HOMECOMING

FOREWORD

Homecoming

We are proud to call ourselves Social Democrats and present a manifesto grounded in the realms which unite us – family, neighbourhood and nation.

‘If only there were an alternative…’ is so often the cry from citizens let down by governments too weak to protect them, too shy to defend our interests and too addicted to the short-term fix to plan for our future. A restoration is required and is offered here. A constant theme of SDP thinking is that most of our difficulties have cultural roots – indifference, complacency and lack of confidence. In truth, if nothing can be done about cultural causes then nothing can be done about anything else.

The remedies are available but require courage and determination. We can build houses, invest in industry, procure nuclear power stations and defend our national borders – if we elect people who want to do so.

Britain is our home – not a shop or a charity. A civilised people feel the need to belong somewhere. We urge you to entrust our nation’s governance to the Social Democrats who will protect it, cherish it and restore our homeland to prosperity.

William Clouston
Party Leader
Social Democratic Party

CONSTITUTION

Reform of Britain’s constitution and political system is long overdue. The two-party duopoly – locked in by the first past the post voting system – is harming our nation, stifling political competition and denying new entrants a chance to contribute. Meanwhile, England – the United Kingdom’s largest nation – lacks the democratic voice granted to all others.

The House of Lords remains an unreformed chamber of political appointees and the nation remains fettered by outdated post-war international protocols. We will be at the forefront of reinvigorating democratic politics and national sovereignty.

• An English Parliament will be established outside London and bids to host it will be invited from cities in the Midlands and the North. The devolved parliaments of England, Wales and Scotland will have powers equivalent to, but not greater than, those of the current Scottish Parliament.
• Westminster parliamentary elections will be conducted under a system of proportional representation comprising multi-member geographically based constituencies using the D’Hondt voting method.
• The Human Rights Act will be replaced by a new Bill of Rights drawing upon the British tradition of liberty, free speech and free association and incorporating established principles such as habeas corpus and the rule of law. The Supreme Court will be abolished and the Law Lords reintroduced.
• The House of Lords will be reformed. Hereditary Peers and the Lords Spiritual will be removed and the system of political honours abolished. A new independent nominations commission will appoint a house of 400 peers to serve for a maximum of 15 years with selection criteria to include political balance, competence and capacity to function in a revising upper chamber.
• We will withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), the Council of Europe, the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and all other international instruments which deny UK sovereignty.
• Political and economic power shall be further decentralised via existing devolved regional bodies and the creation of additional such entities within geographically and culturally coherent areas. Local authorities shall be granted greater autonomy including tax raising powers.

GOVERNMENT REFORM

We are determined to deliver public services that British people can be proud of – offering excellent service and good value for money. By refocusing government on core delivery, we will create a public sector that proudly embraces productivity, automation and a culture of service. Integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality are the key values necessary to achieve this aspiration.

• The Nolan Principles of integrity, honesty, objectivity, and impartiality will be upheld throughout government and public sector organisations. Government funding will be withdrawn from any body failing to do so.
• All specialist ‘Equity, Diversity and Inclusion’ roles throughout the public sector will be abolished.
• Public sector organisations will select on merit, and strive to attract the best available talent regardless of identity, place of birth, or upbringing.
• We will conduct a zero-based efficiency review of all public and government bodies, including quangos. The key test will be whether taxpayers would willingly pay for the service provided and if not, activities will no longer be funded.
• Each government department will produce a 5-year productivity plan, assessing priorities for more efficient service delivery, value for money, and workforce morale.
• Taxpayers will be surveyed to test priorities for each department. Relevant performance metrics will be set and reported upon quarterly. Senior civil servants whose departments do not deliver on these plans within a reasonable time frame will be replaced.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Our quality of life partly depends on the quality of local government but this vital sector has lost its way. Our Town and City Halls have become mere agents for Whitehall with much service provision farmed out to private contractors. Key municipal decisions are increasingly out-sourced to consultants which weakens democratic responsibility. The local state must rediscover confidence in its own capacity for the direct, economical provision of services and, in doing so, re-connect with local voters.

• The existing structure of local government will be maintained. However, Parish and Community Councils will have an enhanced role, particularly in the creation and maintenance of streetscape, parks and the public realm.
• Local authorities will strengthen and increase their capacity for the direct provision of core public services.
• An independent national audit will benchmark council performance against basic metrics – rubbish collection, streetscape, road maintenance, overheads vs direct service personnel etc – one month before council elections. This will be sent to all households.
• No head of local government will be paid a higher salary than the Prime Minister.
• Police and crime commissioners will be abolished. The oversight of policing will be the responsibility of police authorities comprising elected members from local government together with co-opted members from police unions, public interest groups, the NHS and the fire service.
• Local councils will be forbidden to make financial investments or speculations not directly related to service provision.
• A National Corruption Office will be established with full investigatory and prosecuting powers to deal with public allegations of fraud and corruption in local government.

GOVERNANCE OF NATIONAL ENTERPRISES

Natural monopolies will be brought under government ownership and operated on commercial principles aligned with the service ethic. It is vital that all nationalised enterprises embody an ethos of duty to the nation and service to the citizen. We must learn the lessons of the 1970s, and ensure that these do not become insulated and uncompetitive entities managed more in the interests of management and employees than the British people.

• An audit of key operational and strategic metrics against British and international comparators will be conducted every three years by an independent review body.
• A business plan will be prepared annually by management and agreed by the relevant government department and Treasury officials.
• At least three quarters of the board members of a national enterprise will have significant experience in the industry concerned. No board member may serve for more than 7 years, have any financial interest in a commercial enterprise connected with the national enterprise or be a former minister.
• All executive appointments will be made by a committee of the Board and a Secretary of State for the area concerned.
• The Chief Executive of the national enterprise will be paid at global market rates with at least 50% of remuneration being contingent upon performance targets including customer satisfaction, project delivery and cost/efficiency benchmarks.
• National enterprises will fund their own capital investment from operating cash flow or via loans from the Treasury at the government borrowing rate + 1%.
• Employment terms and conditions (including pay, pensions, and employment security) in nationalised industries will be benchmarked to comparable roles in the private sector. This benchmark will be reviewed regularly by an ombudsman, and all employees will be appraised annually against high standards of customer service. Non-performing employees will be dismissed.

SCOTTISH REFERENDUM

ANIMAL WELFARE

Animals are sentient beings and are an integral part of both the local environment and the planet we share. Humankind finds itself in a position of great power over our fellow living creatures and with that power comes great responsibility. We are committed to the highest standards of animal welfare.

• Free trade agreements will require trade in animal-derived products to adhere to equivalent standards as UK animal welfare laws.
• Financial support for UK agriculture will incentivise and reward farmers whose production systems adhere to higher welfare standards.
• Species-specific limits will be introduced on maximum journey times and travel conditions for all farm animals.
• The quantity of meat slaughtered under the Religious Exemption shall not exceed UK domestic demand.
• Export of meat killed by non-stun slaughter methods is to be banned and the import of non-stun slaughter meat will also be banned unless the country of origin has equivalent animal welfare standards to the UK.
• All meat products sold or served in the UK shall include clear labelling regarding the method of slaughter. Labelling to be clear if the meat is Halal or Kosher.
• Abattoir inspections shall be increased and tougher sentencing will be introduced for individuals found to be mistreating animals.
• Funding will be increased and directed towards developing and validating humane alternatives to animal experimentation.

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