2. Federation Structure & Government Formation

Driving a Federal Evolution of Stability & Growth

1. States & Constituencies

The 7 State structure is shown below (the number of constituencies in a State estimated in some cases).  Northern Ireland would initially lie outside the Federation – but would later become an 8th State – were its citizens so to choose. The average-size British State population is about 11 Million – about twice as big as the average-size German State.

2. Governance Structure

Political decision-making, and formation of policy and law (both at Federal and State levels) is based on a consistent system of Unified Democracy.  In summary, this is a three-tier structure, each Tier requiring the confidence of the one below it to hold it in place (described further of Page 4):

  1. The Executive. This Tier is led by the Elected Cabinet, together with supporting Offices.  It sets the agenda and policy objectives (in accordance the proposals citizens voted for), overseas the smooth, ethical and efficient running of Government. It drives top-down policy only in times of emergency (such as for pandemics and warfare).
  2. The Policy Council. This Tier consists of Teams consisting of an equal number of electorally-proportionate Cross-Party MPs and appointed Sector Representatives. These teams (called “Sector Management Groups”) competitively debate and draft Policy to meet objectives set and coordinated by the Executive.
  3. The Legislature (House of Commons at the Federal Level). This Tier consists of MPs that inform the Policy Council of Constituent views and needs – and debate and vote for its draft polices towards Law.

3. Election Principles

Elections are designed for strategic continuity on the one hand – whilst avoiding being stuck with an ineffective Leader on the other. They are therefore held at variable intervals (of 2 – 7 years), and of two types – State Elections (independently held by each State) and Federal Elections (for the Westminster Government). As today, Byelections are held within States when current MPs vacate their particular Constituencies.

4 State Governance & Elections

4.1 State Governance Structure

Each State Government is led by the Party with the Highest Popular Vote – its Leader becoming the First Minister. His/her Cabinet consists of a core team of 12 Secretaries – each Secretary heading a Particular State Department from a policy perspective – these being:

(1) Health & Social Care, (2) Education, (3) Transport, (4) Housing & Communities (5) Police & Public Safety, (6) State Civil Law, Justice & Prisons (7) Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, (8) Business, Trade & Innovation, (9) Welfare & Employment (10) Culture, Leisure & Sport, (11) Technology & Communications (12) Treasury & Fiscal Policy.

4.2 State Elections

State Elections are held independently, each individual State deciding when an Election is necessary.  This occurs when either:

  • After 2 years in office, the First Minister or Cabinet has lost the confidence of the State’s Policy Council.
  • The State’s First Minister steps down.
  • 7 Years have passed since the previous State Election.

Prior to each State Election, The Leader of a National Party wishing to field one or more Candidates within a particular State nominates one of his/her party’s Candidate MPs as Party Leader for that State.  If that Candidate is not not elected, then the elected MP achieving highest percentage of the Party’s vote in their Constituency becomes the State’s Party Leader instead.

Voting is done in exactly the same way as for the traditional Westminster System -electing a Party or Independent MP for the State’s Legislature.

The State’s Policy Council is then resourced from these elected MPs – assigned electorally-proportionately across the State’s 12 Sector Management Groups – in accordance with the New Executive’s Policy Agenda.

Federal MPs (for attending the House of Commons) are selected from those Candidates that achieved the highest percentage of their Party’s vote in their particular State Constituency -whether or not elected as State MPs.

For example, if the Greens won 10% of the Vote in SE-England (17 MP Seats), they would appoint 8 FMPs (10% of the State’s 80 FMPs).  Their FMPs that were also elected as State MPs would attend both the SE England State Legislature and the Federal Legislature (House of Commons) as necessary.

A State Election therefore has the potential to change the power-balance of the Federal Policy Council – possibly triggering a Federal Election.

5.  Federal Governance & Elections

5.1 Federal Governance Structure

The UK Federal Government is led by the Party with the Highest Weighed Federal Vote (5.2) – its Leader becoming the Prime Minister. His/her Cabinet consists of a core team of 12 Ministers – each Minister heading a Particular Federal Department from a policy perspective – these including:

(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.

5.2 Federal Elections

Similarly to State Elections, Federal Elections (for the UK as a whole) are held when either:

  • After 2 years in office, the Prime Minister or Cabinet has lost the confidence of the Federal Policy Council.
  • The Prime Minister steps down.
  • 7 Years have passed since the previous Federal Election.

Voting in done by means of a different (and differently coloured) voting slip as the one used for State Elections.  So, if the timing of a State Election and Federal Election coincide, then voters would use both voting slips (assuming that they wish to participate in both elections).

Voting is performed by indicating the voter’s choice from a list of the National Political Parties standing for Federal Election – entering the number “1” by the first choice and (optionally) the numbers “2” and “3” by the second and third choices (weighting algorithm to be mathematically established).

For inclusion within the Voting List, a Party must be registered to field candidates for at least 7% of the Legislature Seats in each and every State.  For example, at least 3 Candidates for Wales (the smallest State) and at least 17 Candidates for SE England (the largest State) – at least 44 candidates for the UK Federation as a whole. For voting, Political Parties are listed alphabetically, showing their number of Candidates standing in each case.

The Federal Legislature is composed independently from the Federal Election – consisting of 294 Federal MPs elected via State Elections as described above, (an average of 42 representing each of the 7 UK States).

The Federal Policy Council is resourced from those same 294 FMPs – used to make-up each of the Federation’s 12 Sector Management Groups (an average of 24 FMPs plus 24 Sector Representatives for each Economic Sector, (such as for Energy Infrastructure). The resourcing of these SMGs is then flexed in accordance with the workload of the Federal Parliamentary Agenda – and FMPs assigned electorally-proportionately across them.

6 – Constitutional Impacts

The Revised Governance Structure carries with it a number of obvious constitutional impacts.  For example, those affecting The Monarchy, The Devolution Status of Scotland and Wales, The House of Lords, the Greater London Authority, Local Government and Regional Mayoralties.  These impacts are described separately (for inclusion wit the Programme Transition Plan) – together with its Global Impacts (Page 5).