Liberation ™ Principles

The following is the core values, beliefs and manifesto for the Grocerjack Liberation Party.

Energy:

Gas, Electricity production and supply will be nationalised and subsidised. Coal production and supply will re-start with old mines re-opening where feasible or brand new mines being commissioned. All funded by the government. A programme of Nuclear Power stations will resume, funded by the government and then run as a state run concern as a public service. Off-shore and on-shore wind farms will be built, and investment in tidal power will feature. The aim would be for 80% self sufficiency within 10 years. We will invest in new technologies to remove our dependence on Middle East oil. They can then argue amongst themselves.

Water: Supply and sewage will be re-nationalised. Investment will come from Government and the users. De-salination plants will be built to supply “grey” water suitable for washing, bathing and the garden etc.

Politics: Once things have settled a democracy will return on a PR basis, but not until such time that we are happy that our plans are accepted and in place or making good progress. The Monarchy will be abolished but in a non-violent manner. We’ll retire them quietly to live peaceful non interfering lives. The second house in the re-instated PR democracy will be fully elected.

Tax and benefits: Income Tax will be increased to 6 bands with Band 1 being the lowest at 10% and Band 6 being the highest at 60%. Council tax will be abolished and replaced by a local sales tax. Eventually all income tax will be replaced with a sales tax at the point of sale payable by anybody, even visitors with the tax being linked to the value of the item being bought. Internet sales including those based outside of the UK will be taxed at the point of the transaction against the card/account being used. No-one will avoid tax as we will close every loophole possible. No longer will self employed people or small businesses boast about how little tax they pay!

Inheritance Tax will be raised to £1.5 million and reviewed annually.

Road Tax will be abolished and added to car insurance and will be linked to the insurance group and consumption figures of the cars. The dearer the car, the more fuel it burns, the more you pay. The certificate of insurance MUST be displayed at all times. Failure to display will command a £1000 fine!

Savings will no longer be taxed unless they come to over £5 million. Tax payable on Share schemes will be relaxed to encourage their use, and the CGT limit will increase to £50,000 per person, reviewed annually.

Redundancy payments will no longer be taxed, unless they are deemed “golden handshakes” and are greater than £1 million. We take the view that losing your job is bad enough without us taking a cut.

Pensions will not be taxed. You worked for it, so keep it. State pensions will increase annually – figures to be set, but single people will get the same as a married, or co-habiting couple. These will be reviewed annually and will increase in line with inflation at the minimum. Any full time employee will be encouraged to pay additional contributions to their State pension to increase its value later.

If you’re out of work through disability then fine, we’ll make sure you don’t go cold or hungry. But if you’re refusing work because you don’t like it or can’t be bothered then all benefits will cease within 3 months.

Child benefit will only be payable to those on less than £40,000 annual gross income.

Our overarching principle is to look after those that can’t, not those that won’t.

Travel : Incentives will be given to employers to make greater use of the Internet for home working. Employees will not pay any taxes on data volumes or broadband links.

Motorways will be chargeable as in France, with the “toll” being paid to the Government. Foreign lorries will pay an additional toll according in order to level the playing field with British lorries .

Lorries will be banned during peak hours on major roads and will be banned from using minor roads and villages as rat runs. Cycle paths will be added to every road in the country. The minimum age for driving a car will rise to 21. Prior to that the only motorised forms of transport will be….

16 – a moped up to 50cc , governed to 30mph. 17 – a scooter or motorbike up to 125cc and governed to 50mph. 18 – a scooter or motorcycle up to 250cc and governed to 70mph. 19-21 – unrestricted motorcycle or scooter. That way anyone using the roads before they can drive a car will absolutely learn what road sense is. From 21-25 any car owned must be 1.6 litres engine capacity and speed governed to 70mph. from 25 onwards normal laws as of today apply.

Motorway maximum speed will increase to 90mph in the outside lane only. A-road dual carriageways and major routes will be set to 80mph unless in built up areas. Roads where house are will be 20mph, unless dual carriageways.

Railways will be re-nationalised and run as a service and NOT for profit. A large investment program will build new railways, including monorails along major route central reservations, a high speed network between major towns and cities to compare with Europe as well as local tram and light railway schemes. Land will be compulsorily purchased at the market rate and help provided to those displaced.

Air travel will also change. Heathrow development plans will remain but there will be no further expansion beyond a 6^th Terminal and a 3rd runway. The Government will look at building new off-shore airports which utilise high speed and local rail links to connect to the mainland. Passenger tax will be related to the flight cost and type of aircraft. Tax benefits will be given to any car manufacturer who makes a car than runs on hydrogen fuel cells. Investment in canals will re-start and incentives given to private firms who use them and the railways to deliver and carry freight.

Food and drink: We expect to encourage the growth of local food markets as seen in France and incentives will be given to farmers who deliver these markets and produce. We will withdraw from the CAP and allow our farmers to produce as much or as little as they like and operate in our own market. All food will be labelled Red, Amber or green, including restaurant menus and take-aways. Other than that we will butt out of people’s lives when it comes to food. Alcohol in supermarkets and off-li censes will be taxed to bring it into line with pub prices and will only be sold to people over 21 and EVERYONE will have to show I.D. Anyone caught supplying alcohol to a minor except under parental/guardian supervision will be fined a minimum of £1000 on the spot. Licensing hours will remain unrestricted according to local conditions.

