Monitors for the general election

International observers will be in place at the next general election, in order to counter electoral fraud.

Liberal Democrat peer Lord Greaves called last week for international observers at the general election - saying otherwise there could be months of court challenges "on a scale not seen since the 19th Century".

Doesn't Lord Greaves realise that the UK is one of the oldest surviving liberal democracies in the world? Aren't international observers largely necessary in 'fledging' democracies, or countries with little democratic traditions? Such a label would hardly apply to the United Kingdom.

Politicians like Lord Greaves should attempt to see that the electorate is apathetic because they don't LIKE the political class. Politicians always fail to keep their promises and often lie in regards to implementing their policies. One must also note that people fail to observe a difference between the main parties's policies. Why vote if they are all the same? Why vote if nothing ever changes?

This is where libertarianism can come in. In a libertarian society, the powers of politicians would only be limited to protecting rights to person and property. As Harry Browne says, government doesn't work.

At the least, a libertarian government would present a radically different alternative to what New Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats or any other party could currently offer.