My core political values for a pragmatic and compassionate approach

The economy: 

Fiscal responsibility and compassion should never be separated.

• Free markets empower growth to improve living standards and opportunities for all.

• Long-term, steady but stable economic and social growth is preferable to boom-to-bust economic outcomes.

• Economic growth is not the only indicator of success.

• Wealth creators are found at all levels of earnings.

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Health:

The NHS should be protected, be a priority, and be run within the means of the country.

• Every able individual has a responsibility to keep themselves as healthy and safe as possible to reduce pressure on the NHS.

• The NHS is the greatest service offered to the people of the UK; it should be protected, kept relevant to changing needs, and be fiscally sustainable.

• The NHS needs large-scale reforms and a conversation about what it can do and what it shouldn't do in the long term.

• The long-term sustainability of the NHS should be a cross-party plan over a 20-year period, with each governing party taking responsibility for how well they execute that plan and never be used as a political football.

Social justice: 

Government is the enabler and facilitator of social justice, balanced with personal responsibility as the driver of long-term levelling up.

• Social justice (levelling up) isn't a passive interaction by the receiver but carries an obligation to act and be used as a platform to build.

• Social justice isn't to be seen as a gift given by those with greater means. At best, it is a moral duty of those who can to distribute wealth and opportunities; at worst, it makes good economic sense.

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Education:

Education should be inclusive to meet the needs of all.

• The educational system must adapt to the ever-changing needs of young people and the wider economy.

• It should provide both academic and vocational opportunities for all within all age groups.

• Education's primary aim should be to prepare young people for employment and independent thinking.

• The current national curriculum is not fit for purpose; it reduces professional innovation and job satisfaction.

• Academic studies and vocational training should be seen as equally important at all levels and age groups.

• Special education needs to lift the aspirations of young people.

• Systematic testing does not measure the quality of teaching and learning; constant testing and measuring distract from learning and reduce creative and innovative thinking.

• The constant fear of Ofsted does not improve standards but dis9tracts resources, time and excellence within the classroom and gives an unnecessary fear to staff and pupils.

• Ofsted should be a working partner to improve standards in an advisory capacity.

Welfare:

Social welfare has to work for all.

• Those that can must be empowered to excel by the government.

• Those who are held back due to social mobility restraints should be empowered by the government to achieve their potential.

• Those that need support must be supported better than previous generations.

• Those that avoid should be shown through proportionate measures that we all have a responsibility to contribute.

Environment and climate change: 

We are all responsible for maintaining the natural environment.

• We are all custodians of the physical environment; we all have a responsibility to maintain, protect, and not abuse the plant we call home.

• The debate over the extent of man's contribution to climate change should not be used as a reason not to act towards treating the world and its resources with respect and care.

• Unnecessary and excessive human consumption is causing irreversible damage to all elements of the environment.

• Increased renewable energy investment is needed for long-term energy security, combined with a reduction in energy consumption.

• Next-generation nuclear power has to be a part of the convention for future energy needs all be it until a safer long-term alternative is produced.

• Single-use plastics are harmful and have to be reduced.

• Reductions in car usage is not the only solution to climate change, but it can only come about with the creation of a government-led, joined-up public transport service between all modes of transport.

Brexit: 

A democratic process voted to leave the European Union, which has divided Britain but by no means destroyed its future.

• With scare tactics used on both sides, the referendum campaign and arguments to remain or leave appear to have been misleading and exaggerated.

• The poor quality of the referendum campaign clearly led to a high level of mistrust and anger in the result.

• The EU fueled an anti-EU rhetoric after giving little to David Cameron's attempts to renegotiate Britain's relationship with the EU. The EU came across as arrogant, unwilling to listen, and dismissive of the growing narrative around a desired exit.

• Both sides of the argument have to take responsibility for the outcome.

• A united Britain can and has to make Brexit work.

• The call for a referendum was mandated by the electorate at the 2015 general election, with the Conservatives being given a new and workable majority.

• As a nation, the divide between those who voted to remain or leave has to be bridged so we can come together for the sake of the nation and our own individual lives.

• We must now make a success of the position we are in as one united nation.

• Carrying on the debate over the result of the referendum will stagnate Britain's growth 

• The debate over rejoining or not, must not overshadow Britain's post-EU exit plan. This debate must take a backseat for now until Britain is stable and can divert resources to a new future debate.

• We must move forward with optimism and unity and dismiss Britain as a failed entity because of Brexit.

Nationalisation verses Privatisation: 

Essential services should not be held within either the private sector or public ownership if they are not meeting the needs of their customers, acting in an ethical way, investing in infrastructure, or not offering value for money.

• Private ownership is not the golden ticket to excellent services, but there are benefits 

• Prioritized services should operate under an ethical contract with the government. This is to ensure profits are not withdrawn when times are tough or when infrastructure investment is needed to maintain a baseline service.

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The rule of law:

The rule of law must be on the side of the victim when it comes to justice.

• Prevention of crime through community and national initiatives should be at the heart of all government policymaking.

• The victim(s) of crime and the need for justice take priority over the needs of the fairly tried and found guilty perpetrator.

• Sentences should represent the severity of the crime.

• The "human rights" of the victim trump those of the fairly tried and found guilty perpetrator when seeking justice.

• Rehabilitation opportunities should never undermine justice for the victim.

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Individual liberties:

Individual liberties have to be preserved against government intrusion.

• Individual liberty of expression, speech and thought must be balanced with empathy and understanding toward others with differing views and beliefs.

• Freedom of religion for all

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Tolerance:

Tolerance is not a one-way exchange.

• Tolerance is a two-way exchange; it is impossible to demand tolerance at the same time as dismissing opposing views or beliefs as wrong.

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Peace:

Peace is maintained through strength, justice, and dignity.

• Strength and the perception of strength are important for the peace of all.

• Justice has to be proportionate, constant, and on the side of the victim.

• The level of dignity we show to those who threaten us is a measure of how we are as a nation.

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Policy making:

Policymaking should be judged on how it protects the most disadvantaged and empowers those who can.

• Policies based on pragmatism, compassion, and economic stability allow for changing economic and social events.

• A policy that disadvantages the weakest, whether financially or by reducing opportunities to strive, should not be passed into law without adequate compensation or opportunities derived from other initiatives.

Cross-party solutions:

Cross-party solutions should be encouraged.

• Cross-party solutions encourage long-term accountability through collaboration rather than self-serving agendas, which hinder the building and maintenance of public services.

Party Politics:

The political party's power over individual MPs is corrosive to democracy and does not encourage good policymaking.

• Lobbying by corporate powers and wealthy individuals distorts the Democratic running of government.

• The whipping system gives too much power to the party, reducing accountability and shifting the focus away from individual constituencies.

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Cancel Culture: 

We cannot erase history, and we must recognise the risks of attempting to erase individual, organizational, and government actions from the permanently written timeline of history. It is however true that with the evolution of society, we might not wish to celebrate questionable characters or events, but never before a balanced and informed discussion, never under mob rule or aggression. We cannot delete history from our memory or stop studying it, no matter how painful or offensive it might be. Once we forget and stop learning from the past, we are destined to repeat questionable choices or actions at the cost of progress.

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• Cancelling history is naive, short-term, and dangerous.

• History tells us that it is harmful when individuals, organisations and governments seek to wipe out history or rewrite it.

• Cancel culture is eroding the boundaries of free speech and the expression of thoughts.

• We are making seismic changes to society without deep, accountable political debate and action.

• There is currently no consistency as to who or what could be "cancelled."

• Faceless online aggression isn't the mark of demographic change, it is mob rule that is not accountable.

• Who is leading this movement and narrative?

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