What would be on your political party manifesto?

[lljkk]

If you were leader, What promises would you make?

Frivolous AND serious answers allowed.

Not costed just my list 😁 and I know it prob would not work altogether in reality. In no particular order:

Cut to the 40p tax rate.
Reintroduce universal child benefit.
Cut tuition fees.
Review school admission policies and set up review of school leadership and management (have witnessed appalling wastes of money and terrible wellbeing due to poor leadership).
Same for NHS re leadership and management.
Introduce zero tolerance on petty crime which is proven to reduce entry to worse crime.
Overhaul prison system with emphasis on rehabilitation.
Cut corporation tax.
Revamp sex education to include fertility.
Ensure all policies are reviewed taking into account protected characteristics
Stop nuclear power production
Increase renewable energy production
Revitalise parliamentary scrutiny structures to better enable scrutiny of legislation.
Ban single use plastic and develop acceptable alternatives for hospitals etc
Give rewards for development of non plastic product use
Ban on working past contracted hours 😁
I could go on

Oh oh!

Ban on leaf blowers. Hate the noisy things

A referendum on agreed Brexit deal vs. remain
Ban chewing gum outside the home
Extra taxes on people who have more than one child (unless unavoidable as a multiple birth) to reduce population.
Means-test all benefits that are currently age or condition related, e.g. free bus passes, free medication for under 18s, free dentistry for pregnant women.
Extra taxes for people who own multiple properties
State pension lowered to age 62 for all
Abolish the TV licence
Extra road tax where more than one car is registered at the same property, increasing per number of cars you have.
Council tax rebate for households with no car
Allow pubs to register for a 'smoking licence' (no JSA sanctions for anyone who refuses to work in a smoking venue)
Ban TV advertising for gambling services
Bring in a law to say that no employer is allowed to pay its highest-paid employee more than 15 times the salary of its lowest-paid employee - additional bonuses/perqs subject to same rule
Reintroduce means-tested student grants
Introduce a 'pet licence' for anyone keeping pets - subject to annual approval by a vet
People who have worked continuously for 20 years or more to be entitled to a leave period on similar terms to maternity/parental leave

Stop Brexit.
Proportional representation.
Decriminalise, regulate and tax recreational drugs.
Increase tobacco tax by 25% a year.
Massive increases in funding for NHS.
Wealth, including property, taxed at the same rate as income but with £250k tax-free allowance for main residence.
Radical crackdown on corporate tax evasion.
£10 p.h minimum wage for all workers.
Abolish NI & integrate into income tax.
Personal tax allowance increased so that a person working FT on minimum wage pays no tax on their earnings.
Cars taxed on emissions, with low emission cars paying the same as now, but high emission cars (eg large SUVs) taxed at multiples of current levels.

Completely new educational curriculum in primary.
More funding for education, particularly for mental health and basic literacy skills.
Abolish Ofsted and bring in school to school peer monitoring instead. So much less money to fund!
Harsh consequences for businesses who overuse plastic packaging.
Tough consequences for antisocial behaviour, including nuisance neighbours.
Alcohol induced injuries requiring NHS attention to be charged.
Binge drinking culture to be stamped out.
3 strikes and you're charged for missing NHS appointments.
4 day working week or wellbeing secondments to be common practise.
Workplaces to have wellbeing protocols to keep to support all staff.

Stop the ancient Sunday open hours rules

Agree on Sunday hours. The current law is a ridiculous anachronism.

Proportional representation
Free replacement of all petrol/diesel cars with electric alternatives
Infrastructure put in place for said EVs
Ten year period of implementation before any further changes to the education/assessment system/Ofsted criteria
Exam and licence required before anyone can procreate or have in their care any kind of animal, right down to goldfish
Part buy part rent available on family homes in all villages where prospective buyers can prove a long-standing local connection

Oh, and significant investment in finding a sugar, carb and calorie free chocolate that tastes exactly like Dairy Milk

And free weekly supplies of the above to all parents

I'd bring in an anti corruption team into the government. Anyone found guilty would face massive criminal consequences, regardless of their status.

Breakfast and lunch provided at schools.

Extensive outdoor and physical education.

Go to jail if you treat the moth3of your children like shit.

Quadruple duty for off sales alcohol (ie supermarkets). Halve duty for on sales. This would help protect pubs and make it more difficult for people to drink too much. And really push the responsibility of pub landlords and staff to refuse to sell to people who've clearly already had enough.

