Decentralisation
Transparent, Proportional, Flexible
Transparency
Everything should start with transparency. Without it there will be doubts about the legitimacy of everything that follows.
We propose an entirely new branch of government, Overseers.
The Overseer department will be responsible for monitoring, recording and archiving any and all information and communications of every other department. They will conduct background checks and investigations on every candidate, cataloging information for public access so people can determine for themselves who they are voting for and wether or not the candidate is qualified to fill the position they are running for.
All departments should be assigned communication technologies which the overseer department should have access to in order to monitor and archive all communications of government business. Including voice and video calls.
Personal devices should not be used for government communications and as such will not be accessible to overseers. However, terms of accepting an elected position should include waiving the right of privacy to personal devices should there be reasonable suspicion of serious offence or breach of conduct, decided by the courts with due process.
Overseers should be present at all official meetings of an elected official in all departments and audio records should be taken and archived. To be made accessible for public review.
The Overseer Minister should also be an elected official and subject to the same conditions as any elected official.
The Overseer Minister should have no power or control over data or information that pertains to them. To enforce this they should not be responsible for deciding who their own overseer is. Instead they should be monitored by the Shadow Overseer Minister(s).
The shadow overseer ministers should have independent access to their own archive team which allows for public review.
It is this new departments sole purpose to keep information of what elected officials are up to available to the public. We want to know, who they are, where they’ve been, who they’re speaking to, what they’re discussing, what their plans are, how much they’re spending of our money, what they’re spending that money on.
Full transparency, full accountability.
Proportionality
Proportional representation where there are more than 2 candidates is a preferable method as it more accurately reflects the nations wishes.
Don’t just take our word for it, the Electoral Reform Society have been gathering data on this for years.
Parliament may have dismissed this method before but we’re also proposing a dismantling of the party system, which removes any confusion that tactical voting would've introduced.
Flexibility
Removing the party system and the tribalism. Remove the division.
Each department of the cabinet should be an elected official.
(Not a minion chosen by a PM who we didn’t vote for.)
By electing each minister individually we can take advantage of the flexibility of having a left leaning approach to some issues while simultaneously having a right leaning approach to others.
Ministers should be elected using a proportional method where there are more than 2 candidates and unsuccessful candidates can opt to be a “Shadow Minister”.
Shadow Ministers should functionally be overseers and assist the overseer within the department that they had stood for, adding a second layer of oversight.
These new ministers are far more likely to be people with relevant experience or expertise in their chosen department. Rather than some career politician without a clue. This not only improves the ideological flexibility of our system but improves the quality and effectiveness across the entire government.
Local Representatives
With no more parties what do we do with all these seats?
Well no sense letting them go to waste.
We plan on keeping local MPs but changing their job description so that they become the local representatives they’re supposed to be.
They should be elected in the same proportional method discussed.
They Should be subject to the same level of oversight as discussed.
Unsuccessful candidates can join the overseer department as discussed.
They should coordinate with all departments to manage local priorities, concerns and local budgets.
They should report to the Prime Minister to relay public interests and concerns as well as report on the status and effectiveness of the initiatives the ministers are taking thereby keeping ministers accountable.
They should be responsible for assisting implementation of policies using their local knowledge to allow a flexible/customisable approach where possible.
Their constituency may already be faring well in education so funding or efforts may be able to be redirected to more pressing local concerns.
In short, They should be working for and representing their locality.
Prime Minister
If all the Ministers are elected individually then who’s in charge?
The Prime Minister position will remain but again the job description will change.
Again;
They should be elected in the same proportional method.
They should be subject to the same level of oversight.
Unsuccessful candidates can join the overseer department.
They should also have no political influence on policy. Meaning ministers do not answer to the PM.
The PM’s responsibility is simply to organise the departments efforts effectively together.
They should be a mediator for interdepartmental conflicts and cooperative efforts as well as between Ministers and Local MPs.
We also believe it would be reasonable to have the ministers and overseers collectively shortlist the local representatives based on criteria such as how well they have implemented policies and public approval ratings. Any local representatives who make this short list can then choose to stand for the Prime Minister position in the next election.
This gives incentive for them to perform well and in the public interest.