WHIG PARTY 2015 MANIFESTO

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1 WHIG PARTY 2015 MANIFESTO

THE WHIGS ARE BACK The Whig Party is back in business. We're going into the 2015 General Election to provide a fresh choice to the British people: optimistic, confident, and progressive.

2 THE WHIGS ARE BACK The Whig Party is back in business. We're going into the 2015 General Election to provide a fresh choice to the British people: optimistic, confident, and progressive. We're pro-eu, pro-immigration, and pro-gender equality. We're on the side of thoughtful people who are politically aware and want to vote for a better tomorrow. These are crazy times in British politics, and the Whigs will show how politics should be done, with a confidence that comes from being on the right side of history.

3 GENERAL ELECTION 2015 Something has changed in Britain over the past few years, but the other main parties have failed to respond. The Whig Party embraces progress, and we're ready to contest the General Election under the new rules. All sorts of genies have been let out of the bottle since 2010, with all kinds of thrilling possibilities. The internet and social media have democratised information. Smartphones and tablets have revolutionised how we consume information and communicate. First-time voters born in the mid-90s are digital natives. The Scottish referendum revealed a desire for a better kind of politics. The Olympics revealed a new confidence about Britain. There are intelligent and imaginative responses to all of these opportunities, but those of us who are excited about the future (our future), don't see our competence and excitement reflected in mainstream political discourse. The old ways of doing politics are over, and 7 May 2015 will mark the watershed. The Whigs are back to drive this change, as we have throughout British political history.

4 OUR MANIFESTO A manifesto is a political party's public declaration of its policies and aims, published before an election to help voters understand what a party plans to do if it is elected. Politics is inherently unpredictable, and no party can know what challenges they will face over the next few years. As Britain is entering a new era of multi-party politics, it is more important for voters to understand what principles a party is guided by, than to read a detailed shopping list of what a party would do if it gains an absolute majority in the House of Commons. The 2015 Whig Party manifesto is based around our Values, and the policies we outline here show how these Values could be implemented in the real world of Parliamentary politics. If elected, we will pursue these policies in any Coalition we find ourselves in. They aren't the only issues we care about, but they should give you, the voter, a sense of who the Whigs are and what we stand for. 1. The Whig View of History 2. Human Rights 3. Mångfald 4. Social Justice 5. Democracy 6. Love of Country 7. Britain's Place in the World 8. Confidence

WHIG VIEW OF HISTORY We believe that our best days are ahead of us. We put faith in reason and progress, and on what unites us rather than what divides us.

5 WHIG VIEW OF HISTORY We believe that our best days are ahead of us. We put faith in reason and progress, and on what unites us rather than what divides us. Politics should be about hope, and the Whig view of history has always been the core of Whiggism. The essence of this belief is that history can move forward in a positive direction, and that progressive politics can assist this process. The London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony expressed this beautifully, with a Whiggish view of our history that depicted British society moving in ever greater progressions of enlightenment, and evoking a bright future that we can build together. We are confident that politics can help achieve a socially just Britain that advances human rights, where we celebrate difference, and where politics is open to everyone. And we're confident that we - the British people - are on the right course. The Whig Party has returned to help build the politics that we all deserve.

6 HUMAN RIGHTS Human rights need to be fought for constantly. The Whigs will defend the European Convention on Human Rights against any attempts to repeal it, and we argue for three key policies that address the structural inequalities that hold us all back. The right to work and the right to a family life are human rights. Universal free early-years education and childcare for 2-4 year olds will enable young parents to balance work and family life, and will reduce inequality in children's development in these critical years. Low-quality and overpriced housing causes avoidable poverty and health problems. A distorted housing market is damaging the lives of an entire generation. Britain needs to build more homes, especially on London's green belt, and local councils should be permitted to borrow against future rental income to build social housing. The most pressing human rights issue in Britain are to do with women's rights. There is a moral obligation on the Government to intervene in two key areas: violence against women, and equal pay. We call for a nationally funded network of rape crisis centres, and for gender pay audits to be mandatory for large employers.

