What can we expect from Party Conference Season?
The next round of Party Conferences are almost upon us and this time the pressure is on as all the main parties are in the process of defining their manifesto policies for the 2015 General Election. The autumn conferences are a great opportunity to share some of these policies more publicly, as well as get feedback and party buy-in to them.
But what will be the focus of each of the Parties?
Given the last few years have not been easy and we are not yet fully on the road to economic recovery, at least not at the pace anticipated or hoped for, you would hope for a real focus from the main parties on the issues that matter to people. There surely has to be a focus on reducing poverty and improving living standards for all? There also needs to be much improved policies on our approach to the environment and energy – we are falling behind the rest of Europe in both policy and practice. It would also be great to see a positive and innovative approach to tackling our housing crisis, with some real commitments on providing affordable housing where it is most needed. And what about the NHS, what next for our health & social care system, will there be consensus or conflict? Will there be a focus on immigration & asylum, changing our tax system, improving education and skills – there is so much room for improvement in so many areas of policy, where do you start?
I will be looking for some pronouncements on each of the following:
- Living Wage – will we get cross party consensus about the obvious need to pay people a living wage?
- Housing Crisis – can we really hope for some clear commitment to address the housing crisis and will there be any new or innovative answers/solutions?
- Energy Policy – what will be the focus of our short, medium and long term energy policies and what will be the main areas of disagreement between the main parties?
- Infrastructure – will we see cross party support for major infrastructure schemes like HS2 or will there be a change of focus?
- The NHS – will we see policies on improved integration of our health & social care systems and an NHS fit for purpose?
I will be blogging on each of the main Party Conferences, outlining the good and the bad.
What will you be looking for and what would be your priorities?
TessaCoombes 
Sad to say, I’m another of the millions who has given up on ALL the political parties, I have completely given up looking to them to do anything useful. Last election for the first time ever in over 30 years of voting I could not vote for any of the candidates. None of them were worth voting for.
End of.
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That’s a shame but I do understand your disillusionment. But what would be your priorities for change irrespective of what the parties will do?
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Yes, I feel gutted about the whole thing.
Priorities for change? Where to start? First off, people need to face up to the fact that geopolitical, ecological and socio-economic change is accelerating and that trying to stay as we are, consuming as vastly as we do, with our out-dated ideologies and mind-sets, is simply not an option.
We need to face the fact that as long as we keep using fossil fuels and modern technologies, work as we have come to see it over the last century will remain moribund. We must stop punishing the unemployed and realise that as things are currently, having a job – especially an enjoyable or well-paid one – is a privilege. As fossil fuels become more and more expensive more work may become available such as growing food when giant gas-guzzling machines and expensive artificial inputs are no longer available or affordable.
We need to give up all these daft imperial ideas of Britain being at the “top table” blah blah blah. We are a tiddly little island at the far end of Europe, so get real! Work towards bringing all UK military personnel back here except those on authorised UN missions.
Do not, repeat NOT, start any new adventures abroad!
Some form of work-place feed-back and consultation between individual workers and managers about how work is organised, rather than the current top-down domination by managers ignorant of what managees’ job actually entails.
We need to get back to seeing houses as places people live in, not speculative opportunities. Compulsory purchase second/third/fourth ‘homes’, give refurbs parity of tax status with new-builds; encourage renovation of all those hundreds of thousands of unused buildings then we won’t need to cover any more precious green space with new-build rabbit hutches or executive lego to profit construction conglomerates.
Land reform to end the exclusive privilege of the tiny minority and to ensure that land is used in an ecologically sustainable way that also benefits the whole community.
Stop wasting money on the “Drug War”; decriminalise all drugs, license and tax commercial production for-profit, using some of the funds to get proper medical and social care to everyone who wants help kicking their habit.
Ditto for prostitution.
Evidence-based sex education in schools, with proper long-term slow release contraceptives provided and encouraged to all girls from puberty onwards. Tapering off of all subsidies to reproduction beyond one child per person.
The list is endless …
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My priority for change would be changing the type of people who enter politics.
What we have to get rid of is the type of people who:
– say one thing prior to getting into office
– do something entirely different when in office
– then complain about how awful the thing is that was/is being done once they are no longer in office
Whilst politics (both elected positions and quangos/officers) remains in the hands of those content with duplicity, discussions about policy is irrelevant.
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Agree with your first comment about the type of people who go into politics – although I do think there are some good ones! But don’t agree that it means discussion about policy is irrelevant – it is still worth trying to influence policies.
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Policies are a device by which politicians tempt you to vote them into power.
Once elected, the purpose of policy ceases.
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Manifesto must be honoured. MP’s must have worked outside of politics for 5 years. No income tax on minimum wage. Local jobs and housing for local people. Restrictions on overtime working to create more jobs. Policies that reduce population growth. Too much more to go on……….
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general theme seems to be about keeping to manifesto promises – agree with that. MPs with experience outside of politics a good idea, from all different backgrounds and experiences.
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