Drugs: We don’t see the need for any drastic changes to alcohol laws except for culpability in the supply to minors and the consumption by minors. Cannabis will remain de-criminalised. We will introduce laws which legalise all narcotics as the “war on drugs” is a waste of time and is proven not to be effective. Since the dawn of time people have used drugs to lose inhibitions or feed creativity. We will sell these drugs, to adults over the age of 21 only with I.D. They will be quality controlled and stamped by The Government and sold in licensed premises only. They will be taxed at source. Anyone using the drugs will be responsible for the consequences and no legal recourse for death or injury to users will be accepted. The usage of drugs will be restricted to licensed outlets only, excluding those that sell alcohol, and private dwellings.

Crime: Anyone caught possessing a knife, in a public place, that is not sealed in a box and with a receipt from a licensed outlet will go to prison for 1 year (minimum). If this happens again then the sentence will be 5 years. Anyone caught with a gun, real or decommissioned will go to prison for 5 years (minimum). Anyone caught a second time will get 10 years and any further offences the sentence will be Life. Meaning Life. There will be only one Life tariff and it will mean until the day the offender dies. Murder will be automatic life. Manslaughter tariffs remain untouched. Murders caused by proven mental instability will mean Life in a specialised hospital. Paedophiles guilty of physical abuse will have their sexual organs removed or rendered permanently useless by chemical treatment. Those guilty of viewing, making or distributing Child porn will receive a minimum of 5 years. Prisons will remain centres of rehabilitation but this will only be offered to those who show genuine remorse and capability to be educated. Sentences will never be muted despite any prisoner achieving higher qualifications. We will build off-shore floating prisons similar to Oil Rigs for the high risk offenders. Visits will occur by video conference only. “Beat” police will return to the streets with powers to inter anyone over the age of 8 suspected of crime. Yes, we aim to scare the shit out of youngsters and make them fear the police and the law again! The maximum period inside will be a week before charges must be laid. 2 basic meals a day will be provided and no fresh clothes or washing capability will be supplied. Toilets will be of the slopping out variety. One phone call per stay will be permitted and one visit from a parent or guardian or in the case of an adult a relative will be allowed. We will re-instate the right of police to dish out physical restraint if necessary. We will reduce the prison loading by enforcing more Community Service so that offenders of lesser crimes (shoplifting, TV licence evasion etc) give something back. We will vastly expand the Community Service ethos.

Health: We believe each person has their own responsibility for this. It’s not for us to constantly nag about what you eat, drink or how much sun or exercise you get. Everyone knows by now what’d good and what’s bad, and schools will continue to teach this. But really, make your own mind up and accept the consequences. The NHS funding will remain as it is. Private healthcare will remain as it is. Freedom of choice to use what’s best for you will remain, but we would aim to ensure the differential between the NHS and the private sector is minimal. Which will mean a huge uplift in how the hospitals are run.

Europe: We believe large parts of European culture and life are very good but we don’t want to be interfered with by Eurocrats on trivial rubbish like minimum banana sizes. We will adopt the Euro currency and apply price controls to ensure profiteering does not occur. This protection will be in place for 5 years. Price rises will need to be authorised by a government body. We think another tunnel to France might be a good idea, but if we can build a bridge for rail to carry cars then we will look at this option. We will move to Central European time in order to preserve daylight during winter. If the Scots farmers don’t like it then they can vote through the Scottish parliament to change their time zones as happens now. It works in every other part of the world without business collapsing, so it can work here.

Security: Everyone will have an ID card and that’s the end of it. If you do nothing wrong then you won’t have a problem. Despite being part of Europe, we are an island and as such border controls will be in place. U.S Visitors will find they have to undergo just as stringent security processes as we have to in order to visit them. A Border Police Force will exist. Any searches by them will be re-instated as they found them. Terrorists, if found guilty will go to prison for life, unless their return to their country of origin means death in which case that’s where they’ll go.

The United Kingdom: Well, it’ll be a Republic so not a “Kingdom” as such anymore. We quite like UGB (United Great Britain), but maybe we’ll stick with Kingdom as a reminder of our past, until such time as we are no longer united….

Devolution: Referendums will be held once we restore PR Democracy and if it is the will of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales to be independent then we will instigate a process to allow their detachment from us and their acceptance into Europe as separate entities. Cornwall is part of England and will stay that way. Live with it.

Freedom of Speech: There will be no blasphemy laws. If you’ve that much Faith then use it to rise above the people who challenge your religion. Don’t even think about protesting and issuing threats. That’ll just land you in prison.

Banking and business: The Post office will become the people’s bank, run as a service and not for profit, although any profit made will be re-invested just as nationalised entities should be run. . It will retain a monopoly on delivering letters by people, although private couriers for business post will continue. No Post offices will shut and in fact we will look to re-instate them where they have been closed previously. Any private banks that fail, such as Northern Rock, will have to operate like any other private business. We will look to free small businesses from unnecessary bureaucracy.

Education: Teachers will get a minimum 5% pay rise per year. School funding will increase. Distance learning will be encouraged (lessons on the web) and truancy will be punished both for the pupil and the parent/guardian. The balance of public/private will remain. University fees will be abolished and the grant system re-instated. The Open University will receive higher funding. The school leaving age will be raised to 18, unless college education is in place.

That’ll do for now! Any further ideas will be most welcome!

Later Dear Leader Grocerjack