7 All political power which is set over people ought to be some way or other exercised ultimately for their benefit it is in the strictest sense a trust. Charles James Fox, 1788

8 MÅNGFALD Mångfald is a Swedish word that refers to the benefits that a system gains from having a diverse range of inputs. At every level of society, bringing together people with different opinions, experiences, and perspectives leads to better and sometimes unexpected results. 21st Century Britain needs cultures that are dynamic and robust, which encourage innovation and creative problem-solving. The lack of equal representation of women in our public life is a national disgrace. Just 16% of High Court judges, 22% of MPs and 24% of FTSE 100 board members are women. We either wait until the end of the century for these figures to gradually rise to 50%, or we get to 50% by the end of the decade by imposing quotas. For the good of the country, the Whigs propose the latter. Freedoms of expression, thought, speech, belief, and conscience are the cornerstones of a free society. We argue against Tory and Labour attempts to restrict them under the cover of counter-terrorism and security. 'British values' include being confident enough to debate those who we disagree with, not silencing them. A culture of unpaid internships is closing off many professions such as the media, law, and politics to young people from poorer backgrounds. We all suffer as a result. Young people should not be expected to work for free as part of 'work experience', because the experience of work includes the experience of being paid.

Britain is not full. Britain needs immigrants. Our current levels of immigration are sensible and sustainable, and they do not need to be "controlled".

9 Britain is not full. Britain needs immigrants. Our current levels of immigration are sensible and sustainable, and they do not need to be "controlled". To better immigration, public services ought to be administered more efficiently. This can be achieved through the increased human and financial resources that come with increased immigration. The Whigs do not argue for 'open doors' immigration. We merely ask that the conversation we have about existing EU and non-eu migration is conducted in a civilised manner.

10 SOCIAL JUSTICE Generation and wealth gaps are opening up in Britain. Successive governments have privileged the old and rich at the expense of those who don't vote; the young, the poor, renters, the disabled, and the unemployed. This is socially unjust and economically indefensible. As well as repealing the Coalition's bedroom tax and legal aid cuts, the Whigs argue for three key policies. While we of course defend the needs of poor pensioners, wealthy over-65s who enjoyed free university education, have defined-benefit pension plans, and have profited from rising house prices, are the most privileged group in our society. The state pension, free TV licenses for the over-75s, and the winter fuel payment should be means-tested. Throwing people in prison for personal drug use is illiberal and a waste of public resources. Criminal penalties for drug possession should be removed and resources should be directed towards treatment rather than prosecution. The Consumer Rights Bill should be amended to ban spurious letting agent fees. We call for a national landlord register, and for renters to be ensured security of tenure.

11 National Review, October 1855 Perhaps as long as there has been a political history in this country there have been certain people of a cool, moderate, resolute firmness with a clear view of the next step, and a wise intention to act on it; with a strong conviction that the elements of knowledge are true, and a steady belief that the present world can, and should be, quietly improved. Walter Bagehot

12 ECONOMY The Whig Party has always promoted free trade and economic liberalism. Since the British economy is subject to global forces that are far outside the control of Westminster politicians, it is not the Government s role to try to control the economy. The Government ought instead to use its powers to help the economy serve all our citizens in the fairest way. Being economically liberal, the Whigs trust private companies to deliver efficient services within the bounds of government regulation, and without tax exemptions and subsidies. We are also economically literate, so we are realistic about the limits of competition. There are certain areas in which the market cannot provide an acceptable service. These include the NHS, prisons, and defence, and they should remain entirely in public hands. New taxes should not be introduced while there is an existing tax gap between tax that is owed to the Treasury and tax that has been paid. Therefore we call for existing tax evasion legislation to be more rigorously enforced. The existing tax system could also be made more efficient and redistributive. For example, the UK currently has one of the lowest corporation tax rates in the developed world, and we argue that these should increase to reflect the benefits that companies gain from being located in the UK.

