![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sobriqueOK, so. Currently we're coming to the end of a term of office.
Next general election is due within about a year.
And I have to say, like last time, I'm toying with the notion of standing. There's a large dose of idealism in there - I do think I could do a better job of being an MP than a 'career politician' though.
Was thinking that something along the lines of a 'manifesto' that was about getting on board the information age.
- Turning the UK into the largest university in the world.
- get fiber and basic computer systems into every household (we're not far off with the recent uptake of game consoles anyway)
- increase OU style education availability - both from the OU, and encourage 'traditional' universities to consider their ability to online deliver course material.
- Provide scholarship bursaries to _anyone_ who wants to learn - not necessarily a lot, but enough to make it worth the effort of picking up. Ideally via industry sponsorship of 'in demand' skills too, such that if there's a shortage of electrical engineers in the Midlands, the bursary for it will be higher.
- Ensuring that anyone willing to put the effort into their course, received funding for it, such that we don't have a tiered system - if you want to learn, you can, end of story.
Why? Well, because education isn't a finite quantity. It breeds and multiplies, and as you get more and more people who are able and educated, you end up with rapid improvements in a wide range of areas - from science, to design, to cultural improvements.
And as you educate people, you increase their employability, and increase their value as a result - that means more taxes for the government at the end of the day, which is why I've never agreed with the notion that you should be 'paying in advance' for and education that might not deliver.
- Use information technology to get everyone more involved in democracy. There's plenty of voter apathy these days, because ... well, commenting on something seems to take 4 years. So what I'd be looking at is planning for a day - maybe not soon, but that it will come - when democracy is held directly by the people.
To this end I'd look to increase and improve feedback loops of political process - have proper online interfacing of current issues and things being debated in Parliament. It's improving - more MPs are answering emails, and things like: http://www.theyworkforyou.com and http://www.writetothem.com but more. Better. More ... involved, than a portal into the proceedings of Parliament, and much more keyed into getting your representative to represent you, not their party line.
- Information and culture. The BBC have made leaps and strides in their remit, through good use of IT. Things like iPlayer, Listen Again and just http://www.bbc.co.uk are very good. And I want more. I think it's great that we can now, more than ever before, get information and entertainment delivered over the net - to choose what you want to watch, listen to, and read however and whenever you want. I think there's room for plenty more though, and I want to encourage high quality content to be delivered online - because not everyone can get to the opera house, and not everyone can drive to the theatre.
I don't know if the term of office is really enough to accomplish that - direct democracy at least, is something that cannot be done in 4 years - it might be doable in 40.
As for the rest? I live and work in the Coventry area. I want my constituency to be a good place to live, because I live here too. I want economic conditions to be good, because I live here. If I can, I'll make sure that discussions are open about every matter that needs a vote, but if I can't I'll be doing my best to make this area a better place - because I won't be in politics forever, and I'll want to go back to doing a job and living somewhere that's pleasant to live.
Next general election is due within about a year.
And I have to say, like last time, I'm toying with the notion of standing. There's a large dose of idealism in there - I do think I could do a better job of being an MP than a 'career politician' though.
Was thinking that something along the lines of a 'manifesto' that was about getting on board the information age.
- Turning the UK into the largest university in the world.
- get fiber and basic computer systems into every household (we're not far off with the recent uptake of game consoles anyway)
- increase OU style education availability - both from the OU, and encourage 'traditional' universities to consider their ability to online deliver course material.
- Provide scholarship bursaries to _anyone_ who wants to learn - not necessarily a lot, but enough to make it worth the effort of picking up. Ideally via industry sponsorship of 'in demand' skills too, such that if there's a shortage of electrical engineers in the Midlands, the bursary for it will be higher.
- Ensuring that anyone willing to put the effort into their course, received funding for it, such that we don't have a tiered system - if you want to learn, you can, end of story.
Why? Well, because education isn't a finite quantity. It breeds and multiplies, and as you get more and more people who are able and educated, you end up with rapid improvements in a wide range of areas - from science, to design, to cultural improvements.
And as you educate people, you increase their employability, and increase their value as a result - that means more taxes for the government at the end of the day, which is why I've never agreed with the notion that you should be 'paying in advance' for and education that might not deliver.
- Use information technology to get everyone more involved in democracy. There's plenty of voter apathy these days, because ... well, commenting on something seems to take 4 years. So what I'd be looking at is planning for a day - maybe not soon, but that it will come - when democracy is held directly by the people.
To this end I'd look to increase and improve feedback loops of political process - have proper online interfacing of current issues and things being debated in Parliament. It's improving - more MPs are answering emails, and things like: http://www.theyworkforyou.com and http://www.writetothem.com but more. Better. More ... involved, than a portal into the proceedings of Parliament, and much more keyed into getting your representative to represent you, not their party line.
- Information and culture. The BBC have made leaps and strides in their remit, through good use of IT. Things like iPlayer, Listen Again and just http://www.bbc.co.uk are very good. And I want more. I think it's great that we can now, more than ever before, get information and entertainment delivered over the net - to choose what you want to watch, listen to, and read however and whenever you want. I think there's room for plenty more though, and I want to encourage high quality content to be delivered online - because not everyone can get to the opera house, and not everyone can drive to the theatre.
I don't know if the term of office is really enough to accomplish that - direct democracy at least, is something that cannot be done in 4 years - it might be doable in 40.
As for the rest? I live and work in the Coventry area. I want my constituency to be a good place to live, because I live here too. I want economic conditions to be good, because I live here. If I can, I'll make sure that discussions are open about every matter that needs a vote, but if I can't I'll be doing my best to make this area a better place - because I won't be in politics forever, and I'll want to go back to doing a job and living somewhere that's pleasant to live.
