The Humanist Party

1. The immediate call for Constitutional Reform by gathering ideas by consensus and implementing a new

    UK Constitution & Social Contract

 

2. The immediate call for Parliamentary Reform to:-

     a) Create a system of direct democracy once new ideasand systems have been evaluated and agreed upon by the      

         population by referendum; and

     b) Immediately abolish ‘The House of Lords’ and replace it with a 2nd chamber of ‘Regulators’ for each governmental

         sector brought about by referendum.

 

3. The call for Monetary Reform in order to create a sovereign based moneysystem whereby the power to create money

    through debt is taken away from private banks and delivered to a system of nationally owned banks run by committees

    serving the electorate.

 

4. The call for Tax Reform so that each of the methods of raising taxation is assigned to a governmental department

    where it will be directly utilized.

 

5. The calling for immediate Educational Reform to re-examine the curriculum and allow students their own

    individualized learning program.

 

6. To call for Justice Reform by

    a) setting up a system whereby convicted prisoners are encouraged to repay their debt to society by finding them

    suitable productive paid activity; and

    b) evaluating the suitable method of justice based upon the ‘cause and effect’ the crime has had on the victim, society

    in general, the policing services, the courts and the subsequent penal system.

 

7. To call for UN Reform especially by commencing with a ‘United People’s Forum’ and by only allowing those countries

    who are observing international law to be part of decision making processes

 

 

 

 

 

Arable Land Protection & Development Charter. In a world of increasing populations, Arable Land must be protected while being utilised for crops and farming as well as biodiversity needs, using long term and sustainable methodology with the protection of ecological boundaries.

 

Border Control Bill. Regardless of your position on positive or negative effects of immigration firstly the borders of the UK must be protected from those wishing to take advantage of gaps in control. Those people coming and going must be tracked and traceable. Those who are not eligible for citizenship must have health insurance. Those who pose a threat from within must be expelled to where they are unable to cause harm.  

 

Citizens Communiqué Provision. Every citizen deserves to have a connection to the nation state in order for them to receive their full rights and services, without exception. A portal should be set up so that every citizen is able to directly contact a GP and the health service, local governmental services, electoral and consensus connectivity, educational assistance, connectivity to employment centres, directly to their tax department, all social services including direct access to policing on a personal level. This is technologically possible now. 

 

Decentralisation of Power Mandate. This is the idea that each of our 12 main proposed departments of government should be set up in places other than London's Westminster so that power is not perceived to be all centralised in one city. Whole swathes of the UK are led to feel isolated in this system that is no longer justified.

 

End of Segregation in State Education Act. It is no longer justifiable to continue segregation in the UK schools on the basis of religion. In the state sector, where we have a shared responsibility, schools should represent preparation to enter our secular society not the opportunity for religious sects to segregate themselves from the rest of society starting with our youngest minds. This is one part of our wider Educational Reform Bill where we expand upon the progress that we can make to our system of education so that all schools are raised in standards and expectations above that of our current religious schools.

 

Fisheries & Environment Charter. The world's fish stocks are in decline at the same time as our global populations are still soaring. Our oceans cannot continue to output so much while at the same time being used as our dumping ground. We must take control of our fish stocks, encourage supply with fish farms, protect the oceans from pollution, all while recognising the essential importance of the fishing industry on key parts of the UK's communities. This is all possible and described in our Fisheries & Environmental Charter.

 

Guardianship Reform Mandate. This is a grand plan to reform our policing and military into one big construct referred to as The Department of Guardianship. It would expand our military to include a Peace Corps and it would cross-train forces so that our police, ambulance, fire departments and other emergency services act as a larger territorial army. The idea is that there are some areas of policing that are seeing the need for specialist training in the use of arms and in anti-terrorism training which crosses over hugely with the training that goes on in our military.Our military is also increasingly used overseas as a force for policing, which requires a whole host of other tactics and strategies other than that which a military unit offers. Merging the two so that there is a crossover of staff and training would bring many efficiencies to the body as a whole. All our guardianship services need developing so that the personnel are protected while doing their duty. They should be given the right modern equipment in order for them to carry out their duties fully and efficiently. The most major change is the inclusion of a regulatory body that runs through every sub department so that all services are totally accountable at all times for their actions. This regulatory body is only answerable to a governmental 2nd Chamber, The Regulatory Chamber. 

 

Household Energy Production Bill. This is a Bill to make both funds and infrastructure available so that all homes are able to install the means to generate their own energy sustainably within their space, walls and rooftops in order that they can bring down their fuel bills after an initial repayment period. This is part of the wider idea of PopCapitalism where the means of production and the Capitalist System is distributed to more participants. The same schemes would be available to business and the idea is that an alternative energysystem can be set up, without the use of fossil fuels and the subsequent increase in CO2 production, and they can be set up without the need for the previous oligarchic pillars of private wealth that only encourages societal inequality. 

