About

Crossword Clue Bio:

Twentysomething lawyer

with interests in arts,

music, philosophy,

politics, and sci/tech.

(7, 6)

Matthew Taylor

Biography:

Born and raised in Liverpool, I haven’t a scouse accent, don’t care about football, and prefer Pink Floyd to the Beatles.

I attended a Catholic prep school and a Catholic secondary school. Having become a confirmed igtheist, I then read law at Oxford University, as a member of St. Benet’s Hall (a Catholic hall). During my time at Oxford I occasionally attended lectures. I dabbled in student politics and journalism, and spent a lot of time at the Oxford Union. As a consequence of the last I am entitled to wear a Standing Committee tie and eligible to travel back periodically to dispense justice on disciplinary tribunals.

Back in Liverpool I spent a year at Liverpool University getting my masters degree (international and European law; Dissertation on “The Blair Doctrine”) and getting to know an excellent shisha just behind the Law School.

Since then I’ve been practising law, and one day hope to be good enough to perform it. Professionally I’ve always been an in-house lawyer, specialising particularly in commercial law and commercial contracts, intellectual property, and civil litigation. I know more than is healthy about advertising standards and marketing law.

When I blog, it’s generally about culture, politics – in the broadest sense – or strategic studies.

Politics:

Since most of what I blog is politics, some background may be helpful.

I’m a member of the Conservative Party. Get over it.
On social issues I’m to the left of most of the Labour party.
On economic issues I’m to the right of most of the Conservative party.

This is a good illustration of why ‘right’ and ‘left’ are only good for political journalists who think one-dimensionally.

I’m an anarcho-capitalist, which is to free-market libertarian as communist is to social-democrat.
I do not consider governments to have any special legitimacy, and believe states and nations to be artificial constructs.
There is such a thing as society, but it is not the same as government.
Government is just a service provider, and if it fails to provide services it should be treated no differently from any other service provider.
I’m a member of the Co-op, and think cooperatives are a good thing.
I’m a member of the Law Society (the trade union for solicitors), and think trade unions are generally useless at best.
Representative democracy is not democracy.
True democracy and tyranny differ only in the number of people responsible.
Politicians have no special legitimacy or authority, especially in a Westminster system.
A judge telling a government minister they’re wrong is not the same as defying the will of parliament. Relatedly, David Blunkett is a moron.
Scottish independence should be fast tracked.