8.4.1. Local Council (Vote) (View Voting)
8.4.1.1. Local councils will experiment with new technology in both televising the council sessions and the community voting system that will allow all residents of that area to vote and overall council voting.
8.4.1.2. Votes from residents will be allowed electronically through both the internet and telephone on policies that are requested by any party supported by 10% of the local councillor.
8.4.1.3. Local Councillors will be paid on a part-time basis – pro-rata of MP’s wages. This will ensure a better-qualified candidate than available at present in response to the greater responsibility of councillors.
8.4.1.4. We will encourage MP’s to spend time in local councils before attempting to become members of Parliament – with prospective MP’s have to have spent at least three years in local councils to qualify as a prospective MP.
8.4.1.5. Local councils will be elected to Hospital funding boards, Police Regional Commissions, and the Local Education boards and Communications boards as well as their usual council duties.
8.4.1.6. Maintain and develop the award-winning Government Digital Service and the principle of Digital by Default in public services.
8.4.1.7. Establish a Government process to deliver greater devolution of financial responsibility to English Local Authorities, and any new devolved bodies in England, building on the work of the Independent Commission on Local Government Finance. Any changes must balance the objectives of more local autonomy and fair equalisation between communities.
8.4.2 Parliament (Vote) (View Voting)
8.4.2.1. Ban all MP's from holding paid directorships and consultancies.
8.4.2.2.. Reform our voting systems for elections to local government and Westminster to ensure more proportional representation. We will introduce the Single Transferable Vote for local government elections in England and for electing MPs across the UK. We will reduce the number of MPs but only as part of the introduction of a reformed, fair, voting system.
8.4.2.3. While new constituencies would need to be established for a new voting system, we believe constituency boundary reviews should respect natural geographical communities, with greater flexibility for the Boundary Commission to deviate from exact equality to take account of community ties and continuity of representation.
8.4.2.4. Strengthen and expand the lobbying register and prohibit MPs from accepting paid lobbying work. We will consider carefully the work of the independent reviewer into the impact of third party spending regulations to ensure the right balance has been struck. We will also remove the discrimination against third parties by requiring political parties to include the cost of staffing in their national expense limits in the same way as third parties now do.
8.4.3. Government Services (Vote) (View Voting)
8.4.3.1. Continue to release government data sets that can facilitate economic growth in an open and accessible format.
8.4.3.2. Four new public holidays to be created to bring the UK in line with other EU countries.
8.4.1.1. Local councils will experiment with new technology in both televising the council sessions and the community voting system that will allow all residents of that area to vote and overall council voting.
8.4.1.2. Votes from residents will be allowed electronically through both the internet and telephone on policies that are requested by any party supported by 10% of the local councillor.
8.4.1.3. Local Councillors will be paid on a part-time basis – pro-rata of MP’s wages. This will ensure a better-qualified candidate than available at present in response to the greater responsibility of councillors.
8.4.1.4. We will encourage MP’s to spend time in local councils before attempting to become members of Parliament – with prospective MP’s have to have spent at least three years in local councils to qualify as a prospective MP.
8.4.1.5. Local councils will be elected to Hospital funding boards, Police Regional Commissions, and the Local Education boards and Communications boards as well as their usual council duties.
8.4.1.6. Maintain and develop the award-winning Government Digital Service and the principle of Digital by Default in public services.
8.4.1.7. Establish a Government process to deliver greater devolution of financial responsibility to English Local Authorities, and any new devolved bodies in England, building on the work of the Independent Commission on Local Government Finance. Any changes must balance the objectives of more local autonomy and fair equalisation between communities.
8.4.2 Parliament (Vote) (View Voting)
8.4.2.1. Ban all MP's from holding paid directorships and consultancies.
8.4.2.2.. Reform our voting systems for elections to local government and Westminster to ensure more proportional representation. We will introduce the Single Transferable Vote for local government elections in England and for electing MPs across the UK. We will reduce the number of MPs but only as part of the introduction of a reformed, fair, voting system.
8.4.2.3. While new constituencies would need to be established for a new voting system, we believe constituency boundary reviews should respect natural geographical communities, with greater flexibility for the Boundary Commission to deviate from exact equality to take account of community ties and continuity of representation.
8.4.2.4. Strengthen and expand the lobbying register and prohibit MPs from accepting paid lobbying work. We will consider carefully the work of the independent reviewer into the impact of third party spending regulations to ensure the right balance has been struck. We will also remove the discrimination against third parties by requiring political parties to include the cost of staffing in their national expense limits in the same way as third parties now do.
8.4.3. Government Services (Vote) (View Voting)
8.4.3.1. Continue to release government data sets that can facilitate economic growth in an open and accessible format.
8.4.3.2. Four new public holidays to be created to bring the UK in line with other EU countries.