Innovators Charter. This Charter introduces the work of The Department of Work & Business towards encouraging more innovators, designers, entrepreneurs, and business leaders in their quest to develop new products, services and their trade . The UK has a rich history of innovators of this kind and this is a period of human history where their presence is certainly needed especially with the need to design and install more sustainable planetary infrastructure. We would see an initial increase in productivity as a result of these Green policies and the surplus value obtained would be passed on to the people.  

 

Justice System Reform Bill. One of the main complaints of justice system is that even when a criminal has been apprehended and taken through the courts and penal system some feel that justice has still not been met. Of course, justice is not revenge, instead there is a notion that a person who breaks the law is to repay a debt to society. Currently that debt is repaid by the time a person is taken out of society. While that serves the purpose of limiting the risk of the criminal re-offending in society, at least for the period of incarceration, it neither repays the victim/s or society as a whole and only incurs more of cost against the courts and penal system. We would like to introduce the notion of 'cause and effect', that is to say that a crime against a person, as well as the subsequent effect the crime has on society as a whole, has to be measured and addressed if justice is to be served. While a criminal is stripped of their liberty for a period of time for the crimes they should not be stripped of the ability to produce an income wherever their skills base is. This income should be divided into five parts and used to compensate the victim for their losses, the police services for their time apprehending, the courts for their deliberation, the penal system for their support and often their accommodation and finally to provide the criminal with an income for their family or for their own future development. The criminal has the opportunity to rebuild their lives, to go through a process of redemption in their own minds and to make amends with society as a whole until they have fully repaid their debt quite literally and when they no longer pose a threat. There are lot more details to this plan which is available in our literature. 

 

Kids’ Parenting Promise. Every child brought into this world deserves the best start in life with loving and supporting parents. Parenting is not easy; that is why we believe that children deserve a parent who has spent some time learning and preparing themselves for the role of parent. This would include a short course and a the setting up of a support network for the parent to help them carry out their role of parenting. 

 

Living Space Provision Bill. In this day and age nobody should be homeless. There is simply no excuse for it in this modern society. Local authorities have neglected their duty to provide housing to those who need them. We have neglected to design our cities properly to accommodate all that is required, not just in numbers of spaces available but space designed to be utilised and enjoyed, space that works efficiently within the environment and symbiotically in nature. We have concreted over some of our most fertile soil in the past. It is time to reverse this compromise and build housing that produces food, energy and exists as a compliment to nature and not a contradiction.  

 

Money Reform Bill. There is a fault in our money system. Money can be created by private banks when a loan is taken. This causes some deep societal problems and is completely unnecessary. Our currency should only be working for the people who use it, that is to say the tax payers, the citizens who observe their social contract, the borrowers, the savers, the workers and the consumers. The huge profits made by introducing more money into the system could be used to either lower taxes or provide better social services or both. The decisions about where to invest money in next should still be based on ROI but it should also have an understanding of how that investment affects society and the wider world so for example, an investment into energy should only be made if it is in Green Energy. If it in property then it should not be used to fuel further house price rises which send the house process far out of the reach of ordinary workers. The Humanist Party has a precise plan for monetary reform with the use of a series of community banks each with their own charter for their part that they play in the system as a whole. This is the new way forward for money because the old system is built on constant expansion. Well, we only have the one planet at this point in time and so the expansive model is no longer fit for purpose. The new model has to be for collective sustainability and while it’s in the process it would also help solve that age old problem of gross wealth inequality.

 

NHS Protection & Development Charter. The subtle and gradual selling off of our NHS has been the crime of the century. Everything good that was produced in the forties and all that it has grown to be has been undermined in recent years in order for money lenders to take a slice between the taxes we collectively chip in and the services we collectively receive. It is a scandal. PPP introduced by Labour and PFI introduced by the Tories on top of encroaching WTO and EU legislation, including the recent TTIP, are all attempts at stealing what belongs to the people of this nation and planting it into the hands of those whose wealth protects them with private health care. This is totally unacceptable in this century and it is time for change. The Health Service needs it own commission and the total protection by the state on behalf of the people and that is what this Protection & Development Charter is there to do. Taxation should be delivered directly to the Health Service so that we can account for every penny and how it is being used to promote better health for the people of the nation on a cost to service ratio. 

 

Organic Farming Bill. Using land for human development is part of our DNA. We have seen great advances in land use over centuries as our understanding has increased. Productivity from land took a leap forward in the 60s when it was realised that profits could be maximised in the short term if the macro-nutrients and artificial pesticides obtained from fossil fuel industries were used in farming. Well, this experiment has paid off as far as profits and the extra mouths that have been fed as a result. In order to continue to feed people in a sustainable fashion though, a new farming revolution has to be entered into and that is one of sustainability gained by recycling macro-nutrients back into the soil by natural and sustainable sources. Science is able to show us the way forward but the infrastructure, the methods and the mindsets need to make the changes.