Nice to see that two other people have put in the animal owner's licence too. I envisage this as something a bit like the driving theory test. You can't have a dog until you've learned what the laws are about keeping pets, and basic care, first aid etc. Things like why you shouldn't let dogs have grapes or chocolate or let toddlers clamber all over them.

I envisage this as something a bit like the driving theory test.

Yes, exactly this - to make sure owners have the knowledge to meet the pet's needs. And it would have to be renewable on a vet's authority to make sure the pet's needs continued to be met.

Prison terms for deadbeat parents. Evasion of child support to be considered neglect.

Universal benefits instead of means testing. We must entwine our fates. When the powerless lose benefits they have nobody to fight for them. It fractures our society and it humiliates the poor. We have a dignity problem in this country.

Benefits, as taxes, to be paid to the individual instead of the household, to reduce the perverse incentives that hasten family breakup and the isolation of disabled people and create financial abuses.

Sensible bursaries for sectors that have shortages: nursing, programming etc. Student loans for practical education like trade school, coding bootcamps etc instead of degree mills. Removal of the conditions that prevent carers from access to education.

Council housing to reduce this insane £24 billion pound firehose in Housing Benefit, paid to landlords when we could be paying it to local councils and putting that money directly into the places that need services and local investment the most. Removal of most need allocation of council housing to try to undo the black hole of deprivation that pulls council estates down and reduce the tragedy of competitive helplessness such resource allocation produces.

Try to get basically a Norway lite deal on Brexit.

And so on.

ooh! Replies!

I would like ...

• the HoLords to be a proportional Rep'n chambre (basically Billy Bragg's idea). Keep HoCommons as FPTP, and HoL to take the revise & review role they do now.
• Road tax to be proportional to both many miles you drive, so someone who drove 10k would pay more than someone who drove 3k /yr.
• Lots of initiatives for cycle paths that are Dutch style, making cycling much easier in urban environments
• All new build homes to be have solar panels fit to roofs unless there was a really good case otherwise (like preservation order trees blocking the light)
• All personal annual tax returns (or PAYE summary) to have a summary published & publicly available
• Abolish the 4 hr & similar targets in A&E
• some kind of initiative for 'Frequent Flyers' who use the ambulance service, trying to reduce their usage (sympathetically)
• A Lot More Care homes
• Decriminalise use of illegal drugs but criminalise illicit informal supply channels
• Legalise & regulate prostitution
• Agree on reform the prison system to have an emphasis on rehab

Ohhh, I would love love proper divided cycle paths.

Something like:

• Interest-free loans that can be paid back over time for childcare or may all childcare being a tax-deductible expense (I still can't believe that a chauffuer can be a tax-deductible expense but having someone look after your children to enable you to work in the first place isn't!)
• Somehow make it so that people don't have to demand degrees for jobs unless it's really essential
• A benefits system built on the basis that people want to work, that uses easily-available data to find out where skills shortages are locally and provides people incentives to train up in shortage areas with guaranteed jobs at the end
• And job centres are empowered to recommend loan/grant schemes for people who have sensible business or training ideas, and to keep people receiving benefits while they study for things that are likely to lead to work.
• Free bus passes for job seekers that will help them look for jobs, attend interviews and plain have a life while jobhunting so they ar4e less likely to just end up stuck at home and depressed
• If a GP/consultant declares a person will never be able to work or has a condition that will inevitably deteriorate, that person gets benefits for life, end of
• Just build loads of quality social housing which ultimately will save loads of money on homelessness, physical and mental ill health, crime etc
• Legalise all drugs and take the taxes from those rather than spending huge sums imprisoning low-level criminals and fighting a fruitless, unwinnable 'war' against drugs

Ooo some brilliant ideas here for the Nest Of Vipers Popular Front Party manifesto!

Some more I thought of while doing boring stuff ... All outdoor car parks to have solar panels over the parking bays. Reasonably high obviously so those of us with tall vehicles (I drive a White Van for example) can use them. Two wins on this one - renewable energy, and we will be able to dash into the supermarket for milk and bread in high summer without risking theft of our vehicle or dogs due to having to leave the vehicle wide open to keep the dogs cool. Can you all tell I'm a dog person btw ?

