Reform: 4-Pillars of the Liberal Awakening

Political Reform

Constitution - Europe - Environment - Trade - Foreign Policy - Security & Defence
Constitution
  1. New Bill of Rights outlining our basic freedoms:
    1. Right to Offend the centrepiece .
    2. Based around the Four Freedoms used in the existing Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
      1. Freedom of Speech (incorporating The Right to Offend)
      2. Freedom of Worship
      3. Freedom from Want
      4. Freedom from Fear
    3. This Bill of Rights will become an updated Magna Carta: it will describe the fundamental rights and freedoms of the citizen.
    4. No citizen, government, head of state, business, or religious body is above the law.
    5. This legislation will be Entrenched Law and Supreme Law protected and interpreted by an independent Supreme Court, and enshrined in the constitution.
    6. Human Rights Legislation:
      1. The European Convention on Human Rights to be enshrined in UK law and incorporated into the new Bill of Rights.
      2. We will work with the Council of Europe to modify the convention to be much clearer and more specific about an individuals responsibilities not just his or her rights.
    7. Religious Belief (protected by the Freedom of Worship):
      1. Abolition of ALL Blasphemy laws: blasphemy to be a legal right.
      2. All religion to be treated as a belief system that can be challenged, criticised or mocked without special protection by the law.
      3. However, any writing, speaking or preaching that encourage violence towards any religious or secular group will be outlawed.
      4. The Human Rights of an individual and the new Bill of Rights will always take primacy over religious doctrine or tradition in a court of law when there is a conflict between the two. Bigotry disguised as religious belief will fall under this category.
      5. All religious courts (eg. sharia, Jewish etc) to be abolished.
      6. Disestablishment of the Church of England
      7. The Queen to no longer be the head of the Church of England.
      8. The UK to adopt a secular constitution.
    8. Freedom of Information:
      1. Extended to private organisations and businesses.
      2. Banks and the financial sector to be legally more accountable to the general public.
      3. Public sector Whistle blowers will be protected by modified Public Interest legislation.
  2. Abolition of the House of Lords
    1. Replaced with a fully elected second chamber.
    2. Will act as a counter-weight to the elected-dictatorship often seen in a one-chamber system.
    3. Will have a legislative power on an equal footing to House of Commons.
  3. Voting System
    1. First-past-the-post voting system outdated and dangerous for democracy.
    2. When groups go unrepresented, resentment and discontent builds.
    3. A system that allows minority views to rule as majorities is unacceptable.
    4. The 2-Party system is leading to an elected-dictatorship where one party forces through unpopular policies that do not represent the electorate.
    5. Proportional Representation is key to restraining political power, enfranchising the people, and enabling all groups to feel represented. Also, protect the integrity of the United Kingdom.

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