 

It requires some investment and some application of modern thinking by modern thinkers which we have in abundance. The change is mostly political and that is what this Bill would overcome. Farming must reinvent itself to be organic as a mainstream and not as an optional extra. It is necessary to produce some crops purely for what they put back into the soil once they have completed their life cycles. The Organic Farming Bill goes much farther though and it would have far reaching implications on the current industry which may have the result of moving from large to small-scale farming styles. Complete details can be found in Learning To Live Symbiotically.

 

Peace Corps Mandate. Overseas military operations in future will increasingly be for humanitarian missions. It is right that Britain is seen as a force of good in the world and not for destruction when it comes to troops on the ground in other people's nations. To this end a Peace Corps needs to be set up straight away.

It could take volunteers but it would have a regular staff of military personnel and be part of the wider British military infrastructure. This would also act as a second territorial foundation just in case larger conflicts do present themselves in future but in the meantime the infrastructure would be there to offer immediate disaster relief, humanitarian aid, humanitarian engineering projects like water provision and refugee camp management. It would be part of humanitarian efforts that seek to de-escalate global conflicts where a peace-keeping force is needed alongside a supportive infrastructure. The overlap between the Peace Corps and the wider military would be significant as far as equipment as well as personnel manoeuvres. The Peace Corps would then be responsible for jumping in to where people are suffering for whatever reason and they would be able to make their move outside the political barriers because their work would be on a humanitarian basis. 

 

Queen’s Consulates Bill. Our Consulates around the world could be expanded to offer a wider range of services including

a) overseas development through UK national bank funding;

b) A sanctuary for those being oppressed overseas seeking protection;

c) Overseas societal development projects including education based projects;

d) an upgrade to the methodology of ongoing diplomatic relations for the purpose of conflict resolution.

All these are covered in The Queen's Consulate Bill.

 

Regulators 2nd Chamber Bill. Every part of our society currently has regulation but each body is separate from the rest and some have more teeth than others. A centralised body needs to be represented at the highest level of our governmental system in order for a hierarchy to be introduced so that regulators are able to be more effective on behalf of the people of this nation. This 2nd Chamber - to replace our current 2nd Chamber, The House of Lords - would be made up of existing non-ministerial departments such as Ofsted, Oftel etc, but then should swallow up many other consumer and citizen protectional bodies such as The Appeals Court, Citizens Advice Bureau etc. The most controversial part of this plan is the idea that our unions should also be taken in to this construct so that employees are protected and represented from the heart of governance and from every job on an equal basis. While it may prevent Unions from bullying business owners it would also give them more powers to support the case of workers where their rights are being violated and would be written into regulatory employment law. Every Pillar of Governance would have a strain of Regulators overseeing their work. The Police Complaints Commission for example would be expanded into a body that works along with police in order to bring total accountability to the work of individual officers, and right through the military too. Only The Humanist Party is currently looking to present such a system.

 

Sovereignty Charter. This Charter would protect the British citizen from having their democracy eroded by overseas jurisdictions and bodies such as the EU, The UN or any of the global bodies who currently seek to impose legislation on the UK that has not been approved by the democracy of the people itself. This would include a great deal of the legislation of the WTO. Where Britain can agree with these overseas bodies then it would then be up to this democratic sovereign state to make the same laws part of British law so that UK citizens are simply adhering to agreements supported by their own votes. It is only a Sovereignty Charter that will protect the interests of the UK from such devises as TTIP.  

 

Taxation Reform Charter. This major reform would be to introduce a system whereby each of the differing taxes that we pay are assigned to each of the 12 Pillars of Governance proposed by The Humanist Party and constructed within the Directly Democratic system of MagneSocia. The reasoning is that the taxation raised by that particular method would be used wholly and directly on that particular department to cover the costs of the service that governmental department is providing. In fact the funds would go into that department's own bank so that income and costs would be smoothed out over the years rather than rapid changes year by year but the situation remains the same, what you see going in is what you get back, and efficiency is directly calculable.

Each department is judged upon the service it provides for the income it has.

 

As trends change the public could then decide if it wants to pay more of that tax in order to receive a better service or vice versa and this decision can be arrived at without the complication of comparing what is being spent by other departments for other reasons. The department itself would then have governance over its own income and be able to better set the parameters. In the case of the Department of Health and Wellness the taxable income would come from VAT (for the first 10-12 years the excess would pay off current government debt). It would then be those in this department to evaluate what rates of VAT are put on different items, an example being at what VAT rate unhealthy food is charged compared with a zero rate for healthy food. In the long run, there is a financial disincentive for people to buy unhealthy food. If they continue to buy unhealthy food then the extra VAT they pay may cover the cost of their own future health needs.It means healthy food would be the bargain food as opposed to the way it is now. A further explanation is available from The Genius of Assigned Taxation.

