London, Tuesday 7 May 2002
For Immediate Use
Contact Details: Dr Sean Gabb 07956 472 199,
sean@libertarian.co.uk
Also Dr Chris R. Tame, 07957 644519,
chris@libertarian.co.uk
For other contact and link details, see the foot of this
message
"TELEGRAPH SAYS ‘FUCK OFF’ TO CRITICISMS
OF ‘FREE COUNTRY’ CAMPAIGN"
Responding to criticisms of his media group’s
“Free Country”campaign, a Telegraph journalist
has told Sean Gabb of the Libertarian Alliance to
“fuck off”.
The Libertarian Alliance, which is Britain’s most
radical civil liberties and free market policy institute,
has criticised The Daily Telegraph’s “Free
Country” campaign on the following grounds:
+ That it lacks focus
+ That it consists of short, unconnected articles unlikely
to shift pubic opinion
+ That it lacks the passion and commitment of campaigns run
by the leftist media
+ That, despite talk of “building alliances”,
no effort has been made to recruit allies for the campaign
from outside the Conservative shadow cabinet and a few
“well-connected mediocrities”
Dr Gabb, a Libertarian Alliance Executive Committee member,
made these criticisms in an article sent out on the
Internet on Monday the 6th May 2002. He sent copies with a
covering letter to various journalists working for the
Telegraph group. His covering letter reads:
Dear Sir,
I send herewith an account of a debate between me and your
Editor.
Though the debate was cut to pieces before being broadcast,
the
account has been posted all over the Internet.
Yours ever,
Sean Gabb
London
6th may 2002
Posting at 8:15am, Patrick Barclay, who is football
correspondent for The Sunday Telegraph, e-mailed as follows
to Dr Gabb
Dear Mr Gabb,
Would you please fuck off?
Yours very sincerely,
Patrick Barclay
Commenting on the e-mail, Dr Gabb said:
“This is a surprising communication from a media
group that claims to uphold certain standards of civility
in journalism. I have no doubt, however, that it is the
only response I shall get. I also believe it accurately
reflects the general attitude of the Telegraph group to
criticism from its readers”
Also commenting, Dr Chris R. Tame, Executive Director of
the Libertarian Alliance, said:
“While we have no objection to even robust media
treatment, this sort of foul-mouthed response to a very
polite e-mail is unacceptable from a media group that is
always willing to denounce others for impoliteness. The
message was sent from an official Telegraph e-mail address
(patrick.barclay@telegraph.co.uk), and must be taken as an
official Telegraph response to our criticisms. We call on
Mr Barclay’s manager for an explanation and
apology.”
ENDS
Note to Editors
(1) Dr Sean Gabb is a member of the Executive Committee of
the Libertarian Alliance, and Editor of its journal Free
Life. He is also author of “Dispatches from a Dying
Country: Reflections on Modern England”, Hampden
Press, London, 2001. A University lecturer, he lives with
his wife in London and Deal.
He can be contacted for further comment on 07956 472 199,
or at sean@libertarian.co.uk
(2) Dr Chris R. Tame is the founder and Director of the
Libertarian Alliance. A prolific writer and lecturer on
many topics in sociology, economics, philosophy and the
history of ideas. He is also the author of "Freedom,
Responsibility and Justice: The Criminology of the New
Right" in the book "The Politics of Crime
Control" (Kevin Stenson & David Cowell, eds., Sage
Publications, London, 1991), which can also be found
reprinted at
http://www.libertarian.co.uk
He can be contacted for further comment on 07957 644519 or
at chris@libertarian.co.uk
(3) Patrick Barclay is the football correspondent for The
Sunday Telegraph. He can be contacted on 0207 538 5000 or
at patrick.barclay@telegraph.co.uk
(4) The Internet article criticising the Telegraph’s
“Free Country” campaign is available at
http://www.btinternet.com/~old.whig/flcomm/flc066.htm
Extended Contact Details:
The Libertarian Alliance is Britain’s most radical
free market and civil liberties policy institute. It has
published over 700 articles, pamphlets and books in support
of freedom and against statism in all its forms. These are
freely available at
http:www.libertarian.co.uk
Our postal address is
The Libertarian Alliance
Suite 35
2 Lansdowne Row
Mayfair
London
W1J 6HL
Tel: 07956 472 199
Associated Organisations
The Libertarian International - http://www.libertarian.to -
is a sister organisation to the Libertarian Alliance. Its
mission is to coordinate various initiatives in the defence
of individual liberty throughout the world.
Sean Gabb's personal website -
http://www.seangabb.co.uk - contains about 800,000 words of
writings on themes interesting to libertarians and
conservatives
Candidlist - http://www.candidlist.com - owned and
maintained by LA Executive member Sean Gabb, it lists
Conservative MPs and candidates according to their views on
European integration. It had a major effect before the 2001
general election, and remains an important resource.
Liberalia - http://www.liberalia.com - maintained by by LA
Executive member Christian Michel, Liberalia publishes
in-depth papers in French and English on libertarianism,
anarcho-capitalism and the free market. It is a prime
source of documentation on these issues for students and
scholars.
Libertarian Samizdata - http://www.samizdata.blogspot.com -
works in association with the Libertarian Alliance and has
an ever larger following. Check it out.