regular American to participate in Tim Montgomerie’s British ConservativeHome forums over the past 4 years and frankly I’m disappointed as a substantial percentage of Tories are not what Americans of conservative/libertarian bent can relate. They view Dan Hannan as too far right and disruptive. They are not only ignorant but eager to believe the left-leaning media’s angle that the American Tea Party are poisoned with “rednecks” and all around low life. They have a general anti-American view of the American right period, blaming us for a lot of their problems instead of wanting to understand our values and embrace willing friends. I don’t say its everyone, there are some outstanding citizens every bit as knowledgeable and committed as we have here but as I’ve said in posting there too many are no longer from Great Britain but instead, a resentful and scapegoat generation of Great Victim. I highly suspect if/when Cameron and Co. take control it won’t be long before the BBC, Guardian etc. rip them apart and they implode when Tory bashing becomes cool again.
Just like in the States I think your very fledgling Tea Party movement is your only hope but unfortunately your going to have to convert many who at present are petty superior-minded fools thinking they are above you.
Hope they can get it together before dissent itself is outlawed. England is a complete surveillance-statist mess, far worse than even America where peace movements are infiltrated by government goons. They’ll face rabble-rousing agents, coercion, and all manner of spying even to exist, let alone wield any political clout.
I live 8 miles from Brighton and I missed it. Damn! If only Cameron represented people like me who are self-employed,not that well-off and didn’t go to public school(that means private in American). I think the Tea Party in the U.S. has real blue collar support,is that true? Cameron’s Tories are hampered by their elite backgrounds. I agree with Dark-star,we are already a surveillance state and to resist it is to be labelled a racist,fascist,reactionary etc………….Cameron may be better than Brown but I agree with Peter Hitchens that things have to get a lot worse before the Tories will really become a conservative party again.
With people like Andrew, former politicians like Monte Solberg and Sarah Palin, and current lawmakers like Daniel Hannan – change is welcome.
Check this out: http://www.torontosun.com/comment/columnists/monte_solberg/2010/03/12/13210031.html
They have gone a long ways downhill in Dear Old Blighty, and have a lot of work to do if they think they can reclaim their Nation.