Anthony Butcher

My name is Anthony Butcher and I am a candidate for the North West.

Why am I standing for Libertas?
Libertas is offering a future for Europe never seriously considered before. Until now, the choice has always been 'more or less' Europe. But it doesn't have to be that way. Because Libertas is standing right across the European Union, we could have the power to change the entire direction of the EU.

I don't want an EU superstate. I want a Europe of cooperating sovereign nations. Cooperation doesn't work when it is forced upon us top-down by unelected bureaucrats in Brussels. As we have seen, all this achieves is growing resentment and an ever increasing bureaucracy.

Libertas is offering us the chance to take the power back and put it in the hands of the public. We should be able to decide our own future at the ballot box.

I also believe very strongly in leading by example, and if elected I intend to set the highest possible standards of behaviour as an MEP. This includes publishing all my expenses in detail, with receipts and an explanation. I want our public figures to be people we can trust.

About Me
I run a small IT company and so have an understanding of the burden of bureaucracy coming from Brussels that impedes our businesses.

I have been involved in politics for a number of years. My first political experience was with the Save Kidderminster Hospital group, where we campaigned to re-open emergency services for the Wyre Forest area and one of Britain's few independent MPs, Dr Richard Taylor, was elected.

I later joined the UK Independence Party and was elected to their National Executive Committee. In 2006 I left the party feeling that although I agreed with many of their complaints about the European Union, I couldn't support their negative direction and hostile form of politics, both internal and external.

I now run the British Democracy Forum, a 'eurosceptic' web forum focusing on the smaller parties in Britain. I also own the Politigg political news service.

A few years ago I set up the Label My Food campaign, which seeks better menu information in pubs, restaurants and cafes for vegetarians, allergy sufferers and religious groups.

A few people have commented that I am not from the North West (I live in Bristol, but would move to Manchester if elected). My answer to this is simple; if you want an MEP to just go to Brussels and tell them how wonderful the North West is, then vote for one of the establishment parties. If you want an MEP to go to Brussels and work to end the corruption, stop the waste and put democracy at the heart of the EU, then I am your man. Many of our existing MEPs, such as Den Dover and Sir Robert Atkins are from the North West and have proved to be a disgrace to our region; it's what we achieve that matters, not where we are from.

I was picked by Libertas for the North West region because I believe passionately in tackling the anti-democratic scourge that is the European Union in its current form. It can be changed, but only if we get enough public support to make it happen.

If you have any questions or would like to contact me, please email me: anthony.butcher@libertas.eu