1828 was founded to champion freedom. Why are we needed today? Because practically anything that’s perceived as remotely negative is blamed on capitalism or economic freedom. There is also an urgent need to challenge socialism’s grip on the young and to make the case for free market-conservatism. Because, let’s not forget, the evidence is on our side, and those who hand us the blame for all the ills of the world are usually the very people who created said problems in the first place – those who see an ever-more active state as the solution, despite that being the fundamental issue.
When you strip everything back, economic liberals are simply champions of freedom. We believe that the role of government is to protect and facilitate the individual’s liberty to live their life as they choose, as long as they do not interfere with others doing the same. We believe that society is built from the individual up, not from the state down. We are consequentialists. We ask: does this policy increase an individual’s ability to flourish without imposing an unacceptable infringement on their liberty? If so, it is an idea we can support.
1828 and the ASI expanded on these values and translated them into policy proposals in our recently released publication, The Neoliberal Manifesto, which was launched at Conservative party conference 2019. The reception was so positive that a Spanish version of the manifesto, El Manifiesto Neoliberal, and a Catalan version, El Manifest Neoliberal were subsequently published.
Our first event was at Leeds university in January 2019, where it hosted a speech by the then chief secretary to the Treasury, now secretary of state for international trade, Liz Truss. She said: “I’m very excited to be speaking for 1828, as well as to Leeds University students, because I think they are a huge part of what’s happening on the right of politics, where a lot of new ideas are coming to fruition.”
We then went on to host the UK’s largest-ever Free Market Road Show in May 2019, in collaboration with the Austrian Economics Center, which included a keynote speech by Priti Patel MP. She said at the time: “Jack, Matt and the team at 1828, the work that you do is absolutely vital. As champions of markets and freedom, we must all have the courage of our convictions to publicly advocate the transformational impact these principles can have on our society and our freedoms.”
Douglas Carswell echoed Patel, saying: “1828 is an absolutely superb initiative, and I have to say I think it’s probably far more important than anyone or anything happening in the House of Commons right now.”
Since our inception, more than half a million people have read over 350 influential articles from cabinet ministers, MEPs and policy experts on a diverse range of issues including healthcare, free trade, housing, immigration, drug reform, and LGBT+ rights. We believe that now is the time to usher in a new generation of freedom fighters and renew the case for liberty – because our side of the argument is nowhere near out of the woods yet.
That’s why we’re asking for your help. If you value the work we do and want to see more, please help us to continue championing freedom. Any donation, large or small, makes a difference.With your help, 1828 will continue to be on the frontline of the battle of ideas in the months and years ahead ensuring that capitalism, freedom and progress prevail.
