The Democratic Vision - When in Government Series
A series of papers illustrating how UKpopdems will manage government for the benefit of Britain and the British people.
2. Implementing the Vision – we can govern for the pitfalls and problems of everyday life and deliver the promises we have made to Britain and the British people.
b). The Democratic Vision - Empowered, Participative Democracy
UKpopdems democratic vision for Britain introduces one of the most fundamental changes Britain has seen. Essentially, we are going to change the unequal relationship between politicians and the people. Today, the PM, cabinet ministers, MPs and public sector elite all see themselves at the top of society, and ordinary people at the bottom. You vote for politicians to represent you, but they see themselves as superior to you. It’s not surprising they do what they want rather than what you want. They talk about being ‘in power’ which says it all. Lately, all the parties are talking about broadening and deepening democracy, but they use the phrase ‘bottom up’ when talking about increasing participation by the people. This phrase itself shows they see ordinary people at the bottom and themselves at the top. They cannot mean what they say and ease the mistrust ordinary people have in politicians until there’s a fundamental shift in their opinion of themselves and the people they are supposed to represent.
When UKpopdems form a government, we will turn the relationship over. You will have the power and be at the top and UKpopdem politicians will be at the bottom acting as servants to you and society. This doesn’t mean you’ll have to make all the boring and difficult day to day political decisions or your UKpopdems MP will bring you tea in bed, but it does mean we will manage government entirely for your benefit and your interests as good servants should, rather than for our own benefit and interest. This change in relationship will extend to public services and the public sector as well. They will look outwards and upwards to you rather than looking inwards to remote and elite bureaucrats in Whitehall. What does this all mean and how is it going to be implemented? This paper describes how it will be done.
It would be wrong to execute a transformation such as this in one ‘big bang’ implementation. Nobody in Britain wants revolution. It will take at least a full Parliamentary term for the benefits to become commonplace and part of everyday life. The first thing you’ll notice is that UKpopdems mean what we say and do what we promise. You’ll see the Parliamentary process changing exactly as explained in the first ‘When in Government’ paper published in December 2007. You’ll see precisely how well your UKpopdem political servants have understood your needs because all our policies and intentions will have been put in front of you, in detail, beforehand. But probably the first thing you’ll notice on the ground, and through headlines in the papers, which shows the reality of UKpopdems as the peoples’ servants and not masters will be the opening up of public buildings. The buildings you own and you pay for. Admission to the workings of Parliament will be easier; the gates to Downing Street will be unlocked; the great luxurious houses of state such as Chequers will be open for tours and public garden parties; Whitehall and provincial public offices will be accessible. For the first time the people of Britain will be able to look into their servants’ halls and see their work Of course, in today’s climate, security needs to be tight and access accompanied, but the principle stands that Britain’s servants must be accountable and seen to be accountable.
The second and greater change you’ll notice is that the communities where you live, Parish and Community Councils, will gradually be empowered to become the main local decision making bodies for the people who live there. That is; local decision making for local people. What this means is that when you and your community are ready and you democratically decide together, your Parish or Community Council or in some cases your estate or small town, will directly get all the financial and manpower resources it needs to manage its own local priorities (see later paper ‘Implementing the Community Vision’ for details on resourcing). This does not mean that your elected Parish Councillors need to take everyday decisions on dustbin rounds and parking etc, unless they want to, because daily management will be exercised on their behalf by public servants working on your behalf in your community and paid for by government. Initially, management expertise will be transferred from today’s Local Authorities, but your elected community councillors can hire and fire as they become stronger and more confident. Community Councillors will become locally important men and women, people you know well and see often. To make sure councillors get the backing they need and communities continue to be fully representative of local people, independent support and regulation will be a part of Parish/Community councillors’ everyday life.
As this transfer of power to communities takes place, existing local authorities at District, County and Metropolitan level will still exist but begin a measured withdrawal in their current form. What many people think of as the expensive, politically correct, bureaucratic and wasteful era of Local Authority imposition will gradually cease as the resources and money that communities want migrates outwards towards them. What is left and not seen as useful by communities will transfer to central government payrolls. This is an ongoing process and there will be no time limit, nor redundancies. In order to preserve economies of scale and to agree essential cross community planning, new summit groups will be created, especially for larger towns and for cities, and at county level for rural communities, where community and Parish representatives can network and agree (or not) broad funding and spending plans and priorities prepared for them by specialists employed jointly by communities and working on their behalf.
