Barry

So, a few years ago, I started my own “Policies by Baz”, a short canter round some issues that I think would be good for the country. Now I am an Independent, what could those be now?  Do they change? Actually, probably not very much. I was lucky enough to set the agenda for the majority of my own campaigns as well as organise Labour manifestos, so there are likely to be few surprises. However there are probably things that I hadn’t considered, or institutionally blind to. Therefore, I have put some ideas below, what do you think? What would you do differently? What would you change?

Values. 

Fundamentally I think that all policies should be built on a set of values.  That means you bring people together of the same heart, rather than just the same head.  Whilst some politicians may see this as a career, it is peoples lives that we are working with.  Fundamentally, we need to care, for ourselves and each other. But we should also be looking at:

• Opportunity
• Freedom
• Protection
• Human Rights
• Prosperity
• No-one left behind

Competition and Public Ownership

There is a place for public ownership, and my view on this hasn’t changed.  If a service can not meet my competition test, then they should be brought into public ownership.

Local Authorities

Remove the middle tier of government and have combined authorities.  The lowest level of government should be the town/parish or community council.  In my heart , I think the lowest tier should not be political at all.  But his may be difficult to achieve. The borough tier and country tier are often conflicting and there are more councillors than you can shake a stick at.  Lets be clear, councillors are valuable, but you can have way too many of them. This move would save money and resources. 

Universal Basic Income – UBI

This, combined with a complete shake up of welfare, and the tax system, would increase everyone’s standard of living.  If everyone has UBI, then the tax free element of salary would lower.

Should People in Public service pay tax?

When you think about it, there is a slush fund of money that for those pwople in public sector get paid and immediately had a third of their tax back to the crown, who then give it back to them next month, and they then hand it straight back.  This is generating work, and not being very effective.  Therefore those people who are paid directly by national government (Forces, NHS, etc) should not pay income tax.

Politics and Compulsory voting

We take politics for granted and the majority of people do not vote.  Voting should be compulsory but it should also be more accessible.  IE voting should be in places that are accessible.  Also, there should be voting online.  Political education in schools is a must.

Change the voting system to an AV+ type system (Scottish/welsh versions) perhaps? I wasn’t a fan of that originally, but having been through the Police and Crime elections, I think transferable vote works, but I do think that anyone who wants to change it should probably win under the current method before doing so.

Build community hubs

Libraries themselves are used by fewer and fewer people, for two reasons, firstly the change in readership to e-books and secondly the ability to access knowledge on the internet (smart phones and computers).  We are seeing libraries increasing used for computer access, a place for reading based activities (for children etc).   We should be building and ensuring every community has a community hub, which as a minimum has a community meeting room, a library room, an IT room, a social club and an area to meet your elected representative. 

A proper rent to buy scheme.

Social housing should be aimed properly at encouraging tenants to buy, if and when they can.  However, this should be coupled with the demand that every house sold should be replaced by a new build house to go on stock.

NHS and Social Care

Rather than hiving off bits of the NHS, bring it all together.  End to end service.  This should be a priority, but I have written more on this here

Education

Drive more vocational skills in schools, teach hands on skills.  Practical life skills as well as academic stuff.   What is education there for, to educate children so that  they will be useful members of society.  Make school exciting and inspirational.    Make it coincide with the working day.  Talk to industry about their needs.  Raise the bar for university, make vocational equivalents. Also we need to push for through life learning.

What about you?

These are just a few of the ideas, areas we need to look at. I am looking at many things with new eyes, but my heart hast changed. However it is a fantastic time to look at everything openly and see at what opportunity we now have.

But what do you think – what does new politics look like to you???

Its probably slightly longer than two weeks, but having resigned from Labour, I feel much better, I guess I simply didn’t realise how much it was getting me down. My resignation has been further reinforced in my mind by the number of statements coming out from Labour about their floundering stance(s) on Brexit, as well the vast number of people who have been in touch, some to try and get me to change my mind, some to tell me I have done the right thing, and some (or one in particular) to inform me that “you always were a Tory anyway, so glad to see the back of you, you warmongering ba*tard”.

I was intrigued to see the new grouping by Tom Watson, but this (I think) further compounds the factional Labour problem and will simply further persist the problem. What is the party about, currently its about a string internal fight that has been going on for 3 years. Some say its going back to what values it should have, and not “New Labour” ones. And they are probably right, and that further reinforces why its right I have left. I think Labour in Government achieved great things, and when we are being made to forget or ignore that, then I refuse (to which people say “but Iraq”, as if that negated everything else, it really doesn’t).

The amount of press interest was surprising, though I guess in hindsight it shouldn’t have, but particularly in Gloucester I was amused that the local Labour party insisted that there was no problem and no-one wanting to leave, which was in direct contrast to the number of people that got in touch to say that they were in a similar position and had either left, or were close to leaving.

Fundamentally, the question that hit home the most was from a prominent Labour member who told me I should be fighting it from within, but then asked, quietly, “Do you feel better for it?” To which my answer was, and is, yes. I feel like I don’t have to apologise anymore, to worry about the backlash and steeling myself for abuse. To say what I feel.

My only regret is that there still a number of great people in the Labour Party who feel they have to stay and fight their own party. That is not why they got into the Party, they joined, as I did, to make a difference. My message to them is simple, if you feel you are still in the right place, then great and good luck. But don’t be afraid to leave, think about what is being said and done in your name. The Labour Party does not define you and your values, its just an organisation, its the people who define the party, and what did you join to do? Fight other members?

Amanda and I were lucky enough to get tickets and be at the Principality Stadium when Wales achieved their Grand Slam victory. It was a fantastic game to watch, and Cardiff is always a magnificent host for rugby games. Even afterwards, both Wales and Ireland fans came together to cheer on Scotland in their amazing comeback against England….

However, one moment that really choked me up was the minutes silence for the awful attack in New Zealand. I guess you have to have been to the stadium to appreciate just how noisy it is, how loud the singing gets and the chanting. To then hear it fall silent, and I mean properly silent, it was a brilliant show of respect, and certainly made an impact on me.

Well done Wales, on the result, and the Respect.