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Liberal values
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Most contemporary liberal parties are more social democratic than liberal pertaining to their policies. Take the Lib Dems for example, how many truly freedom-oriented policies can one name (the legalisation of soft drugs does not count since they have never stated they will decriminalise if they ever are a party of government)?
What the UK needs is a party that fully emphasises freedom. No 'Lloyd Georgian' social democracy . We need a reversion to classical liberalism. Below is a draft set of principles for a university group. These are wholly based on social and economic freedom. :cool:
Economy
- Strict anti-inflationary policy. Set an inflation target of 2%. Maintain Bank of England independence.
- Maintain a free market economy. Minimise the state’s role in the maintenance of equitable market share
- Make the tax burden no higher than 40% of Gross Domestic Product
- Any funding for public services dependent on economic growth, not higher taxation levels
- Resist membership of EMU for ten years or the lifetime of two parliaments
- Privatise the BBC
- Reduce all taxation bands. Highest tax earners pay no more than 35% of income.
- Maintain full employment. Ideal level (by International Labour Organisation definition) is 3-5% of workforce.
- Repeal the minimum wage
- Create tax incentives for higher earners.
- Increase levels of regressive taxation
Health
- Increase involvement of the private sector within the NHS
- Increase total health spending (both private and public) to 10% of GDP
Education
Maintain the comprehensive secondary school system
Alter the National Curriculum.
Defence
- Offer full support to NATO
- Resist creation of an EU rapid reaction force
- Re-examine deployment of troops overseas.
- Scale back on UN peacekeeping missions
- Resist trend towards a proactive foreign policy
- Seek the inclusion of Germany, Japan and India as permanent UN Security Council members.
Europe
- Support enlargement of the EU
- Reduce democratic deficit; push for European Parliament to gain more power
- Resist any move towards a federal superstate
Law & Order
- Institute a royal commission into the feasibility of legalising cannabis
- Increase police officer numbers by 10%.
Electoral and parliamentary reform
- Resist moves towards a PR electoral system.
- Retain First past the post as the electoral system for general elections.
- Abolish all hereditary peers in the Lords. A new chamber would have 500 members, 65% elected by the people.
Wider Society
- Royal Commission to ascertain the feasibility of the legalisation of gay and transsexual marriage.
- Offer devolution to major English cities
- Push for full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement
- Support global free trade and combat protectionism
- Institute the Commonwealth as a free trade area
- Enable the creation of a meritocracy. Outlaw positive discrimination.
- Create a Bill in which will lead to the full decriminalisation of prostitution.
- Avert any motion to ban fox hunting
What the UK needs is a party that fully emphasises freedom. No 'Lloyd Georgian' social democracy . We need a reversion to classical liberalism. Below is a draft set of principles for a university group. These are wholly based on social and economic freedom. :cool:
Economy
- Strict anti-inflationary policy. Set an inflation target of 2%. Maintain Bank of England independence.
- Maintain a free market economy. Minimise the state’s role in the maintenance of equitable market share
- Make the tax burden no higher than 40% of Gross Domestic Product
- Any funding for public services dependent on economic growth, not higher taxation levels
- Resist membership of EMU for ten years or the lifetime of two parliaments
- Privatise the BBC
- Reduce all taxation bands. Highest tax earners pay no more than 35% of income.
- Maintain full employment. Ideal level (by International Labour Organisation definition) is 3-5% of workforce.
- Repeal the minimum wage
- Create tax incentives for higher earners.
- Increase levels of regressive taxation
Health
- Increase involvement of the private sector within the NHS
- Increase total health spending (both private and public) to 10% of GDP
Education
Maintain the comprehensive secondary school system
Alter the National Curriculum.
Defence
- Offer full support to NATO
- Resist creation of an EU rapid reaction force
- Re-examine deployment of troops overseas.
- Scale back on UN peacekeeping missions
- Resist trend towards a proactive foreign policy
- Seek the inclusion of Germany, Japan and India as permanent UN Security Council members.
Europe
- Support enlargement of the EU
- Reduce democratic deficit; push for European Parliament to gain more power
- Resist any move towards a federal superstate
Law & Order
- Institute a royal commission into the feasibility of legalising cannabis
- Increase police officer numbers by 10%.
Electoral and parliamentary reform
- Resist moves towards a PR electoral system.
- Retain First past the post as the electoral system for general elections.
- Abolish all hereditary peers in the Lords. A new chamber would have 500 members, 65% elected by the people.
Wider Society
- Royal Commission to ascertain the feasibility of the legalisation of gay and transsexual marriage.
- Offer devolution to major English cities
- Push for full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement
- Support global free trade and combat protectionism
- Institute the Commonwealth as a free trade area
- Enable the creation of a meritocracy. Outlaw positive discrimination.
- Create a Bill in which will lead to the full decriminalisation of prostitution.
- Avert any motion to ban fox hunting
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Comments
To be frank, i don't think that (really quite scare) possibility is ever going to occur.
Don't these statements contradict each other?
Oi, that was my point...