13 The Whig Party does not believe that eliminating the deficit as quickly as possible should be Britain s primary economic focus. Our primary focus ought to be increasing productivity and government investment, to increase tax receipts. This will reduce the deficit in due course. The condescending analogy often given is that the Government needs to pay down the deficit as if it were a household credit card. The analogy only works if the credit card holder were immortal, the world s fifth richest entity, and the card had a 0.5% APR. A more accurate analogy would be a householder who has arbitrarily decided to pay off his mortgage within five years, and has stopped feeding his children to do so. To continue with cuts instead of investing in public services at a time when the economy is fragile and interest rates are low isn't just socially unjust, it's economically illiterate. What kind of long term economic plan prioritises pensioners over students?

14 DEMOCRACY Being engaged in politics is part of a normal civilised life and not just for a narrow political 'elite'. Our politics is only as good or bad as we allow it to be, and if we want our representatives to truly represent us, then we need to make that happen ourselves at every level. People should be able to vote online, and the vote should be extended to 16 and 17 year-olds. The day of a General Election should be a Bank Holiday, and the Fixed Parliaments Act should be amended to limit a Parliament to four years. The refurbishment of the Palace of Westminster provides an excellent opportunity to move the House of Commons permanently to Manchester or Newcastle. The Lords can stay put in London. England's regions should be more empowered, with similar levels of powers now enjoyed by Wales, London, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The regions ought to align approximately with MEP constituencies, and the exact powers that a region has should depend on the need of the region. Local councils should manage their own resources. They should be enabled to set their own council tax bands and business rates.

15 'The Spectator', 4 May 1861 Principles do not die, and the Whig party is based upon a principle, that Governments ought to seek an end beyond the preservation of what exists.

16 LOVE OF COUNTRY To love Britain is to love our institutions, which are among the best in the world. Our universities regularly top international league tables, our NHS is one of the most efficient healthcare systems in the developed world, and the BBC is the world's most respected public sector broadcaster. We risk losing what makes our country special if we take these institutions too much for granted, or introduce too much private sector involvement. The NHS needs to be expanded to include social care, and mental health provision needs to be improved. We call for a Royal Commission to investigate how Britain will provide the founding principles of the NHS in 2045, when Britain will have an older population, higher expectations, and more sophisticated treatment than was even thought possible in A highly developed society such as ours needs a highly educated workforce. The cost for this should be shared by all of us, not by plunging our youngest adults into a life of debt. Although the BBC is our greatest global ambassador, it is has been subject to short-sighted, and possibly ideological, Tory cuts. Its funding has been frozen since 2010, and since 2014 the World Service, traditionally funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, has been funded from the licence fee. The Whigs will take the side of the BBC in the next Royal Charter renewal.

17 A National Health Service that meets the needs of everyone, is free at the point of delivery, and is based on clinical need rather than ability to pay is one of the greatest achievements of modern Britain.

18 BRITAIN S PLACE IN THE WORLD Ours has always been a confident, outward-looking nation, and no other country has the UK's combination of soft and hard power, with historic links to existing and emerging superpowers. The EU may not be perfect; mainly because it's young, and Britain hasn't been involved enough. We can make it more democratic and accountable. 'Ever-closer union' may not be in Britain's interest, but it is far easier to argue this from a leadership position inside the Union than a bitter and diminished position outside. As one of the richest countries on earth, it is right that we give 0.7% of our GDP to those less fortunate than ourselves. We are proud to have one of the world's leading armed forces, but there is no financial, legal, or military justification for Britain to maintain a strategic nuclear deterrence in the 21st Century. We should instead focus on maintaining our conventional forces readiness to deploy troops overseas when called upon, including saving lives in the Mediterranean. To ensure that the lessons of the past decade are learned, the Whigs call for an inquiry to understand why the military situation in Iraq and Afghanistan developed not necessarily to Britain's advantage.

