With an election around the corner and having been involved in the process of selecting a new candidate for my local area, I am mindful that now is the time to take stock of what is working, what isn’t, and what a successful manifesto could include. Throughout the year, I have kept a note on my phone, jotting down ideas around national projects that we should or shouldn’t pursue. While I have no aspirations beyond my current local political involvement, I, like many people, have opinions and want to share some ideas to help our country prosper. I am super proud to be British and love supporting businesses that originated here and make the most of our country’s amazing talent.
So, here are a few of my ideas for a 2024 manifesto:
- Unitary Councils: Currently, some counties across the UK have parishes, district and borough councils, and county councils. By combining the district and borough councils into the county council, we could have one ‘super’ or unitary council in charge of everything in that county. This would simplify governance for the electorate and reduce the number of elected councillors by at least 50%, while driving many efficiencies.
- Centralised House Planning: By addressing the first point, house planning within each area would be centralised. This would make appeals harder, allow for a more strategic approach to large development projects, and enable the fast-tracking of brownfield development.
- Increased Fines for Water Companies: Water companies that fail to meet quality standards should face higher fines. Currently, fines are often less costly than the necessary investments in treatment plants, leading to inadequate infrastructure and quality issues.
- Tracking Homeschooled Children: While I support homeschooling, it is problematic that homeschooled children disappear from the system, with no safeguards or monitoring of educational quality. A national database of homeschooled children and authority for local authorities to monitor their welfare and performance is essential.
- Manufacturer Responsibility for Packaging: Manufacturers should be responsible for the quality of their packaging. If businesses were held accountable, we would see a dramatic decrease in single-use plastics and non-biodegradable materials.
- Closed-Cycle Supply Chain: We need to promote a closed-cycle supply chain, similar to the milk delivery system of the past, where bottles were collected, washed, and reused. This would reduce the load on recycling collections and minimise environmental impact.
- Onshoring Manufacturing: With the world moving away from globalisation, we should incentivise businesses to bring manufacturing back to the UK through business rates and tax incentives. This would address import issues and shipping challenges while leveraging our domestic talent.
- Review Business Rates: The current business rates system penalises businesses providing essential services and investing in physical retail or office space. A fairer tax system based on revenue, profit, or employee numbers would distribute the burden more evenly.
- Fast-Track Business Leaders into Whitehall: We need a mechanism to bring talented, proactive people into key roles in Whitehall to enable change and lead a disenfranchised public service. This would expedite the implementation of effective policies.
- Support for Farmers: We should support farmers in producing high-quality, organic products using regenerative approaches. The UK can lead in quality food production with reduced taxes, and offer low-cost loans for capital investments.
- £5,000 into an ISA for Every Baby Born: Starting a savings account for every child born would accumulate significant compound interest over their lifetime, providing a nest egg for retirement and reducing the public burden later in life.
- Allow Police to Keep Fines from Littering: Increasing fines for littering and allowing police to retain these fines could dramatically reduce littering and dumping, as demonstrated in New York.
- Move Electric Tariffs onto Gas: Investment in wind, solar, and nuclear energy should be funded by fossil fuels, not the green electricity we are promoting. Removing tariffs that make electricity artificially expensive would support its adoption in homes and businesses.
- NHS Payment Service: Introducing a payment service within the NHS would give patients the ability to choose where to spend their earmarked treatment funds, fostering competition and improving outcomes.
While there are many other issues at play, these suggestions, without significant extra cost to the government, could stimulate the right behaviours and help boost our productivity. What would be at the top of your manifesto?
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