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« Margaret Thatcher - freedom's friend | Main | Seat belts - a little loss of liberty »
Thursday
Jan312008

Former MSP joins The Free Society

I may have mentioned this before but now it's official. Brian Monteith, former member of the Scottish Parliament, has been appointed policy director of The Free Society. Brian will advise on strategy and implementation, with special emphasis on ways to tackle the bully state.

For eight years (1999-2007) Monteith was one of the Scottish Parliament’s more outspoken and colourful members. He was Tory spokesman for education, culture and sport, and then finance and public service reform, before becoming an independent member in 2005. He was also Convenor of the Parliament’s powerful Public Accounts (Audit) Committee for four years.

In 2006 he announced he wouldn't stand again as an MSP, saying he “would rather return to commerce than be a one-man band swimming against the treacly tide of collectivism in the Scottish Parliament”.

A former spokesman for Forest, Brian writes regularly for several newspapers and has a weekly column in the Edinburgh Evening News. Writing for The Free Society website, to be launched on Monday (February 4), he says:

Thank goodness for The Free Society. The idea of the nanny state where nanny – who of course knows best – can attempt to shape our lives in our ‘best’ interests is long past. It is now the bully state.  That’s why this campaign is so important. It is long overdue and I look forward to helping it provide solace, inspiration, leadership and a generous helping of common sense and humour.

Brian is currently writing a book about the bully state to be published by The Free Society later this year. If you have any examples, anecdotes or stories you would like him to consider, email info@thefreesociety.org or comment below.

Reader Comments (8)

One comment: Excellent!

January 31, 2008 at 11:18 | Unregistered CommenterBlad Tolstoy

I am very pleased too.

It was a sad day when Brian stepped out of the political ring at Holyrood. When he left, he took with him all the common sense in Scottish politics.

Good wishes Brian, I know the Free Society will prosper with you on the leadership team.

January 31, 2008 at 11:56 | Unregistered CommenterColin Grainger

Great news! So glad to know that someone who knows the ropes from 'the inside' will be working hard to make The Free Society's voice heard.

I'm really looking forward to the launch and to learning more about the ways in which it will speak for the millions of us who have effectively been rendered 'voiceless' by a (far too) vocal and tiny minority.

January 31, 2008 at 12:55 | Unregistered CommenterStruggling Spirit

Wonderful...about time!

The Free Society has a man with real bite.

Good luck Brian!

January 31, 2008 at 13:01 | Unregistered CommenterChris F J Cyrnik

Looking forward to reading Brian's contributions.Good luck with the launch.

January 31, 2008 at 15:24 | Unregistered Commenterali

An excellent appointment. Good luck, Brian - and lay in to the bully state.

January 31, 2008 at 18:22 | Unregistered CommenterSimon Richards

Good luck and I hope that others have the B....... to follow your example, instead of going along with what ever this government wants them too. This government is trying to dispose of bullying in schools amongst children and at the same time showing a very bad example themselves with the rest of the country. They want total control over everyones life and that is wrong.

February 1, 2008 at 1:19 | Unregistered Commenterpat

Excellent - Give them absolute HELL Brian, in any way you can - it is the only way to deal with bullies.

February 1, 2008 at 13:37 | Unregistered CommenterJane Grey

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