 

Urban Farming Program. There is a disconnection between urban and farming communities. People in cities forget how much space it takes for them to be fed and watered. The Urban Farming Program is to re-introduce top soil and farming to our cities in order for national production to be increased. We currently only produce 60% of our food and rely on importing overseas produce, the bulk of which relies on cheap labour of 3rd world developing nations. It is not fair to take the surplus value of their production despite what you may think of us providing a source of income for their impoverished lives. That is a fallacy. Their own lack of democracies and corrupted governments are the only things that drive down their wages. Don't be fooled otherwise. This nation needs to produce its own food and then it can start to trade properly with overseas food variations. Our farms could be focussed more on efficient produce for the overseas wholesale market, which would be better for the balance of trade, especially where countries like China are in need of food as swaps for their tech produce. Some of their produce being used for bio-fuels during a certain period. Their produce could also be used for overseas humanitarian support by our Peace Corps. This is how a nation should conduct its trade. It should not rely on its previous dominance over the world in its colonial days, a system that has only been replaced by a commercial colonialism. The subject of growing food must also surely take up more space in the school curriculum so that the next generation are less likely to be cut off from the connection between human endeavour and the food supply that needs to be there to provide. We have already seen great civilisations fall in history as they grow in disregard to their food supply. With this understanding we should not be making the same mistakes again on such globalised scales.

 

Vehicle Innovators Program. Our vehicle industry and road system needs an upgrade. Vehicles need to run without burning fossil fuel and that needs to happen as quickly as possible if we are to avoid a climate catastrophe. It's as simple as that. This country therefore needs a support infrastructure to bring the best out of its inventors, its innovators and entrepreneurs to begin work on this Green Boom like having electric cars and lorries running on electric producing roads or high speed tracks, better use of our railway system by having more of a constant flow with perhaps the use of driverless trucking systems. These things may sound like science fiction but it is up to us to make it happen in the real world and only then will this conversation be normalised. Our survival depends on it. Of course, once our money system is better designed to serve the needs of society then perhaps these essential growth areas would be more likely to take shape.

 

Waste Recycling Pledge. For the same reasons, we need to be working towards a 100% recycling target. That is doable only when we bring in the legislation that pushes out the old and heralds in the new. Part of this Charter is to recognise the 12 Ecological Boundaries and to start protecting them in real terms. All areas of our lives will be affected. If we are to recycle efficiently it may take a little more effort taking the garbage out. It may affect our plumbing system in that water would be recycled locally from rain and our waste would be treated and then moved on to the farming industry for its macro-nutrients (or course in a highly safe and regulated way). It would be part of the Green Boom to industry in the short term AND it would provide the future society we need for our survival in the long term.  

 

X-Army Care Pledge. There is no excuse for the way in which we have treated those who have risked their lives in our military services. No ex-military personnel should be left without the support networks they require for the rest of their lives. That change starts here. There would be a natural merging between military service personel and other domestic forces such as the police and emergency services. There are many cross service similarities in command structures and discipline and all the services would be part of the same governmental department which would help the services provide better post service care for veterans. 

 

Youth Culture Promise. Our youth need to be supported right the way through their schooling years not just to be workers but to be citizens. To be a citizen requires that you know every aspect of the state of which you are a part. Every young person needs to understand their responsibility towards society as much as they do their rights and the protections and services the state provides to them. Young people need that as a promise and this Promise stands from the ages of 10 to full adulthood. The subject of Citizenship in schools needs to be expanded and Human History should be taught in context to moral development.

 

Zero % Unemployment Pledge. No person should be unemployed. It is up to the state to provide work in order for them to cover their basic costs. It means that the current level of job seekers Allowance and Housing Benefit would now need to be earned for hours of work found within their community. With all the new sectors of work emerging - the Urban Farming Program, The Household Domestic Energy Production etc., The Green Boom generally - it would not be a hard task to move people into these sectors. This may seem alarming for some initially but please think it through. Nobody would then be accused of scrounging off the state as everybody would be receiving enough money to cover their costs by the state and the state would be providing an increase in services as a result. This is how tribal communities survived for years and this is why paying people not to work goes against what seems natural. Being paid not to work is not good for those recipients any more than it is for those busy working while seeing those not working receiving something for nothing. Work provided though at this level should be accompanied by a scheme whereby the employee could move up the pay scale as they showed progress in their skill level and this could be attained by tying each new local council job to an NVQ level that each employee would work through and so have the potential to earn more per hour. The cost of servicing the unemployed at the moment is also a high fee that would be better spent organising the unemployed in their new work schemes and thus providing a surplus benefit to society as a whole.