No fireworks to be on sale to the general public at any time of year for any reason. They can only be supplied to people holding an up to date certificate for professional displays. There's a load being let off right now... ffs it's NOVEMBER 23rd!! And part of the duty of a professional display certificate holder is to ensure that everyone within a reasonable distance of the site of the proposed display is informed in advance of the day, time and duration of the display so they can make arrangements for their pets or for their children if they are upset by fireworks or for themselves if they (eg) have PTSD.

Employment and tax
work towards a minimum wage of £10 asap no tax on a minimum wage job unless more than 30 hours
individual tax allowance is min wage x 30 x 53 at present that is 8.26x 30x53 =£13,133
National insurance everyone working more than 16 hours a week pays £200 a year minimum; once over tax allowance it increases to 10% ( on all income however large)
3 rates of tax 20% upto 50k, 30% upto 80k 40% over 80K with NI this effectively becomes 30/40/50
Corporation tax only for genuine businesses not sole traders or people like TV presenters/ footballers etc
No zero hours contracts beyond 3 months, ( exemptions for people in full time or part time education or newly retired just wanting a few casual hours) contracts can vary so someone working at a seaside holiday resort could have a contract for 40 hours April to October and much less in Winter
no contract that is less than 30 hours can ban an employee from having a second job nor can they be dismissed for not being available on a certain friday whether for training or cover because they work elsewhere on Friday and Saturdays, no job can demand full flexibility ie being available any day or any time for any shift with little notice, no shift can be cancelled with less than 10 hours notice ( 12 hours if overnight) even on zero hours contract
no employee who signs 48 hour waiver can be made to do more than 60 hours a week there can be no penalty for refusing to work more than 48 hours a week on average ( there are already separate rules for agriculture to aloof for things like harvest and lambing) but time must be given off in lieu
if you only pay 9-5 it can't be a requirement to arrive any earlier than necessary to be ready ie change into uniform be at desk work station etc other jobs such as unlocking premises, switching on computers are work, the same applies at end of day if you need to clean up lock up cash up after premises close this needs to be paid
Make it easier for small businesses to take on new staff or train staff
compulsory phased returns or dropping to part time for those suffering from stress / medical / mental issues so they remain in work if possible, reasonal bereavement policies
TAX
no VAT extended to sanitary products toilet paper (maybe basic soap toothpaste toothbrushes shampoo under £3) school children that need adult size clothes for school will have a certificate for VAT to be removed at point of sale
VAT put on restaurant and takeaway food and drinks cakes biscuits desserts sweets and carbonated drinks, crisps, snacks flavoured milk,
increase taxes on alcohol, smoking, second homes, gambling
everyone is allowed to make a £1000 on the side each year without declaration whether ebaying renting attic space or drive way occasional odd jobs like babysitting gardening etc this applies even if on JSA
Tax evasion by the wealthy should be dealt with more harshly than benefit fraud by the poor though neither are right
A SAHparent with a child under 3 can claim an allowance equal to maternity allowance (£139 a week I think) provided the other parent is not a higher rate tax payer
as can anyone providing more than 25 hours a week care for a relative that would otherwise be in care or needing home help they will also get NI credits to their state pension this would be completely independent of spousal income as they are saving the state well in excess of £139 a week
EDUCATION
no changes to exam / inspection system or curriculum for 10 years, payrise for teachers of at least 10%,
Earlier intervention for mental health, better systems for dealing with low level disruption, getting it right for every child also includes the hard working conscientious child right to continue learning as much as the one that needs extra help
All primary schools to provide childcare from 8am -6pm
no forcing headteachers to buy supplies from certain companies when you can get it cheaper on amazon or ebay or the works
everyone should get at least a whole year of swimming lessons before they are 14
school uniforms apart from ties and blazer or sweatshirt/ jumper badge must be obtainable from supermarkets
no rules about bags/coats apart from not offensive and waterproof,
shoes must be flat so can run in them and waterproof ie no heels not fabric can wear black trainers and boots in bad weather
PE kit just basic t shirt ( colour can be specified ) shorts, a tracksuit or sports leggings and hoody, outdoor sport trainers indoor pumps non marking, swimsuit ( not beachwear) can say no logos any specialised sports equipment or match strip to be provided by school ( tabards are fine) one school in red the other blue
Student loans no interest until graduate and then at bank base rate only no penalties for early repayment or choosing to pay more than minimum to pay off faster
No penalising of either the school or the child if poor attendance is for a well documented reason no child in hospital for 6 weeks should be getting attendance letters or someone recuperating from major illness which means only part time attendance but neither should ofsted be marking school down for this
HOUSING
no further sales of council houses, review of continued need every 10 years ( small extension available to avoid a kid changing schools in exam years if moving in catchment not possible) to encourage the elderly to downsize suitable accommodation needs to be provided so they do not need to move away from friends and facilities ie on decent bus routes to shops hospitals and doctors not above bars and clubs with access still possible with mobility problems ie bungalows or flats with lifts that take mobility scooters
Building of large housing estates must include retail units small business units a primary school, play areas, and a community hall for clubs etc and connections to public transport

