William Oliver Smedley MC (19 February 1911 – 16 November 1989) was an English businessman involved in classical liberal politics and pirate radio.
[2] In opposition to Clement Attlee's Agriculture Act 1947, Smedley helped to found, and become secretary of, the Farmers' and Smallholders' Association in 1947.
[3] Smedley's main campaigning organisation was the Cheap Food League, which was against all types of protection and subsidy in agriculture, especially marketing boards.
In 1955, whilst a member of the Society of Individualists, Smedley met Antony Fisher and together, following Friedrich Hayek's advice,[5] they founded a new research institute to propagate neoliberal ideas.
[11][nb 1] Smedley left the Liberal Party in 1962 due to his opposition to their favourable attitude to British membership of the European Economic Community (EEC).
The transmitter turned out to be antiquated and did not work properly (one of its sections had been accidentally dropped into the sea prior to being installed, although it is uncertain as to whether this was responsible for its malfunctioning) and Calvert refused to pay for it.
On 18 October 1966, the jury found Smedley not guilty of manslaughter in under a minute on the grounds of self-defence,[17] and awarded him 250 guineas in costs.
Members of the other parties cannot bring themselves to do so ... We must warn the people that there can be no hope of survival in an intensely competitive world if our energies, enterprise and adaptability continue to be fettered by the outmoded trappings and controls of the centrally planned economy.