02.04.10
Reboot
Right then ideas requested.
New politic party/philosophy is clearly required considering all the main parties are identical in all but name.
First thoughts for the manifesto:
1: Referendum within first 6 months: “Do you wish the government to treat you like adults?” If carried then no more bans on things, no-one allowed to complain about offence unless it causes material detriment to them. Age ratings for films and games to be enforced vigorously but anything allowed in top ratings bracket. If “anything” includes actual illegal activities (eg actual crimes for entertainment) then film makers (or participants or distributors) prosecuted for those activities.
2: Second referendum: “What age are people adults?” It’s currently 16 for this, 17 for driving, 18 for other things, and 21 for yet more. Make it all the same but allow the public to choose what age that should be. Choices? 16, 18, 21.
2: Drugs: all allowed but controlled by NHS. Users can get what they want in a safe environment of care rather than exploitation. Keep dealer sentences as they are.
3: Health care: Keep NHS free at point of use. Allow “top-up” insurance for those who can and want to pay for it. This would entitle them to some level of queue jumping on non-urgent things, nicer rooms in hospital etc.. Get rid of at least one layer of bureacracy, local NHS can do the same job as PCTs.
4: Crime: Dump lots of rules. Treat everyone over age of majority the same. Eg: if you assault someone you are by definition an idiot. It makes no difference to your idiocy whether you assault someone because you have some misguided views on their ethnicity or their class or gender or whether you want some of their stuff: whatever the reason you are still an idiot.
5: Crime again: Alcohol should not be an excuse. Triple all penalties if offender shown to be over a certain limit of blood alcohol.
6: Identity: Immediately dump ID database and ID cards scheme. Spend money saved on crime prevention measures and more police.
7: Roads: Keep speed limits. Cars to have tachographs. Penalties for tampering with them. Drivers ARE allowed to speed but HUGE penalties if they cause an accident and are shown to have been over the speed limit. Designated areas (eg small villages with 1 road through them, areas near schools etc) to be as they are now.
8: Free speech: Everyone has the right to offend. Ideally most people will be offended most days. You WILL have the right to shout “Fire!” in a crowded theatre. Other people have the right to respond in kind. Ideas will not be responded to by violence or threats of violence.
9: Alcohol: Anything goes. If you cause problems then to a drunk tank for 2 working days. If on benefits then you lose those 2 working days worth of benefits. If employed then you have to explain yourself to your employer. Employer has the right to sack immediately on this basis.
10: Education: All religious schools to be made available to all. No enforced religious content in any school. Get rid of LEAs and give the schools the money to do with as they will. Ofsted to ensure that money not spent on fripperies! No national curriculum.
11: Benefits: Allow pretty much as they are. All benefit recipients to do a certain amount of work in the community for minimum wage. They are allowed to finish work at the point they’ve done enough for their benefit. Eg – if min wage is £8per hour then someone who gets £80 a week in benefits must do 10 hours work per week. The rest of the time is their own. Alternative plan is to allow 50% of that time for further education, job search with job centre staff etc…
12: Political process: Manifesto pledges to be kept! All sorted within the first 4 years of the term of government. Any to be dumped MUST be agreed by a referendum.
13: Renationalise power companies, water services, railways. Expand railways back to pre-Beeching levels. Subsidise rail heavily.
14: EU and immigration: Well here I seem to diverge with many. I like the EU and I like people coming into the country to work. Make your own rules up here.
So there are my first thoughts. I’d like to know any other opinions. Anyone fancy being my campaign manager?
Have fun.