WHY AM I STANDING AS AN INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE FOR THE EURO ELECTIONS 4 JUNE 2009? [This is an open group eliciting innovative ideas to affect root and branch reform of both European and British political governance on Facebook]
Dear All
I am standing as an Independent Candidate for the Jury Team which is a team [not a political party] of disparate Independent Candidates making a stand for the common good – to change the political governance of European and British Parliament.
Our liberty and freedom are based on the Magna Carta. This introduced the idea that nobody is above the law; not even the King or the Queen. Certainly not the MPs.
Why the name – Jury Team?
* For nearly 800 years since that charter was signed, the jury has been our fundamental protection against abuse by the government
* We have kept faith with the jury system to reach important, judicious verdicts. We trust them more than the decisions made by the paid elite.
Why the Jury Team?
* The politicians both in Europe and Westminster are disconnected and distant.
* They are out of touch with your needs.
* The political party system is broken.
* The parties are run by a small and increasingly cliquey group of interchangeable politicians.
* Less than 1% of the UK population belongs to a political party.
* Less than 20% of the electorate actually voted for the current government.
* The parties are just glorified employment bureaux for career politicians.
* Many of these would not be able to earn that much in any other career. That is why they milk the system.
* These MPs have to obey the party whip in order to get ahead. They become lobby fodder and patsies.
* They cease representing you and start representing themselves and their parties.
* The government always has the majority of MPs who are coerced by whips to vote for war, ID cards etc.
* This is not the parliament the British people desire and deserve.
* The Jury Team was founded to get real change in the European and British political governance.
* The Jury Team is based on Nolan Principles [Selflessness, Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Openness, Honesty and Leadership] to serve their constituents and their country, not themselves or their party.
* The Jury Team held an open on-line primary to select candidates for the imminent European elections using the X Factor style text vote in which most of you took part. As a result we are the candidates that you [the public] selected.
We form a great jury. We are united by three guiding principles.
* Politics for the People
* Politics with Principles
* Politics without Parties
Built on these there are five policies for the European Elections:
* The Jury Team MEPs will represent you, not any party line or whip, and vote in line with the needs of constituents and the Country.
* MEPs must be above any suspicion. Expenses to be approved only against receipts to be published along with any outside earnings. Their pension to be brought down in line with average for the European private sector.
* MEPs must be stopped going native on the gravy train. * MEPs should serve no more than three five-year terms.
* Formation of external body with real teeth to keep MEPs honest. The European Parliament should set up an Independent MEPs Complaints Commission to investigate accusations about MEPs and their staff.
* A mark on the ballot paper every five years no longer keeps the politicians in check. You should be able to express what you think is important. Referendums should be held whenever requested by 5% of the electorate.
What would be my personal contribution?
In line with my Independent Parliamentary Candidacy in May 2005 on the platform of Equality, Diversity, and Social Inclusion and Social and Political Justice I would further fight for:
* Making both the European and British Parliament truly representative of the very diversity that elects it.
* Directly elected House of Lords to make both houses fully accountable.
* Directly elected Prime Minister but with proper regard to the British funding constraints and indirectly implied obligations and undue influence akin to the American model.
* Change in our electoral system in line with European model based on PR [Proportional Representation]
* Separating the legislative and the executive – with British Cabinet chosen by the PM but not not sitting in Parliament. This way the whips will be eradicated and the House of Commons can properly begin to scrutinise the House of Lords and holding the Government to account for you – the people.
So, what can you do to clean up politics?
Make sure that you, your family, your extended family, your friends, colleagues and acquaintances come out to vote for the Jury Team on the 4 June 2009 to send a clear message to the European and British Parliament.
Both Dr David Starkey and I are of the firm belief that this is once-in-a-lifetime, unique, and unmissable opportunity to bring on a British innovation, revolution and a root-and-branch reform our political governance. That is what Tom Paine [a Founding Father of United States] argued and struggled for in the 18th century.
Be a stakeholder in this august opportunity. In years to come the citizens of Britain will be proud to have innovated and implemented such a change in our political governance preserving the public purse and, with it, the public trust.
Anant M Vyas
Independent Candidate, Jury Team, South East England.
http://www.juryteam.org
If this stirs and interests you, read Why I am standing as an Independent Parliamentary Candidate [Jury Team] on 6 May 2010 in Milton Keynes North?
Anant M Vyas 