Making Politics Our Tool to Solve Problems – Not Create Them
What Is Unified Democracy?
There would be no point in the UK transforming to a modern federal structure, whilst reattaining an age-old system now widely regarded by citizens and politicians alike as “broken”. What is needed, therefore, is to understand the failings of the system we have, and to replace it with one capable for the complexity of modern-day society – within a federal structure.
Unified Democracy is designed specifically for this purpose. Retaining our traditional constituencies and MP representation – whilst also making every vote count in shaping government policy. Designed to drive national unity, informed policy, strategic continuity and economic growth. introducing a much more stable political environment than our current “winner takes all” system – benefiting the careers of politicians as well as the lives of citizens.
1. Unified Democracy – Founding Principles
Unified Democracy is a Sector-Based Political System of proportional Influence – where policy is formed by electorally-proportionate debate. This means it works in a fundamentally different way to our current “winner-take-all” system – where the elected party achieves total power (via an overall majority of MPs). All that’s needed for a Party to govern is simply winning the most votes (and thereby having the most MPs and the most influence).
Policy established at the Federation Level is the business of the UK as a whole – defining the framework within which State-Level Policy must be formed. Policy established at the State Level is the business of that State only – as supported by its own elected MPs in its own Legislature.
2. Unified Democracy – Common 3-Tier Structure
Within the system of Unified Democracy, Policy Formation at both Federal and State Levels, is carried out within a Common 3-Tier Structure.
2.1 Tier1: The Executive
The Executive is headed by a Single Party Cabinet – formed by the Party winning most votes. At the Federal Level the leader of that Party is called “The Prime Minister” – who appoints MPs to become “Ministers” that manage policy for each Sector (and others as necessary). At the State Level the leader of that Party is called “The First Minister” – who appoints MPs to becomes “Secretaries” that similarly manage policy for each Sector.
The primary purpose of the Executive is not to drive top-down policy (outside of national emergencies), but to set the Policy Goals that people had voted for (proportionately across Parties). Then to set the Parliamentary Agenda accordingly and to manage Cross-Sector Coordination, Budgets, Parliamentary Resources and the overall efficient running of government.
2.2 Tier 2 – The Policy Council
This second tier of government runs strategically-continuously across Administrations and has three primary purposes:
- The Service the Policy Goals set by The Executive within its defined Parliamentary Agenda. Producing Policy proposals (usually in the form of Draft Bills) for further debate by The Legislature in forming Law.
- To form centres of public accountability for each Economic Sector. For example – for Healthcare National Policy at the Federal Level – and for Healthcare Delivery at the State Level.
- To manage Government Departments in the most effective way from a policy perspective.
The Policy Council consists of a coordinated and budgetary-controlled structure of teams called “Sector Management Groups”. Each SMG consists of an equal number of MPs (assigned electorally-proportionately) and assigned Sector Representatives (real-world policy experts). For example, a Sector managed at the Federal Level would be for “Healthcare Standards”, at the State Level it would be for “Healthcare Delivery”.
Each SMG consists of a permanent assignment of at least 5 people. An SMG Chair (an MP appointed by the related Minister) – A Deputy Chair (an MP appointed by the Leader of the Runner-Up Party), two Sector Representatives (appointed by The Executive) and at least one supporting civil servant.
The resourcing of SMGs is then flexed in accordance with the workload of each Parliamentary Agenda – MPs assigned to SMGs by their Party Leader, in collaboration with the Executive. The aim is to ensure a balanced, electorally proportional assignment -starting with smaller Parties. Thus enabling them to target those sectors where they feel their proposals would be most beneficial.
Strategic Continuity is achieved by the offset deployment of MPs and Sector Representatives – each of these groups passing know-how and work-in-progress information to the next.
2.3 Tier 3 – The Legislature
This third tier of government consists mainly of elected MPs. Its main purpose is to inform the Policy Council of the views and needs of Constituents and to debate its Draft Bills, request reworks as necessary and vote on them in the Lobbies towards forming Law. It is comprised of:
- State Level, one MP for each Constituency – elected by its highest vote (an average of 90 MPs per State – 632 MPs across all States).
- Federal Level (The Commons in the UK), 294 State-elected Federal MPs (an average of 42 representing each of the 7 UK States).
3. Policy Formation – Federal Level
Federal Monetary & Coinage Policy is managed by an Independent Central Bank and an Independent Justice System comes under the ultimate remit of a single Federal Supreme Court. Within this, a UK structure of 12 Sector Management Groups is proposed (subject to further consultation):
(1) Citizenship & Immigration, (2) Foreign Affairs, (3) Fiscal Policy (Non-Personal Taxation & Budgetary Control) (4) Justice & Prison Infrastructure, (5) Agriculture, Water, Rivers & Coasts Policies & Planning, (6) Healthcare & Food Standards, (7) Socialcare Standards, (8) Education Standards, (9) Energy Infrastructure, (10) Transport Infrastructure, (11) Technology Standards & Infrastructure, (12) Defence.
Policy Proposed by the SMGs (usually in the form of Draft Bills) is debated in the Federal Legislature (294 Federal MPs in the House of Commons). Reworks are requested as necessary, then voted for in the Lobbies to form Draft Law – passed on a “Yes” FMP majority.
The provisionally-approved Federal Draft Bills are then further debated in the Legislature of each individual State – and in turn voted for in the State Voting Lobbies. The number of “Yes” and No” MP votes is then added-up across the UK Federation as a whole, and passed on a “Yes” majority.
4. Policy Formation – State Level
A structure of 12 Sector Management Groups is proposed:
(1) State Civil Law, Justice & Prisons (2) Fiscal Policy (Hybrid Income Tax, other Personal Taxes & Budgetary Control) (3) National Insurance (4) Police and Fire Brigades, (5) Business & Tourism (6) Agriculture, Water, Rivers & Coasts Management, (7) Education Delivery (8) Healthcare Delivery, (9) Socialcare Delivery & Pensions, (10) Welfare & Benefits (State Citizens / State Non-Citizens) (11) State Transport (12) Technology & Communications.
Policy Proposed by the SMGs (usually in the form of Draft Bills) must always come within the Federal Legislative framework (as above). Then debated in the State Legislature (on average by 90 MPs). Reworks are requested as necessary, then voted for in the Lobbies towards forming State Law – passed on a “Yes” majority.
