Democracy policies

BNP Con Lab Lib GP UKIP

Score
Party

0 0 0 0 0 0
Devolution
BNP Power should be devolved to the lowest level possible so that local communities can make decisions which affect them
GP More local and regional decision-making and greater public participation at all levels
UK Substantial review of devolved powers to move national parliaments/assemblies from a silo approach
Con Address the West Lothian question and give English MPs a say on laws that affect only England

EU responsibility
GP Defence to remain a national rather than world or EU responsibility

Police accountability
Con The introduction of directly-elected police commissioners
UK Directly elected local County Police Boards, and directly elected Chief Constables

Health Board accountability

UK Directly elected local Health Boards

Mayors
UK Directly elected Mayors

Cost of government
Con Would reduce costs by up to £120 million a year by:
Con Cutting ministerial salaries by 5 per cent and freezing them for the duration of the next parliament
Con Scrapping the subsidies on food and alcohol in Parliament
Con Requiring ministers to share cars and drivers
Con Reducing the number of MPs by 10 per cent

Council tax
Con Enabling local residents to veto excessive council tax rises
UK Over 50% of local government finances to be raised locally

Monarchy
GP Constitutional functions of the monarchy should be abolished

Parliament
Lab Limiting, or surrendering to Parliament, powers previously held by the executive, including:
Lab - the power to send troops to war;
Con Would strengthen Parliament and ensure more effective scrutiny of legislation, including European Union laws
Lab - the power to dissolve and recall Parliament;
Lab - to place the Civil Service on a statutory basis by enshrining its core values in law
Lab - the way treaties are ratified
UK Reform of the House of Commons
Con Would improve scrutiny of government legislation by giving MPs a free vote during the Committee stage of all Bills
Lab - judicial appointments,
Lab - parliamentary oversight of the intelligence services;

Select Committees

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 Democracy policies

Con Allowing MPs the chance to choose the chairs and members of House of Commons Select Committees

House of Lords
UK House of Lords Reform. A hybrid house of appointed Lords and elected Lord Senators
Con Would work to secure Consensus for a substantially elected House of Lords
GP House of Lords replaced by a wholly elected seCond chamber
Lab Develope reforms for a wholly elected seCond chamber and review powers

Civil Service
UK Reform of Whitehall and the Civil service

Courts
Lab A new Supreme Court to create a highly visible, publicly accessible symbol of judicial authority

The church
UK Opposition of Disestablishment of Church

An inclusive Britain
Lab Dialogue with the public to develop an inclusive view of our shared values and what it means to be British

Constitution and citizen rights

BNP Implementation of a Bill of Rights guaranteeing fundamental freedoms to the British people
Con Replace the Human Rights Act with a British Bill of Rights
UK The possibility of a written (codified) Constitution for the UK, and also the possibility of a Constitutional court
GP New written Constitution devised defining the rights and responsibilities of citizens
Lab A Bill of Rights and Responsibilities which would build on the Human Rights Act
UK All UK citizens entitled to equal treatment eg. Health, education and public services, regardless of country of origin

Freedom of speech
BNP Removal of legal curbs on freedom of speech

Right to Protest
Lib Allow protests at Parliament

Public petitions
Con Allowing the public to table Bills in Parliament, if backed by a petition of one million voters

Public scrutiny of bills

Con Introduce an online public reading stage for bills, to enable the public to Contribute to Parliamentary scrutiny of legislation

Referendum
UK Direct Democracy. Enable a fixed proportion of the electorate, signing a petition, to have a referendum
UK National and Local Referenda on major items of Concern
UK Local referenda on large scale or Controversial planning schemes, in place of remote appeals

Privacy
Lib Introduction of a Freedom Law to protect privacy
Lib Stop identity cards
Lib Removal of innocent people from DNA database

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 Democracy policies

Lib Regulation of CCTV

Lib Scrapping of Government scheme to store information on internet and e-mail behaviour

Election processes
UK The Alternative Vote for national and local elections allowing voters to list their candidate preferences
UK Opposition of measures that allow electoral fraud, and improve postal voting criteria

Proportional representation
GP Elections should be by a system of proportional representation
Lib Abolition of 'safe seats' by introduction of a more proportional voting system for MPs and for the House of Lords

Voting age
GP Voting age reduced to 16 years

Donations & electoral spending

Lib Would cap donations and spending throughout the electoral cycle

Voter registration
Con Introduction of individual voter registration

Constituency boundries
Con Addressing the 'disparities' that exist between different Constituency populations

MP tax status
Lib Would ensure all MPs pay full rate of British tax

MP expenses
Con Scrap the seCond homes allowance for MPs in grace-and-favour homes

Ex-Minister employment
Con Introduce tighter Controls on former Ministers taking jobs after leaving office

MP recall
LibIntroduce a 'recall' system. A small % of Constituents could force a by-election for any MP suspended for wrongdoing
GP Introduction of a recall system. MP's step down to face re-election if petitioned by a significant proportion of electors

Communications allowance [£10k per MP, to communicate with Constituents]

Con Scrap the Communications Allowance

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