What should be the principles of a perfect political party?
What should be the principles of a perfect political party?
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Discussion

pugwash4x4

Original Poster:

7,682 posts

251 months

Friday 4th February 2011
quotequote all
So many of the parties just don't seem to have a "core principle" of what they are aiming for. What would yours be?

mine:

1. Government should be there to serve the population- hence as small as possible.
2. A government is there to do things "en-masse" that used to be done by community- so this would include care of elderly/sick/injury in the line of duty, security of the nation, but not health which is something everyone can personally provide for.
3. People should be rewarded for hard work and dilligence. Society should provide a temporary safety net- nothing more. A lack of hard work and dilligence should mean you receive no support.
4. Personal responsbility- ie being forced to accept the natural consequences of your actions.

that would do for me! It would of course mean that most of the civil service would become unemployed, but they would find work in other sectors in time.

We would also become ultra competitive- and we're going to need to to survive the Chinese Dragon over the next 100 years.



anonymous-user

84 months

Friday 4th February 2011
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98elise

32,730 posts

191 months

Friday 4th February 2011
quotequote all
Our current system is just an elected dictatorship, where we have the choice over which dictator we want.

There shouldn't be a party system. You should vote for a local MP to represent your views in parliament, without political colour.

This way you get a true representation of what the people want rather than a choice of two opposing (well no so opposing these days) ideologies.

My choice would be

Proper police/justice system
NHS free for all
Welfare for the truly needed (proper disabilities etc)
For everything else you are on your own.



Edited by 98elise on Friday 4th February 16:30

caziques

2,847 posts

198 months

Friday 4th February 2011
quotequote all
Government isn't the solution to the problem - government is the problem.

Libertarians are the way to go. The problem is how to get the great unwashed to realize things would be a lot better if there were far less chiefs and more indians.

Puggit

49,821 posts

278 months

Friday 4th February 2011
quotequote all
Not lying would be a good start!

AnotherClarkey

3,698 posts

219 months

Friday 4th February 2011
quotequote all
'Liberal' would be a good start yet somehow it has been turned into a term of abuse - funnily enough, mostly by people who drone on endlessly about 'freedom'.

tank slapper

7,949 posts

313 months

Friday 4th February 2011
quotequote all
AnotherClarkey said:
'Liberal' would be a good start yet somehow it has been turned into a term of abuse - funnily enough, mostly by people who drone on endlessly about 'freedom'.
That is because American politics misappropriated the word liberal to describe what is effectively socialism. Classical liberalism is not the same thing at all.

groan

3,254 posts

209 months

Friday 4th February 2011
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JagLover

46,814 posts

265 months

Saturday 5th February 2011
quotequote all
tank slapper said:
AnotherClarkey said:
'Liberal' would be a good start yet somehow it has been turned into a term of abuse - funnily enough, mostly by people who drone on endlessly about 'freedom'.
That is because American politics misappropriated the word liberal to describe what is effectively socialism. Classical liberalism is not the same thing at all.
yes


anonymous-user

84 months

Saturday 5th February 2011
quotequote all
Guam said:
, would wind themselves up smile
They're certainly winding me up

thinfourth2

32,414 posts

234 months

Saturday 5th February 2011
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Almost exactly the same as the labour party but wearing blue ties

Fittster

20,120 posts

243 months

Saturday 5th February 2011
quotequote all
We should be represented by anyone, we should move to a system of direct democracy and decide on issues ourselves.

bucksmanuk

2,426 posts

200 months

Saturday 5th February 2011
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swiveleyedgit said:
I do like that. Some more meat to go on the bone on some of the policies, but fits in with my way of thinking.

davepoth

29,395 posts

229 months

Sunday 6th February 2011
quotequote all
Actually, the technology exists to do without political parties. Imagine if you will that all UK Citizens are able to vote on every piece of legislation, possibly via red button. We elect a prime minister directly who appoints a cabinet themselves, and propose bills. Bills can also be proposed by the electorate. All bills are debated by wiki. It'll work fine.

Morningside

24,147 posts

259 months

Sunday 6th February 2011
quotequote all
ps off and leave me alone!

EDLT

15,421 posts

236 months

Sunday 6th February 2011
quotequote all
98elise said:
Our current system is just an elected dictatorship, where we have the choice over which dictator we want.
I disagree with that, dictatorships are capable of getting things done.

tank slapper

7,949 posts

313 months

Sunday 6th February 2011
quotequote all
davepoth said:
Actually, the technology exists to do without political parties. Imagine if you will that all UK Citizens are able to vote on every piece of legislation, possibly via red button. We elect a prime minister directly who appoints a cabinet themselves, and propose bills. Bills can also be proposed by the electorate. All bills are debated by wiki. It'll work fine.
No it wouldn't. You would end up with what is effectively mob rule. Direct democracy is even worse than representative democracy as a form of government.

Engineer1

10,486 posts

239 months

Sunday 6th February 2011
quotequote all
davepoth said:
Actually, the technology exists to do without political parties. Imagine if you will that all UK Citizens are able to vote on every piece of legislation, possibly via red button. We elect a prime minister directly who appoints a cabinet themselves, and propose bills. Bills can also be proposed by the electorate. All bills are debated by wiki. It'll work fine.
Picture a world where Brake get on breakfast TV and a report in the soov by mid afternoon cars are banned from going over 30 miles an hour.

The intelligence of the general public enmass is enough to put any sensible person off letting them near any real power.

davepoth

29,395 posts

229 months

Sunday 6th February 2011
quotequote all
Engineer1 said:
Picture a world where Brake get on breakfast TV and a report in the soov by mid afternoon cars are banned from going over 30 miles an hour.

The intelligence of the general public enmass is enough to put any sensible person off letting them near any real power.
You're missing the genius of the scheme - it will cause apathy very quickly, meaning only people who spend too much time arguing with people on the internet will bother to get involved.

Ergo, Pistonheads controls the country...

cymtriks

4,561 posts

275 months

Sunday 6th February 2011
quotequote all
Easy:

Simple tax system
  • one personal allowance and one tax on all kinds of income
  • one business allowance and tax rate
That's it, no other taxes at all.

Simple benefit system
  • one minimum payment for all adults (in the UK for more than 3 years and over 16)
  • top ups related to circumstances and how much you've paid in.
That's it, no 16 hours a week that prevents working your way out of the system, no more poverty traps accompanied by 80 pages of means testing forms, no more anti family cuts if you dare to be in a relationship, no more employers worries over maternity, no more complex interdependent allowances.
You get a basic payment plus a top up. If you work you always qualify for more if you need it, if you don't then tough, just live on the basic payment all of your life. No one gets nothing, everyone gets something.

Oh, and the basic payment replaces the state pension and restores student grants.


Simple, straight forward, solves most of the issues...