In summary then, once a complete geographic area has switched over to Community Empowerment, Community Councillors will be elected in the normal way approving plans and priorities produced by specialist resources on their behalf. Once or perhaps twice a year, every member of the community will have the chance to approve the forward plans for themselves as a check-back mechanism. Groups of individuals (perhaps 3% of voters) may also put forward community proposals for consideration and democratic approval (or rejection) by the whole community. At new summit group level, Community Chairs or their representatives will replace Local Authority Councillors to approve cross-community plans and priorities. The role of national government will be to apply standards, independent regulation and inspection. In the great tradition of volunteering at senior levels in Britain, such as magistrates, school governors, charitable trustees etc., it is likely Community Councillors will remain unpaid but receive expenses fitting to the important democratic role they are playing.
As a further move to decentralise power away from government and towards communities, and only then if the electorate agree in a popular vote, four new English Regional Assemblies will be created; Northumbria, Mercia, Anglia, and Wessex. The eight unelected English Regional Assemblies imposed against voters’ wishes will be abolished as a result. London will continue and become the fifth English Region should the people wish to keep it. These regions will not reduce community power, but enhance it to cover community controlled spending and resourcing on regional issues such as motorway and trunk road planning, business and environmental development, cross community social and infrastructure priorities etc. The Regional plan will be constructed by elected regional assembly members (MRAs), but the plan will be approved solely by an upper house consisting of Community Council Chairmen and Chairwomen or their representatives. There is a huge potential for unaccountable bureaucracy and waste in regional assemblies and their committee off-shoots so retaining community council control over them will ensure that regional planning and budgeting which directly affects communities is agreed and committed to only by communities themselves.
This elevated level of community empowerment and democracy does not currently exist in Britain’s existing assemblies in Wales, Northern Ireland and London, nor in Scotland’s Parliament. We will work closely with all parties, local communities and the people themselves to make these existing Assemblies more democratic and participative through the implementation of community based upper houses. It is likely that between them, regions and communities could share responsibility for up to 50% of total national spend. As with all UKpopdem implementation plans, there will be no need for overall tax rises because increased spending on community empowerment and resources will be offset by reduced centralised spending. At community level, Council Tax will still be collected but guarantees will be put in place to restrict rises to below inflation until the popular vote on taxes takes place towards the end of UKpopdems first term to decide tax levels (see ‘Implementing the Economic Vision’).
At the same time as communities are beginning to take greater democratic power for local decision making, then individuals too, will begin to find that they can exercise their democratic opinions and find that government listens and acts. This is a move to an empowered and participative democracy that Britain can be justly proud of. The extension of democracy will work in two ways, the first of which will bring immediate benefits to ordinary peoples’ lives and the second, benefits over time.
Starting about six months after taking office and then perhaps two or three times a year thereafter, we will ask your opinion in a national popular vote about specific social issues, and act on the result. Prior governments have placed several social restrictions or obligations on the people of Britain and not once has the opinion of the people themselves been asked beforehand, even though most people do indeed have opinions they would like airing. These new UKpopdem popular social votes are designed to correct that situation. Social votes take the form of a simple question and YES/NO answer and majority decision, but for one of the answers an additional list allows further qualification where one or several may be chosen. The line-up of projected social votes includes: Portrayal of Violence in the Media; Portrayal of Sex in the Media; Political Correctness; Health and Safety; Equality Legislation; Green Taxes; Human Rights; Environmental Measures; Speed Cameras; the Use of Criminal and Non-Criminal Fines, and others as people make us aware of them. Legislation may be repealed or initiated based on the resulting popular decision. The government will remain neutral in these votes while independent regulators will make sure that all the facts and opinions from either side are made available without favour and that these facts and opinions are clearly separated from each other.
