Delighted to announce a brand new Forest event.
Next month in Dublin we are hosting a Farewell to Freedom dinner featuring the inaugural Golden Nanny Awards.
'Farewell to Freedom' is a nod to what is currently happening in Ireland – the introduction of plain packaging of tobacco, the forthcoming sugar tax and calls for minimum pricing of alcohol.
It's not a good time to be a consumer in Ireland and the introduction of a sugar tax could push the country even higher in the Nanny State Index. (Ireland currently sits at #3 behind Finland and the UK.)
The event, on Monday November 13, will feature a drinks reception on a smoking terrace with fireplace and heaters, followed by a three-course meal and after dinner 'entertainment' including the Golden Nanny Awards.
'The Nannies' will highlight the role of leading politicians and NGOs in promoting a nanny state agenda.
The event is supported by Hibernia Forum, a free market think tank, the Dublin Salon discussion group ('Everything begins with debate'), Students for Liberty Ireland and Consumer Choice Center.
If it's a success we plan to take the concept to London, Edinburgh and even Brussels. Watch this space.
Funnily enough we had a minor panic yesterday morning when we discovered that Ireland had been drawn to play a World Cup qualifying match against Denmark in Dublin on November 14, the original date for our event.
Invitations had already started going out but the restaurant – which is usually closed on Mondays – very kindly agreed to open for us on Monday 13th.
Hopefully that's the only hiccup between now and then but I wouldn't put money on it.