|
|
Adam Afriyie MP
Richard Benyon MP
Roger Bird
Fiona Bruce
Martin Callanan MEP
Douglas Carswell MP
Paul Carter
Greg Clark MP
Stephen Crabb MP
Iain Dale
Philip Dunne MP
Murdo Fraser MSP
David Gauke MP
Robert Goodwill MP
Michael Gove MP
Andrew Griffith
Robert Halfon
Stephen Hammond MP
Daniel Hannan MEP
Mark Harper MP
Chris Heaton-Harris MEP
Nick Herbert MP
Adam Holloway MP
Ed Howker
Jeremy Hunt MP
Stewart Jackson MP
Syed Kamall MEP
Scott Kelly
Danny Kruger
Kwasi Kwarteng
Julia Manning
Ali Miraj
Brian Monteith MSP
Brooks Newmark MP
Jesse Norman
Priti Patel
Mark Reckless
Ben Rogers
Laura Sandys
Janice Small
Henry Smith
James Sproule
Philippa Stroud
John Tate
Theresa Villiers MP
>>about us
The above support the aims and ideas of Direct Democracy, but may differ from the group over specific policies
|
|
|
|
Welcome to the online home of Direct Democracy, a movement of MPs, MEPs, activists and candidates committed to making localism the core of the Conservative Party's platform.
When we launched our book, Direct Democracy - Agenda for a New Model Party, in 2005, the response was immediate - and overwhelmingly positive. Its main themes are listed at the bottom of this page, underneath the ten principles which guide our policies.
Now, three years on, Douglas Carswell and Daniel Hannan bring you The Plan: Twelve Months to Renew Britain. The Plan is a radical new blueprint to revive the U.K.'s ailing democracy through a localist revolution by:
* Cleaning up Westminster
* Devolving power to the lowest practicable level
* Making public services work for the people who use them
* Bringing foreign and domestic policy back in line with public opinion
* Replacing the quango state with genuine democracy
* Refreshing our political system through localism and direct democracy
We have also published The Localist Papers, a set of six policy studies, serialised in The Daily Telegraph, setting out concrete ways to solve Britain's problems.
Catch up with the series, and the debate it inspired, at the Telegraph's Think Local site.
You can also visit our ">News pages for the latest on politics and localism from around the world, while we also have an archive of comment pieces by a range of authors on our Policy page. "I passionately believe we need to localise power, as recommended by the Direct Democracy movement of Conservative activists and MPs" - David Cameron "One of the founding texts for the new, revitalised Toryism... written by some of the brightest young Conservative thinkers" - The Spectator
|
| I. Decisions should be taken as closely as possible to the
people they affect. |
II. Decision-makers should be directly elected. |
III. Citizens should be as free as possible from state coercion. |
IV. Local authorities should be self-financing. |
V. Policing should be brought under local democratic control. |
|
|
| VI. The state should fund, rather than administer, education. |
VII. The state should fund, rather than administer, healthcare. |
VIII. Taxes should be simple, fair, transparent, efficient,
competitive and low. |
IX. The supremacy of Parliament should be guaranteed over
ministers, judges, officials and foreign treaty obligations. |
X. Candidates for public office should be selected from the
widest possible base. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Click here for examples of localism in the news, and for up-to-date comment on all the most important political issues. [more]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Britain is the most centralised country in the Western world. Of the money spent by our local councils, 75 per cent comes from the Treasury. [more]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The 2005 General Election was the worst possible result: no real advance, but just enough new MPs to create the illusion of progress. Alongside the new leadership of David Cameron, the Conservatives need a thorough renovation of their policies and attitudes. [more]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Britain is governed by judges, by officials and by Eurocrats. Powers have passed from local councils to Whitehall and from Westminster to Brussels. At every level, elected representatives have lost ground to bureaucrats.
[more]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For as long as anyone can remember the Left has dominated the moral high ground in the debate on health and education. Now, with the Tories regaining the confidence of the public to an unprecedented extent, it is time to knock them off it. [more]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Crime in Britain has risen remorselessly since the 1950s - to the point where we now have the second highest crime rate in Western Europe. [more]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 You can call these policies whatever you want, in the end they just make sense. This is a real way forward.  |
| [read more]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| GET UPDATES |
 |
To sign up to our
bi-weekly email bulletins, enter your name and email address below
|
 |
|
| Your comments |
|
We welcome your comments and observations and will publish a selection of these on this site.
Send us feedback
|
|
|
|
|