Newsletter - June 2026
Hello, everyone
I hope you're enjoying the longer summer days and finding time to make the most of them.
Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review our recently agreed policies and explore the newly updated website.
This month and next see a number of rallies and meetings which we would encourage you to attend if you can. AND we see the next stage in the (obs)elites’ drive to close the digital cage – the social media ban for under 16s. More on these later.
But there seems to be just one dominant political topic as I write this newsletter on 17th June – that of the Makerfield by-election. You could be forgiven for thinking it is the ONLY by-election tomorrow, but there are also 2 in Scotland, meaning the following are being contested:
Makerfield: Supposedly to allow Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to stand for Parliament and potentially challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s leadership.
Aberdeen South: with North Sea oil and gas being a key campaign issue. Our Belmont partners, Alliance for Democracy and Freedom are standing a candidate, David Ballantine, here. So if you live in the constituency or know folk there, a vote for David is the same as a vote for Freedom Alliance.
Arbroath and Broughty Ferry: Triggered by the election of SNP MP Stephen Gethins to the Scottish Parliament.
The media are fanning the flames for their own narrative as usual, but I wanted to look at it a little more long-term, and what these may mean for Freedom Alliance and other independents.
"What is Makerfield telling us about the condition of representative democracy?"
The personalisation of politics. Burnham is effectively running as "Andy Burnham" first and Labour second. Reform is similarly built around the personal brand of Nigel Farage. Voters increasingly trust individuals more than parties. That is a significant structural change in politics and points to us needing to be locally VERY visible.
The collapse of tribal voting. Former Labour voters now move to Reform, Greens, independents or simply don’t vote. The old assumption that working-class northern seats are permanently Labour no longer holds. We can win seats anywhere.
The anti-incumbent effect. Labour won a “landslide” in 2024, yet many voters already seem willing to punish the government for perceived breaking of trust. We must continue to stand and act by our principles, consistently.
The fragmentation story. There are FOURTEEN (!!) candidates for Makerfield reflecting a growing appetite for alternatives. The real story may not be who wins, but how small the winner's share of the vote is compared with previous elections. As we have mentioned before, the next 3 years give us independents the best chance we may have ever had to break up the cosy uni-party (which includes Reform).
The trust gap. Immigration, cost of living, energy prices, housing and public services are often symptoms of a deeper issue: many voters no longer believe politicians are telling them the full truth. Independent parties often perform best when trust, rather than ideology, becomes the central political battleground.
So, what really matters to voters?
The evidence from local polling suggests that cost of living, declining high streets, housing costs, council tax, NHS access and public services remain the primary concerns for Makerfield (and, by extension, all) voters. Immigration is important, particularly among Reform supporters, but economic insecurity is the common thread running across almost every voter group.
Whilst the underlying reasons for increasing prices may be international, it would seem few really care, as long as they can trust someone who can help them fix it.
Freedom Alliance policies centre around fairness, with the company tax burden pushed towards the giant companies and those who dominate online rather than SMEs. We champion local businesses and to make it easier to be successful as a small company, including the acceptance of cash transactions.
We also want to immediately reduce VAT, and to increase the basic rate threshold of Income Tax – all of these are designed to help the poorer members of society have a chance of managing their budgets, as well as helping Britain do what it has always done best – be local communities with local businesses thriving, not just multi-nationals.
While economic concerns remain front-of-mind for many voters, the latest attack on personal freedoms continues to demand our attention.
Social Media ban for Under 16s– due in Spring 2027.
Once again, on the face of it a “good thing” – protecting our children. What this means in reality is tighter control and surveillance on the whole population.
The government is weaponising children’s safety to force all adults to give up their data for governmental permission to go online.
Another few bars being locked into place for our digital prison, and the UK is still being used as a laboratory to see how far they can push it. There is still a chance to stop it – please use whatever you like to do – petitions, marches, MP letters, information – and get this latest road to Digital ID stopped.
Festivals and Rallies
Stand in the Light festival in Cumbria saw Sandi Adams (formerly of UK Column) speak where she drew together all the many strands of government and global control mechanisms, succinctly showing that we CAN change the world through peaceful non-compliance, educating the public to stand with us, and helping them understand HOW to not comply. You all, no doubt, have your favoured avenues to retain your freedoms, and we will be covering some in future discussions, especially as some of the key legal battles are coming to a head.
Some of the near future events that may be of interest to you include:
20th June – Solstice Rally to Stop Solar Geoengineering – Marble Arch, London
26th-28th June – Sounds Beautiful - Dorset
11th July – Open Minds Annual Event – Mayfield, Derbyshire
As always, we are very interested in what you, our members, have to say about the above, as well as ideas and topics for this Newsletter and the Freedom Friday videos. Get in touch through the “Contact Us” section on the website. Or email direct to info@freedomalliance.co.uk
Good luck to David in Aberdeen South, and to all freedom-minded independent candidates standing in the forthcoming by-elections.
Thank you for your continued support, and we wish you a happy Summer Solstice.
With appreciation,
Martin Davies and the Freedom Alliance Executive