The second initiative for deep participative democracy is to encourage individuals to join ‘large minority interest groups’ of between about two and five million people; big enough to make an impact but not too big to dominate. The object of these groups is to bring like minded people together in order to recommend new legislation and change or repeal existing legislation. Teenagers of pre-voting age could be included in these groups as a participative learning opportunity. Interest groups would be allowed no membership fee or paid leadership and consist of a loose structure based on something like existing internet forums but with elected moderators. Once an interest group has been registered, then full-time, dedicated civil service support will be made available to it. Independent regulation will ensure these groups are secure, representative and free from paid vested interests. Special support will be put in place at community level to ensure the poor, disadvantaged and disabled are fully included and their democratic rights are not diminished. Two million votes from any one interest group will result in full Parliamentary committee discussions leading to a government bill. This bill will then be subject to a national popular vote instead of a Parliamentary vote. The result of that vote will determine government action and initiate the normal Parliamentary process. Votes impacting constitutional issues will require substantial popular majority, possibly as much as a 60% share in favour, but constitutional advice will be taken from appropriate sources beforehand.
Two special popular votes will be taken; one early on and the other towards the end of UKpopdems first term. The first will decide whether Britain stays in or withdraws from the European Union, and if Britain stays in what shape of union the people want. It is clear now that the intention is to move the EU towards full union as the United States of Europe. Constitutional changes in Britain are already being made but without reference to the British people. This creeping change is scandalously undemocratic and must be addressed (see later paper ‘Implementing the International Vision’ for details). The second, later vote, will decide on the level of overall national taxation. The people have never had the opportunity to vote on taxes which is one of the biggest impacts on their everyday lives, and this too is scandalous and must be addressed (see later paper ‘Implementing the Economic Vision’ for details).
In other areas of reform for Parliamentary and Constitutional democracy, UKpopdems will work with the House of Lords to develop and implement a majority elected, non-party Upper Chamber. Upper Chamber elections should be respecting, offer a real choice to voters and be government funded to ensure impartiality and fairness. Britain needs to make sure only the most capable men and women are elevated to the peerage, so Honours recommendations will be taken out of the hands of politicians and become the responsibility of a royal commission. UKpopdems will recommend a new independent honours system that eliminates the corruption of undue influence and the trend to instant knighthoods and peerages, and yet promotes the great wealth of capability, talent, tenacity, extraordinary bravery and commitment to service latent in ordinary Britons from all walks of life.
Broadening and deepening democracy is key to UKpopdems vision for Britain and the British people. We’ll do what we say and deliver what we promise.
2. Implementing the Vision – we can govern for the pitfalls and problems of everyday life and deliver the promises we have made to Britain and the British people.
b). The Democratic Vision - Empowered, Participative Democracy
UKpopdems democratic vision for Britain introduces one of the most fundamental changes Britain has seen. Essentially, we are going to change the unequal relationship between politicians and the people. Today, the PM, cabinet ministers, MPs and public sector elite all see themselves at the top of society, and ordinary people at the bottom. You vote for politicians to represent you, but they see themselves as superior to you. It’s not surprising they do what they want rather than what you want. They talk about being ‘in power’ which says it all. Lately, all the parties are talking about broadening and deepening democracy, but they use the phrase ‘bottom up’ when talking about increasing participation by the people. This phrase itself shows they see ordinary people at the bottom and themselves at the top. They cannot mean what they say and ease the mistrust ordinary people have in politicians until there’s a fundamental shift in their opinion of themselves and the people they are supposed to represent.
When UKpopdems form a government, we will turn the relationship over. You will have the power and be at the top and UKpopdem politicians will be at the bottom acting as servants to you and society. This doesn’t mean you’ll have to make all the boring and difficult day to day political decisions or your UKpopdems MP will bring you tea in bed, but it does mean we will manage government entirely for your benefit and your interests as good servants should, rather than for our own benefit and interest. This change in relationship will extend to public services and the public sector as well. They will look outwards and upwards to you rather than looking inwards to remote and elite bureaucrats in Whitehall. What does this all mean and how is it going to be implemented? This paper describes how it will be done.
