Below are a series of polices or commonly held opinions on a number of key issues frequently promoted or held either by right (now frequently called far-right), or by left leaning political parties.
See if you can guess which is which. And I would be very interested to hear which policies sound the most reasonable, sensible and most likely to succeed in your opinion?
Business & Growth . . .
Policies that tax and penalise success and wealth creation, placing additional taxes and regulatory burdens on small businesses and making it harder for them to grow, scale and thrive. Policies that seek to redistribute wealth from the productive to the unproductive economy.
Policies that supports small businesses, reward hard work, and drive economic growth by reducing unnecessary red tape and barriers to success. Allowing the pie makers to grow so that we all have a bigger pie to divide.
The State . . .
A small, efficient state focuses on delivering essential infrastructure and public services, while respecting individual freedom and allowing people to take personal responsibility for their own lives.
A large, overreaching state seeks to expand its influence into every aspect of society, imposing excessive regulation and restricting individual autonomy through unnecessary government intervention.
Immigration and Borders . . .
Loose border controls and unsustainable levels of immigration, with inadequate safeguards against abuse of the asylum system. Relying on overseas labour to fill workforce gaps rather than investing in the skills, training, and opportunities needed to prepare young British people for these roles.
Secure borders and controlled sustainable immigration, with policies that prioritise the needs of British citizens. Investing in training opportunities for young British people to build careers in essential sectors such as the NHS and hospitality.
Gender, Race and Culture . . .
Organising society around identity-based divisions, with preferential treatment determined by gender, race, or sexual orientation rather than by individual circumstances and merit. Promoting a hierarchy of ‘victimhood’ that risks deepening social divisions. Undermining the role of the traditional family, and framing Britain’s historical legacy through a lens of guilt and collective shame, rather than recognising both its achievements and shortcomings.
Protection of women’s safe spaces, sporting fairness, and sex-based rights. Ensuring appointments and opportunities are determined on merit, without discrimination based on race, colour, religion. Promotion of traditional family and community values. Encouraging pride in Britain’s history, heritage, traditions and national identity.
Medical . . .
Taking an evidence-based, open-minded approach to healthcare reform by learning from successful systems around the world. Respecting individual autonomy and informed consent, ensuring people can make personal medical decisions without coercion, including decisions about interventions such as the Covid-19 vaccines.
Treating the existing NHS model as beyond question, with an emphasis on increasing funding rather than meaningful reform and consideration of alternative approaches. Applying the principle of bodily autonomy inconsistently, particularly in debates over the Covid-19 vaccination. Suppression and censorship of alternate scientific opinion and an unwillingness to debate alternate scientific viewpoints, rather than encouraging open scrutiny, transparency, and independent evaluation of medical evidence and government healthcare policy.
Net Zero and the Environment . . .
Energy policy should be pragmatic, balanced, and focused on energy security, affordability, and reliability. Any transition towards renewable energy should be proportionate, economically sustainable, and guided by evidence, recognising the importance of a diverse energy mix.Climate policy should also consider the role of natural variability and natural cycles alongside human influences.
Pursuit of net-zero regardless of the economic, social or energy security consequences, prioritising emissions targets over affordability or other competing needs. Treating the highly contentious ‘consensus’ on human-caused climate change as beyond scrutiny, rather than encourage open debate, independent research, and the critical evaluation if evidence and policy choices.