Power2010 - Help make freedom and privacy a top issue

For those who haven't yet heard of Power2010 this is how they explain the campaign:

Our plan is simple. We want to identify the five key reforms that will change the way we do politics in this country - and we want you to tell us what these should be.

Together we will ensure every candidate standing for election backs these reforms so that the next Parliament delivers the change we need.

These worthy, if perhaps optimistic, aims are set to provide an interesting case study into what the general public really cares about - as opposed to the political elite.

The final shortlist of 29 issues was decided at a recent convention and they are now available to view on the Power2010 website where the public can vote for their favourites over the next 5 weeks.

At present, scrapping ID cards and rolling back the database state stands at an impressive number 2 in the voting, which is very encouraging. It would be good to see reduce the use of statutory instruments (a tool by which some of the most intrusive and repressive legislation has been introduced to Britain in the past decade) and expanding the scope of the Freedom of Information Act (a suggestion from our friends at the TaxPayers' Alliance) also make the top 5.

By Dylan Sharpe 

Comments

[LeChiffre]

"so that the next Parliament delivers the change we need"

To get the change we really need, the top civil service should be pensioned off when the party in power changes.

The Permanent Secretary system is an overpowering obstacle to getting "the change we need".

[alastair]

Unfortunately there are lots of good ideas they don't include, and some that are very bad that they do.

Proportional Representation, for instance, is an extraordinarily bad way to elect people for all kinds of reasons. A better fix for the inherent tendency to elect either Conservative or Labour governments would be to allow negative voting, which breaks the vicious cycle that causes our 2+1 party system to work how it does, but which *doesn't* suffer from the problems inherent in PR.

I also quite like the idea of removing the right to vote for those who are net beneficiaries of the state. Seems harsh, perhaps, but letting those people vote is a bit like allowing MPs to vote on their own pay… A nice side-effect of this would be that it would reduce the incentive for left-wing politicians to increase both taxes and benefits thereby drawing people unnecessarily into dependence on the state. Indeed, it would create quite the opposite incentive, which is highly desirable I think.

Additionally quite a few of us would like for there to be a vote on whether we still wish to be part of the European Union… one where “No” means “No”, not “No, but ask us again until we say ‘Yes’ instead.”

[Lambada]

@alastair

Do you wish to bring back property qualifications or the poll tax or both?

Personally I would favour bringing back both but would fully expect another peasants' revolt with pitchforks and torches, the Full Monty.