Conservatism and libertarianism

Mr Eugenides has a fascinating post on the tension between his conservativism and libertarianism in light of recent criticism of the police over the de Menezes shooting:

But these are sometimes difficult issues for libertarians, or those with libertarian leanings, to grapple with – witness DK’s recent suggestion that the monarchy should have more power, an idea questioned by Freeborn John. Libertarians don't see every issue the same way; we don't all come from the right in traditional political terms, we disagree on what the minimal functions of the state should be, and even when we do agree we don't necessarily share the same view of what how the government should discharge those functions. The Tory party has, belatedly, embraced social liberalism at the same time as it seems, to many of us, to be stepping back from the economic liberalism that attracted many of us to it in the first place - and that gives those of us who've for so long considered it 'home' something of a problem. Some libertarians now see UKIP as their natural home instead, for reasons that don't start and finish with the EU; others put their faith in microparties like the Libertarian Party; still others, like me, are loath to embrace the supposed 'purity' of fringe politics.