It would be wrong to execute a transformation such as this in one ‘big bang’ implementation. Nobody in Britain wants revolution. It will take at least a full Parliamentary term for the benefits to become commonplace and part of everyday life. The first thing you’ll notice is that UKpopdems mean what we say and do what we promise. You’ll see the Parliamentary process changing exactly as explained in the first ‘When in Government’ paper published in December 2007. You’ll see precisely how well your UKpopdem political servants have understood your needs because all our policies and intentions will have been put in front of you, in detail, beforehand. But probably the first thing you’ll notice on the ground, and through headlines in the papers, which shows the reality of UKpopdems as the peoples’ servants and not masters will be the opening up of public buildings. The buildings you own and you pay for. Admission to the workings of Parliament will be easier; the gates to Downing Street will be unlocked; the great luxurious houses of state such as Chequers will be open for tours and public garden parties; Whitehall and provincial public offices will be accessible. For the first time the people of Britain will be able to look into their servants’ halls and see their work Of course, in today’s climate, security needs to be tight and access accompanied, but the principle stands that Britain’s servants must be accountable and seen to be accountable.
The second and greater change you’ll notice is that the communities where you live, Parish and Community Councils, will gradually be empowered to become the main local decision making bodies for the people who live there. That is; local decision making for local people. What this means is that when you and your community are ready and you democratically decide together, your Parish or Community Council or in some cases your estate or small town, will directly get all the financial and manpower resources it needs to manage its own local priorities (see later paper ‘Implementing the Community Vision’ for details on resourcing). This does not mean that your elected Parish Councillors need to take everyday decisions on dustbin rounds and parking etc, unless they want to, because daily management will be exercised on their behalf by public servants working on your behalf in your community and paid for by government. Initially, management expertise will be transferred from today’s Local Authorities, but your elected community councillors can hire and fire as they become stronger and more confident. Community Councillors will become locally important men and women, people you know well and see often. To make sure councillors get the backing they need and communities continue to be fully representative of local people, independent support and regulation will be a part of Parish/Community councillors’ everyday life.
As this transfer of power to communities takes place, existing local authorities at District, County and Metropolitan level will still exist but begin a measured withdrawal in their current form. What many people think of as the expensive, politically correct, bureaucratic and wasteful era of Local Authority imposition will gradually cease as the resources and money that communities want migrates outwards towards them. What is left and not seen as useful by communities will transfer to central government payrolls. This is an ongoing process and there will be no time limit, nor redundancies. In order to preserve economies of scale and to agree essential cross community planning, new summit groups will be created, especially for larger towns and for cities, and at county level for rural communities, where community and Parish representatives can network and agree (or not) broad funding and spending plans and priorities prepared for them by specialists employed jointly by communities and working on their behalf.
In summary then, once a complete geographic area has switched over to Community Empowerment, Community Councillors will be elected in the normal way approving plans and priorities produced by specialist resources on their behalf. Once or perhaps twice a year, every member of the community will have the chance to approve the forward plans for themselves as a check-back mechanism. Groups of individuals (perhaps 3% of voters) may also put forward community proposals for consideration and democratic approval (or rejection) by the whole community. At new summit group level, Community Chairs or their representatives will replace Local Authority Councillors to approve cross-community plans and priorities. The role of national government will be to apply standards, independent regulation and inspection. In the great tradition of volunteering at senior levels in Britain, such as magistrates, school governors, charitable trustees etc., it is likely Community Councillors will remain unpaid but receive expenses fitting to the important democratic role they are playing.
As a further move to decentralise power away from government and towards communities, and only then if the electorate agree in a popular vote, four new English Regional Assemblies will be created; Northumbria, Mercia, Anglia, and Wessex. The eight unelected English Regional Assemblies imposed against voters’ wishes will be abolished as a result. London will continue and become the fifth English Region should the people wish to keep it. These regions will not reduce community power, but enhance it to cover community controlled spending and resourcing on regional issues such as motorway and trunk road planning, business and environmental development, cross community social and infrastructure priorities etc. The Regional plan will be constructed by elected regional assembly members (MRAs), but the plan will be approved solely by an upper house consisting of Community Council Chairmen and Chairwomen or their representatives. There is a huge potential for unaccountable bureaucracy and waste in regional assemblies and their committee off-shoots so retaining community council control over them will ensure that regional planning and budgeting which directly affects communities is agreed and committed to only by communities themselves.
This elevated level of community empowerment and democracy does not currently exist in Britain’s existing assemblies in Wales, Northern Ireland and London, nor in Scotland’s Parliament. We will work closely with all parties, local communities and the people themselves to make these existing Assemblies more democratic and participative through the implementation of community based upper houses. It is likely that between them, regions and communities could share responsibility for up to 50% of total national spend. As with all UKpopdem implementation plans, there will be no need for overall tax rises because increased spending on community empowerment and resources will be offset by reduced centralised spending. At community level, Council Tax will still be collected but guarantees will be put in place to restrict rises to below inflation until the popular vote on taxes takes place towards the end of UKpopdems first term to decide tax levels (see ‘Implementing the Economic Vision’).
