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Full Description
The oldest democracy is now an obsolete model long overdue for replacement.
Democracy is under threat. 90% of electors want political reform. But how to escape the mess? Britain should adopt a federal structure with a written constitution and an elected apolitical People's Council replacing autocratic and ineffective bodies, and preventing a slide into autocracy or worse.
The United Kingdom needs fundamental change.
Already we see that Labour are not thinking strategically about the causes of British decline. Tackling symptoms without the root causes is unlikely to be effective.
Britain faces major challenges:
The climate crisis
An over-centralised State that cannot cope with the complexity of the twenty-first century
A tax base that favours oligarchs at the expense of the people
Determination to carry on the way things have always been done - "Nothing changes"
Putting right the continuing damage done by a hard Brexit
This book offers one possible solution. It's meant to move the country's thinking forward. The book calls for major reforms like implementing federalism, creating a written constitution, establishing a People's Council, and redefining the monarchy's role. It investigates the failures within the system, poor policy decisions, and the negative impacts of neo-liberal policies, proposing solutions to improve democracy, economic performance, and international status.
Only the people can bring about change. This book is a starting-point for discussion.
Read the book now if you would like UK society and governance improved.
Ignore the book if you are happy with everything the way it is.
There is much waiting for you to discover, including the first-draft written constitution of the UK.
Contents
Preface
Summary of principal concepts
1 A country that has lost its way
Uncomfortable truths
Britain and Europe
What rights do you have?
What does the future hold?
2 Major UK policy failures
The seven major mistakes
The cumulative effect of policy failures
Measures of living standards
Privatisation
The UK retail energy market
Water
Rail
3 The case for constitutional change
What makes a society successful?
The dead end of political evolution
The road to British serfdom
Other failures
Closing ranks against the truth
The democratic deficit
Federal systems of governance
Direct democracy
Broader economic issues
Overseas territories
Linking the issues
4 Outline of a solution
Learning from the gross mistake
Sovereignty
Compete, compromise, cooperate, consult
The numerical dominance of England
Central or local?
Who pays the piper?
International agreements
Artificial intelligence and the tech industries
What else?
5 The Peoples Council
Functions of the Peoples Council
Organisations forming the British state
Truthfulness
Requests for referendums
Listening to the people
Assent to legislation
Ombudspersons
The facts hub
Referrals to the Constitutional Court
Legislative mandates and venues
The People's Assent
Choosing and refreshing the Peoples Council
1 The regulated group
2 The general group
3 The sortition group
Leadership, building expertise, team work
6 The new governments
Levels of governance and oversight
United Kingdom responsibilities
England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Overseas territories
Regions
The need for change
Revenue and borrowing
United Kingdom government revenue
Revenues of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland
Revenue sources for the regions
Government borrowing
User fees
Wealth taxes
Pensions, health care costs and social security
Other changes that are needed
7 How change could be achieved
England
Scotland and Wales
Northern Ireland
Interpretation of preliminary results
Adopting the new constitution
Timeline
8 First draft constitution of the United Kingdom
Notes
The draft constitution
Overseas territories of the United Kingdom
Citizens
The state and the citizen
The law
Social objectives
Relations between the arms of government; financial equalisation; legal relations
Foreign affairs
Military, security, police, emergency services
Culture, education, religion, charters
Essential services and infrastructure
Government accounts; the national debt; taxation
Health care
Business, the economy, common regulation and standards
Pensions and benefits
Elections to parliaments and local authorities
Legislation
Ombudspersons
The Peoples Council
Membership of the Peoples Council
Honours
Entry into force
Changes to this Constitution
Further transitional provisions
The Constitutional Court
Appendix A: The Private Finance Initiative (PFI)
Appendix B: Rights
References