HEALTH
NHS to remain free at point of delivery but charges to be made for repeated broken appointments, any treatment for an injury that occurred solely because of alcohol / drug misuse, drugs that are cheaper over the counter than on prescription to be unavailable on prescription unless on benefits People who need larger quantities of paracetamol ibuprofen than normally sold will get given a card by GP stating how many needed in three months so they can buy up to a hundred at a time provided they have not exceeded the total in the period
a discussion as to removing some treatments of dubious effectiveness from NHS and the removal of nearly all cosmetic treatment ( I don't mean post trauma/cancer reconstruction)

Generally a lot more joined up thinking between departments so not all trying to pass the buck so it comes out of someone else's budget
this means social services quickly getting home care into place so no-one is bed blocking for weeks, it means schools get mental health help for kids before they become school refusers, it means doctors liaising with schools and workplaces to say what is beneficial and the workplace/ school implementing them, parents with SEN children should not be battling between school, LA , SS and NHS if the child's greatest need is educational help the headteacher should liaise with the others, if the greatest need is because of a medical problem the NHS should do the liaising, if it is difficult home circumstances SS should do all the liaising
Smaller points
Maintenance for children if not paid should be deducted at source by tax system
starting point should be 50/50 parental responsibility access though this will not always be practical
Parental alienation to be taken seriously, including just moving away so access becomes more difficult
Freedom of speech to be protected better no platforming at universities should be banned; people need to be able to hear dissenting voices
Protection of Single sex rights while it can be perfectly ok to provide unisex facilities it is also necessary to allow both men and women to have protected single sex spaces in hospitals / sports facilities / toilets / changing rooms etc
A big slowdown in the medical treatment of transgender minors, there is a huge lack of research into the long terms effects of many of these drugs and procedures we do not want a thalidomide type scandal in 15-20 years time with a host of young people suing saying if they had known all the side effects they would never have had the treatment done and that as a child someone should have stopped it, I am not saying the problem is not real
we generally do not allow children to make decisions that are irreversible or very hard to reverse for a reason; young teenagers change their minds frequently
any taxes charges imposed on cars for environmental reasons must take into account location, if there is only 2 buses a week you can't impose huge taxes on driving so if taxes are mileage led they must take into account whether there really is a viable alternative it may mean that a 2000 annual limit is reasonable if main residence is Islington but 10,000 might be much more realistic if live in Caithness
All waste disposal should be in UK
Most products should be made so as easily repairable with parts available for at least 10 years it should not be cheaper to throw away a vacuum cleaner that needs a new hose than it is to get it fixed, larger items such as car should have parts available for 20 years after manufacture ceased
Technical products should be updateable for at least 10 years after manufacture stopped so an iphone 10 should be able to work for 10 years after the last iphone10 sold people should not have to buy new environmental unfriendly products such as computers because the operating system has been superseded or it is no longer compatible with other tech
The economy and growth should not depend on people constantly throwing stuff away to buy something similar in a different colour / style we should be concentrating on the Reduce and Reuse part of the mantra rather than recycling part, it is like the economy relies on us doing exactly what the environmental concerns say we should not be doing Reduce, reuse and repair are not friends of a growing economy so we need to discuss whether we truly need the economy to keep growing or do we just need it stable

@TeacupDrama truly magnificent post... I'm only popping in late night but really interested... I'm going to leave this page open for proper thinking in the morning. Good night everyone xx Alpacalypse as was xx

My god, everyone is adding really thoughtful, insightful ideas and I’m just here to suggest a 4 day working week

We will all work together in the best interests of our country without slagging off the opposition. We acknowledge that all parties bring something to the table and will call upon the best experts from any party to solve any problems.