Policy Suggestions

Ravenstonedale

Britain has never had such an engaged or educated public. All of us are living lives which would be unimaginable to our grandparents. This should be the most extraordinary opportunity for democracy, and as a Member of Parliament I began an exercise in tapping some of the energy and ideas of Cumbria, and Britain at large. So I began to invite policy suggestions from the public, and posted them below, for readers to consider and vote upon. People were encouraged to send in suggestions here.

I was keen for this page to serve as space in particular for readers to make some of the more simple and practical suggestions that arise out of their everyday lives and experiences. These were the small policy changes, often overlooked by advisers and specialists in Whitehall, which otherwise hold real significance and meaning to many across Britain.

My aim was to ensure the most popular and credible suggestions were put to government, and to see some of them included in the platform for the next election as well. I kept updating the list as suggestions came through.

IMPROVE THE WELFARE OF POULTRY

A  massive amount of public attention has been devoted to the issue of hunting foxes. Indeed more parliamentary time has been spent on the issue of fox-hunting that on the invasion of Iraq. This attention to fox-hunting , which affected a few thousand foxes, has distracted attention from the horrendous life-long conditions of many millions of […]

HOSPITALS SHOULD MAINTAIN FULL CARE AT WEEKENDS

Most of our key industries now manage a 24/7 continuity, and our hospitals should do the same.  It is unacceptable that, in one of the richest countries in the world, patients should suffer unnecessary pain, alarm, or even death, just because hospitals are not fully functioning at weekends. Recently a hospitalized friend had a painful […]

FURTHER REFORM AND REGULATION OF PAYDAY LOANS

It is good that there will now be something of a cap on the stratospheric interest-rates on payday loans.  However, much more needs to be done to prevent rapacious companies lending irresponsible sums of money to those who can ill-afford it.  Often these are people at the very bottom of the heap, already mired in debt and poverty. There […]

REDUCTION OF BISHOPS IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS

Since the last reform of spiritual peers in 1847, there have been 26 bishops in the House of Lords. 166 years later, this has now become an anachronism. And also it is an absurdly inflated number at a time when there are too many peers. A very minor point is that it is also an  unnecessary expense.  In one […]

MASSIVE REDUCTION IN VEHICLE TAX

It is manifestly unfair that a widow on a pension  in a remote rural area, who uses the car, say, for 1000 miles a year (perhaps just on a weekly trip to a supermarket) has to pay the same as a rich person who drives 50,000 miles a year.  Furthermore £225 is a big slug for […]

REFORM THE ‘REVOLVING DOOR’

It is essential to improve the public’s confidence in our politicians and our governing class. It is especially true of politicians following the long expenses scandal. The Ministerial code makes it plain that “Ministers must scrupulously avoid any danger of an actual or PERCEIVED [my italics] conflict of interest between their Ministerial position and their private […]

INCREASE TAX BREAKS FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Superficially our economy appears to be improving, but much of this is frothy growth based on excessive borrowing.  During the last few years our rate of investment and productivity have both badly deteriorated and are still deteriorating Slots. These are the key markers for future sustainable growth. There are many reasons for this decline, and […]

REFORM OF CURRENCY BOOTHS AT AIRPORTS

Because of a near monopoly at airports, the exchange rates are legalized larceny, truly outrageous.  And customers discover that apart from being fleeced by distorted exchange rates, they have to pay a commission.  If they are to exchange a modest amount of cash, this commission often represents an unethically high percentage of the exchanged money. […]