Living Longer and Prosper
There are always budget considerations when considering new policies or activities. All political parties know that at present there is a serious financial deficit initially created by Labour and currently being increased by the Conservative/Lib Dem coalition. This has to be taken into account when deciding what we can do next, how this deficit should be repaid and what other spending or cuts must be made to put the UK back on its feet. I believe that you can’t trust what the Lib Dems, Tories or Labour say, but if you must consider what they say, you have to carefully judge how the various parties will handle this deficit, what is their vision for Britain in the future and then vote accordingly.
How do you want to build a better UK. (savings and profits in bold)
How it adds up:
- A stable population will solve most of the resource problems on the horizon for the UK. There will be less pressure on the need for future housing, NHS provision, school places etc. Instead of the Lib/Lab/Con high tax, high spend, you could have low tax, low spend.
- By reducing the size of Government you would provide better management of resources. Tight efficient decision making allows the proper running of the country and removes arbitrary effects of the market system on Government. With a total government budget of £720bn pa, saving 1% waste from this budget should not be a challenge. This is an extra £7bn pa. can be used to help the least well-off.
- By providing training schemes for the unemployed. Let’s put the jobs for young people first and stop unemployment.
- There are not just 2 million officially unemployed, but 1.2 million part time workers who would like full-time work, plus half of the 2.3 million “disabled” who could, and in many cases want to work. Thus real unemployment in the UK is probably in excess of 4 million. Employing just 1 million or a quarter of these at £20,000pa would generate £20bn and £5bn-£6bn extra of tax revenue. Keeping people happy and in work actually not just saves the country money, but makes it money.
- Make the consumer king, with simple regulation for Banks, Utilities, Phone companies, insurance, etc. A fair price for a fair service. Excess profits from poorly regulated and excessively monopolistic industries such as financial services (including banks), energy companies, water utilities, phone companies and insurance should be squeezed and returned to the consumer. These sectors account for about 15% of the economy, and excess returns could account for about 0.5% of GDP, or £8bn. The Conservatives claim they want efficient business to provide a good deal for the consumer and then allow shareholder and “fat cat” to hike extortionate price rises. Profits from service industries, transport, energy etc should be for UK companies. Making the UK £10 billion per year.
- Now that the banks are again in profit, let’s get the money back that the banks were loaned from the Tax Payer. Making the UK 170 Billion.
- Regulate against loan sharks, greedy shareholders, excessive Council Tax & reduce Taxation overall. The Lib Dems claim they want fairness, but together with the Labour Party & and Conservatives, they have allowed the banking crisis. A proper Bank of the UK is needed to provide lending for small business and start-ups. Making the UK 2 billion.
- To make services like the NHS, the Buses and Trains, etc all efficient and affordable, this is just down to plain and simple good management. Efficiency savings in excess of 10 Billion.
- The foreign aid budget could be cut from 14bm to 5bn, remove the need to borrow for this and reducing the overall total amount of foreign aid. Saving 9 billion a year.
- Manufacturing in the UK is only 10% of GDP: in Germany it is still 20%. They have nurtured and favoured their manufacturing, we haven’t. If a pro-manufacturing recycling policy was followed, this could generate an extra 10% of GDP (an extra £160bn pa), and even more if account was taken of linkages with the rest of the economy. The only possible way to thrive is to use the Formula 1 model. Most of the Formula 1 teams, Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, Williams etc etc are located in the UK. Why, because we are the most innovative and have the highest engineering standards in the World. We need to be able to develop this across all industrial and service sections and trade freely with all countries in the World, without restrictive EU rules. Making £30 billion per year.
- Our R & D budget is only 1.7% of GDP, our competitors are 2.7%-3.0%. We need to increase this vital spending by 1.0% of GDP and make sure much more of it stays in the UK, and benefits British citizens, by stopping predatory foreign takeovers of British companies, of which there have been far too many in the past 30 years. We are also one of the most ingenious of countries in the World illustrated by the number of UK registered patents. However our intellectual property is copied by the rest of the world and its true economic value is being lost. So to stop this and increase the fortunes of the country, the UK must introduce the “Knowledge Economy” into law; a new national and global patent system. A system that protects inventors and investors in partnership with the UK Government, by the seal of the Crown. The UK could then vigorously defend its patents in the courts around the World, using UK Governments solicitors, to stop this fraud. Licenses could then be issued for these patents to other countries to do the manufacturing, making the UK Billions and securing the UK’s economic future. Making 100 billion per year.
- Economy is for people, not the other way round. Economic growth for its own sake is pointless. Per capita incomes, the proper measure of living standards, have grown much less fast than stated GDP growth. There are real limits to growth especially in a heavily over-populated island, so with no spare land, no natural resources which are economically viable, and indigenous food supplies which only feed 60% of the population the UK must plan its own future. A reality and rationalization.
- To have a vision for the future and plan for a better way of life for all. A place where we protect the standard of living, how we live our lives and what we can leave to our children without the exploitation from the State. A vision.
- Most importantly to put people first, to change the current hierarchy of interests: 1) the Government, 2) big business 3) political parties are put before 4) the people. People should not be 4th they should be 1st and National and Local government should be an accountable to them. Real Democracy.
- We have to get away from the political claims culture and focus on the truth and stop “spin-doctors” manipulating the facts gain personal, or group advantage against the interests of the general population. Returning integrity.
- We have to get away from the economist’s delusional world where normal things don’t usually happen. We have to challenge Conservative, Labour, Lib Dem and SNP claims that growth is good; more industry, more people, more house building, more trains, more planes, more, more, more. F is for future, so where’s is this F in growth? There is no F in growth. It is a fact that growth just uses up finite resources quicker, which can only lead to increased hardship. Common sense.
- By implementing direct digital democracy (secure digital voting on issues), the needs of the many will outweigh the needs of political parties, or shareholders. By giving the people the ability to vote using the internet on many more issues, people will get a real democracy where their voice is heard between elections and they get to decide on the matters that affect them. Increasing participation and representation.
The UK needs to manage its population, resources and politics to the benefit of its people, not Westminster politicians or city fat cats. Most of the pressures that the country will face in the next few years can mostly be handled by encouraging a stable population and having good leadership.
As for the rest, the cost of living and the quality of life. This can also be fairly easily managed by organising the economy to meet the needs of the people and this would have to be accurately costed. We can escape the current catastrophic resource path we are currently on, we have the means, all we have to do is to work towards good ends. The total budgetary improvement calculated above represents extra Billions per year (subject to final costing). This would clearly deal with the UK budget deficit completely within 4 years and provide for all additional support for the NHS, Education, Defense etc, which is needed, whilst protecting our open space and wildlife.
It is your choice, more of the same old same old false promises, or Voting for Sustainability, for a better UK.
