Friday 5 October 2007

The British People’s Alliance: The Party of Conservative Values

The British People’s Alliance is the only party of Disraeli’s One Nation, with an equal emphasis on the One and on the Nation

British Independence: Restoration of the supremacy of British over EU law. Use of this to restore Britain’s historic fishing rights. No EU law to apply in the United Kingdom without having gone through exactly the same parliamentary process as if it were a Bill which had originated in our own Parliament. The show-stopping Empty Chair Policy until the Council of Ministers meets in public and publishes an Official Report akin to Hansard.

Disapplication in the United Kingdom of any ruling of the European Court of Justice by resolution of the House of Commons, giving this country the same level of independence as is rightly enjoyed by Germany through her Constitutional Court. Non-application of any ruling under either the Human Rights Act or the European Convention on Human Rights unless and until ratified by such a resolution.

No need for a referendum on further European integration, since Parliament to do its job properly and just say no.

The Union: A real voice for everyone who is determined to remain British on the basis that the United Kingdom is our country, which no one has the right to take away from us. The Parliament of the United Kingdom to enact legislation in all policy areas for all parts of the United Kingdom, as set out in the devolution legislation, so no need for a costly English Parliament. A new elected second chamber to have the same revising powers in relation to the devolved bodies as in relation to the House of Commons. A real voice for the North and South of Scotland, and for North, Mid and West Wales.

An electoral vehicle for those in Northern Ireland (not least, the very many Catholics in favour of the Union in principle) excluded by the carve-up between, on the one hand, a pseudo-Unionist party seeking its own statelet, and, on the other hand, those who believe the Provisional Army Council of the IRA to be the sovereign body throughout Ireland.

Strongest possible support for those throughout the world seeking to maintain, resume or adopt constitutional and other ties to the United Kingdom, and thus also to each other. All subjects of the Crown to have at least the same rights of entry to, and residence in, the United Kingdom as are enjoyed by EU citizens.

In the event of an independence referendum anywhere in the United Kingdom (or of a United Ireland referendum), any area to remain in the United Kingdom if less than the majority of its registered voters votes in favour of independence (or of a United Ireland). Any referendum on the future existence of the United Kingdom as presently constituted to be held throughout the United Kingdom thus constituted.

Extension to the whole United Kingdom of preferential spending (such as free personal care for the elderly, and such as the abolition of student fees) in Scotland, paid for by reduction in the block grant to the Scottish devolved body, which has its own revenue-raising powers.

British Standard English to be the only official language except in any municipal area where one fifth or more of the population is comprised of native speakers of another language indigenous to these islands, in which case that other language to have parity with British Standard English.

Saint George’s Day, Saint Andrew’s Day, Saint David’s Day and Saint Patrick’s Day to be public holidays throughout the United Kingdom. All public institutions to observe in some way the National Days of each and every Realm or Territory with which the United Kingdom shares a Head of State.

Freedom: Repeal of the Civil Contingencies Act. Repeal of the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act. Restoration of the situation whereby a Bill which runs out of parliamentary time is lost at the end of that session. No extension of detention without charge. No identity cards. No control orders. Repeal of existing erosions of trial by jury and of the right to silence, of existing reversals of the burden of proof, of provision for majority verdicts (which, by definition, provide for conviction even where there is reasonable doubt), and of provision for Police confiscation of assets without a conviction. Repeal of the Official Secrets Acts.

Real Education: Restoration of grammar schools, but on the German Gymnasium model, thus avoiding the 11-plus while working to overcome this country's crippling cultural division between arts and sciences, and between academic and technical education. Restoration of O-levels in place of Thatcher’s GCSEs. Defence and restoration of Special Needs Education.

The imperial and metric systems to be both be taught and used side by side except where metrication has not already taken place, as in the case of road signs.

Universal and compulsory – non-military, but uniformed, ranked and barracked – National Service between secondary education and tertiary education or training.

The Countryside: Defence of rural services, leading in particular to the systematic reversal of bus route and (where possible) rail line closures going back to the 1950s, as well as of the erosion of local schools, medical facilities, Post Offices, and so on. A national network of public transport free at the point of use.

Real agriculture as the mainstay of strong communities, environmental responsibility and animal welfare (leading to safe, healthy and inexpensive food), as against American-style ‘factory farming’. Defence of the remaining field sports. A free vote in government time on repeal of the ban on hunting with dogs.