19 The European Union is essentially a good thing. It is a progressive project, and the Four Freedoms of movement across the Union are fundamentally Whiggish

20 CONFIDENCE We believe progress, intelligence, and decency are what the British electorate expect. We are confident that our values reflect the best aspects of ourselves and are shared by most of the British people. The Whig Party is all about the long game founded in 1678, dissolved in 1868, and refounded in 2014 in time for the 2015 General Election. The next five years will be crucial for Britain, and we're looking forward to providing a progressive and Whiggish voice to the national debate. In the 2016 London Assembly and Mayoral elections, the 2017 EU referendum, the 2019 European elections, and the 2020 General Election, there will be big questions about the kind of country we want to be, and we are confident that there will be a space for the Whig Party in these conversations.

21 Together we can bring British politics back to its senses. If we don't, no-one will The Whigs look towards the people, whose welfare is the end and object of all government Lord John Russell, Whig Prime Minister 1823

HISTORY OF THE WHIGS The Whig Party is Britain

1678. After securing the Glorious Revolution in

Parliament over the Crown, the Whigs founded

the Act of Union between England and Scotland

For the next 150 years, the Whigs laid the

Britain by fighting for equal rights for

political parties in Britain; the Whigs, who

the main periods of progress in Britain at this

was one of a series of pro-immigration measures

people is a means of advancing the wealth and

22 HISTORY OF THE WHIGS The Whig Party is Britain s oldest progressive party, and was founded in After securing the Glorious Revolution in 1688, which established the primacy of Parliament over the Crown, the Whigs founded the Bank of England in 1694, and then crafted the Act of Union between England and Scotland in For the next 150 years, the Whigs laid the foundations for a decent and democratic modern Britain by fighting for equal rights for minorities, and promoting democracy and human rights. Throughout this period, there were just two political parties in Britain; the Whigs, who pressed forward, and the Tories, who tried to hold things back. There were sixteen Whig Prime Ministers, and the main periods of progress in Britain at this time were the Whig Supremacy ( ) and the Whig Revival ( ). These are some of the great Whig reforms: This was one of a series of pro-immigration measures that the Whigs passed in the face of inevitable Tory opposition. The preamble to the Act read, The increase of people is a means of advancing the wealth and strength of a nation. This is as true today as it was then. The Whigs were great supporters of Jews in the 18th and 19th Centuries. These measures gave Jews citizenship in the UK, and full rights to participate in national life. To our eternal credit, the Whigs abolished the slave trade, and abolished slavery in the Empire. This landmark act expanded the electorate, and made Parliament more representative of the country as a whole.

23 21st CENTURY WHIGS After the Whig Party dissolved in 1868 the cause of progress was taken up by the Liberal Party and Labour. During the 20th Century the main political divide was between left and right, but British politics is now returning to the traditional struggle of progressive reform (Whiggism) versus conservative reaction (Toryism) and none of the existing parties have any credible answers. In 2015 there is an unprecedented opportunity to create something better. There are millions of decent people in the UK who are appalled at the rise of Ukip, but feel they have no-one to vote for. People who cannot trust the Liberal Democrats after five years of Coalition with the Tories, who are unconvinced by a Labour Party that s failed to find a credible post-blair identity, and who are unmoved by the Green Party s dismal offering of environmentalism and socialism. People who want an economically literate and socially liberal party that stands up for the good stuff. People who would vote Whig.

24 whigs.uk The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing Edmund Burke Whig MP (attributed) To find out if a Whig Party candidate is standing in your constituency at the 2015 General Election, please see our website. If you are interested in standing as a Whig candidate at future elections, please candidates@whigs.uk The Whig Party The Whig Party is a registered political party under the terms of the Political Parties, Elections & Referendums Act 2000

Northern Lights. Public policy and the geography of political attitudes in Britain today.

Northern Lights. Public policy and the geography of political attitudes in Britain today. Northern Lights Public policy and the geography of political attitudes in Britain today #northsouth @Policy_Exchange Image courtesy Andrew Whyte/ LongExposures.co.uk Northern Lights 1. Background to the