At the same time as communities are beginning to take greater democratic power for local decision making, then individuals too, will begin to find that they can exercise their democratic opinions and find that government listens and acts. This is a move to an empowered and participative democracy that Britain can be justly proud of. The extension of democracy will work in two ways, the first of which will bring immediate benefits to ordinary peoples’ lives and the second, benefits over time.
Starting about six months after taking office and then perhaps two or three times a year thereafter, we will ask your opinion in a national popular vote about specific social issues, and act on the result. Prior governments have placed several social restrictions or obligations on the people of Britain and not once has the opinion of the people themselves been asked beforehand, even though most people do indeed have opinions they would like airing. These new UKpopdem popular social votes are designed to correct that situation. Social votes take the form of a simple question and YES/NO answer and majority decision, but for one of the answers an additional list allows further qualification where one or several may be chosen. The line-up of projected social votes includes: Portrayal of Violence in the Media; Portrayal of Sex in the Media; Political Correctness; Health and Safety; Equality Legislation; Green Taxes; Human Rights; Environmental Measures; Speed Cameras; the Use of Criminal and Non-Criminal Fines, and others as people make us aware of them. Legislation may be repealed or initiated based on the resulting popular decision. The government will remain neutral in these votes while independent regulators will make sure that all the facts and opinions from either side are made available without favour and that these facts and opinions are clearly separated from each other.
The second initiative for deep participative democracy is to encourage individuals to join ‘large minority interest groups’ of between about two and five million people; big enough to make an impact but not too big to dominate. The object of these groups is to bring like minded people together in order to recommend new legislation and change or repeal existing legislation. Teenagers of pre-voting age could be included in these groups as a participative learning opportunity. Interest groups would be allowed no membership fee or paid leadership and consist of a loose structure based on something like existing internet forums but with elected moderators. Once an interest group has been registered, then full-time, dedicated civil service support will be made available to it. Independent regulation will ensure these groups are secure, representative and free from paid vested interests. Special support will be put in place at community level to ensure the poor, disadvantaged and disabled are fully included and their democratic rights are not diminished. Two million votes from any one interest group will result in full Parliamentary committee discussions leading to a government bill. This bill will then be subject to a national popular vote instead of a Parliamentary vote. The result of that vote will determine government action and initiate the normal Parliamentary process. Votes impacting constitutional issues will require substantial popular majority, possibly as much as a 60% share in favour, but constitutional advice will be taken from appropriate sources beforehand.
Two special popular votes will be taken; one early on and the other towards the end of UKpopdems first term. The first will decide whether Britain stays in or withdraws from the European Union, and if Britain stays in what shape of union the people want. It is clear now that the intention is to move the EU towards full union as the United States of Europe. Constitutional changes in Britain are already being made but without reference to the British people. This creeping change is scandalously undemocratic and must be addressed (see later paper ‘Implementing the International Vision’ for details). The second, later vote, will decide on the level of overall national taxation. The people have never had the opportunity to vote on taxes which is one of the biggest impacts on their everyday lives, and this too is scandalous and must be addressed (see later paper ‘Implementing the Economic Vision’ for details).
In other areas of reform for Parliamentary and Constitutional democracy, UKpopdems will work with the House of Lords to develop and implement a majority elected, non-party Upper Chamber. Upper Chamber elections should be respecting, offer a real choice to voters and be government funded to ensure impartiality and fairness. Britain needs to make sure only the most capable men and women are elevated to the peerage, so Honours recommendations will be taken out of the hands of politicians and become the responsibility of a royal commission. UKpopdems will recommend a new independent honours system that eliminates the corruption of undue influence and the trend to instant knighthoods and peerages, and yet promotes the great wealth of capability, talent, tenacity, extraordinary bravery and commitment to service latent in ordinary Britons from all walks of life.
Broadening and deepening democracy is key to UKpopdems vision for Britain and the British people. We’ll do what we say and deliver what we promise.
posted by United Kingdom Popular Democratic Party at 3:28 pm
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