A new and powerful second chamber elected on the basis of the English ceremonial counties, Scottish lieutenancy areas, Welsh preserved counties, and Northern Irish counties, with each of those 99 units having equal representation.

Agriculture and Small Business: The supermarkets to be made to fund investment in agriculture and small business (investment to be determined in close consultation with the National Farmers’ Union and the Federation of Small Businesses) by means of a windfall tax, to be followed if necessary by a permanently higher flat rate of corporation tax. In either case, strict regulation to ensure that the costs of this are not passed on to suppliers, workers, consumers, communities or the environment.

Law and Order: Raising the minimum age for jurors at least to 21, and restoration of a minimum property and/or educational qualification for jurors. Restoration of the pre-1968 committal powers of the magistracy. Abolition of stipendiary magistrates. Repeal of Thatcher’s Police and Criminal Evidence Act. Restoration of the pre-1985 prosecution powers of the Police, i.e., abolition of the Crown Prosecution Service.

A return to preventative policing based on foot patrols, with budgetary sanctions against recalcitrant Chief Constables who fail to implement this. Police Forces at least be no larger than at present, and subject to local democratic accountability, most obviously though Police Authorities, although with the mind by no means closed to the idea of elected sheriffs.

Each offence to carry a minimum sentence of one third of its maximum sentence, or 15 years’ imprisonment where that maximum sentence is life imprisonment.

Cannabis to be reclassified as a Class A drug, with a crackdown on the possession of drugs, including a mandatory sentence of three months for a second offence, six months for a third offence, one year for a fourth offence, and so forth.

Family Values: Marriage as between one man and one woman, anything else being contrary to the interests of women. Refusal of the State to lie by issuing transsexuals with new birth certificates. A legal presumption of equal parenting, the restoration of the tax allowance for fathers for so long as Child Benefit is still being paid to mothers. Poorer mothers of small children to be paid to stay at home with them rather than to hand them over into the care of strangers. The criminalisation, with exactly equal sentencing, both of the sale and of the purchase of sex by persons aged 18 or over. No further deregulation of drinking or gambling.

Any couple intending to marry to be entitled to make a legally binding declaration that their marriage shall be dissoluble only on the grounds and according to the procedures that obtained prior to the 1969 Divorce Reform Act (or its extensions to Scotland and Northern Ireland). Religious organisations to be entitled to make a legally binding declaration that any marriage solemnised according to their rites shall be such a marriage. The Church of England to be deemed so to have declared unless the General Synod shall specifically resolve the contrary within one year of this provision’s coming into effect and by a two thirds majority in all three Houses. Entitlement upon divorce to be fixed at one per cent of the other party’s estate for each year of marriage, up to fifty per cent.

A new and powerful second chamber specifically including both elected representatives of Britain’s Christian heritage and elected representatives of moral and spiritual values generally.

The real Whit Monday to be restored as a public holiday, accompanied by those religious festivals observed as such in both Protestant and Catholic Europe, all in place of pointless celebrations of the mere fact that the banks are on holiday.

Energy Independence: Development of nuclear power and the application of clean coal technology as at least the core around which other things (wind, wave, solar, et cetera) may operate, since it offers both the re-creation of strong working-class communities based on high-wage and high-skilled employment (as previously provided by pits, steelworks, shipyards, and so on), and independence from the affairs of the Middle East, as well as from Russian gas.

Russia and Western Civilisation: Cultivation of Russia’s sense of herself as an integral part of the Biblical and Classical civilisation that is the West, and as that civilisation’s bridge both to the world as defined by Islam, and to the world of the Far East, while acting as the West’s gatekeeper against subjugation to Islam or to anything Far Eastern, sharing that historic role with all the Slavs.

The British People’s Alliance is the only party of Disraeli’s One Nation, with an equal emphasis on the One and on the Nation

4 comments:

  1. Goodbye, UKIP!

    ReplyDelete
  2. And thanks for all the fish? Only on the part of the foreigners whom UKIP did nothing to prevent from catching them all.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bravo David. It is great to see the development of BPAP at last. I am confident that you have thought it out already but it does concern me that the tax burden on the public will be great. We know that voters want effective services but are not willing, in this country, to pay for them.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm not so sure of that, actually. The BPA's tax plans will take some formulating, if we are to build and sustain our desired coalition. But that could be done. And it will be done.

    ReplyDelete