If you were in charge...

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Nix

Soldato
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Just an interesting idea for discussion really...

Imagine you were in charge of our fine country and had the power to change law, policy, economic ideology, etc. What would you do with it?

Off the top of my head, I would firstly legalize euthanasia and secondly I would promote secularism and community by banning faith schools outright. I would ban practicing faith within any educational establishment. Religious education, would have course still be on the curriculum, I just see no need for practicing faith within school. Wearing religious symbols (if you recall that story about a young girl and her ring) within school property would also be prohibited. You go there to learn, not worship.

Anyway, what would you do?
 
Overhaul the benefit system, Something akin to only being able to claim a benefit once you have contributed at least x months/years to the NI system, and then only be able to claim for x months/years. Oh and scrap child benefit whilst we're at it. If you can't afford to have a child, don't have one.

I would also order the execution every individual who thinks it is their right to get on public transport before others have disembarked.

Ban pushchairs

The list goes on - I should write a manifesto :)
 
I'd ban customised ringtones and phone loudspeaker music in public on any phone owned by anyone under the age of 18. Punishable by a MASSIVE painful smack with a heavy wooden stick.

Was on a bus today and about 40 schoolkids got on. I'd say at least 15 of them had their phones out playing some kind of song, with another 10 or so showing off their new ringtones.

The clash of all the different noises, combined with all their squeaky voices (utter chaos) made me want to go postal :mad:

I truly hate the crazy-frog generation.
 
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(I am not a politician so this will probably be unachievable in the current economic setting).

I would run the country in a similar way to how it is run currently, but with a few changes.

I would ensure that students in all schools in the country were taught Science, Mathematics, and English as primary subjects (i.e. they would spend more time than currently on them).

Pupils who fail exams, and have not shown sufficient ability in class (and cannot explain this lack of ability [i.e. disability]) would have to resit the year of school.

I would introduce an identification card system to ensure that people could be tracked. The cards would have RFID tags embedded within them, and all commercial buildings would have detection units which could log the details of a person who entered a store (this information would be securely sent to the government's database).

I would increase the prevalence of CCTV systems in order to ensure that crimes could be solved more easily, and also people would be safer.

Other changes would be made, but these are given to give some form of idea of what would be done.

Angus Higgins
 
id declare that 99% of everyone's earnings belonged to me then build a huge secret hide out inside a volcano.

But on the plus side, bread would be free in my country.
 
I would ban children.

Edit: Not the making of, but the noisey pain in the arse ones
 
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I don't think you go far enough with legalising euthanasia, I'm opting for involuntary euthanasia to anyone I so choose but only I can authorise it, wouldn't want an abuse of the system now. ;)

Slightly more seriously and in no particular order:
1. Ensure the separation of church and state - this is a continuation of the secularity in schools.
2. Stop the reform of the HoL for the present until we can properly evaluate the effects, no point in changing it if we don't replace it with something better - for all its faults it works surprisingly well most of the time.
3. Create a written constitution for the UK - more than likely this would just involve transposing our current mish-mash of an unwritten system (although a decently working one) into a more solidified document and put in restrictions on the ability of parliament to change it.
4. Stop the DNA database/ID cards scheme now before it ends up as the expensive white elephant it is destined to be.
5. Remove the concentration on league table positions for education and try to create a more balanced syllabus for students.
6. Remove the fees for uni students but also set a more realistic target of students going to university - 50% is unsustainable and pointless, 30% is a more achievable aim off the top of my head.
7. The criminal justice system needs an overhaul to an extent.

These are just a few ideas and would require a lot more thought to be of any use, in fact I'm sure I'd make a terrible leader but isn't that what being a despot is all about. :D
 
semi-pro waster said:
I don't think you go far enough with legalising euthanasia, I'm opting for involuntary euthanasia to anyone I so choose but only I can authorise it, wouldn't want an abuse of the system now. ;)
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I wouldn't go as far as having the PM being the only one who can authorise it as that would be quite obviously time consuming. I would instead, propose a committee who could review each case and ultimately allow euthanasia. Obviously, it would initially be in its infancy, but if people declare they wish to die before they turn into a vegetable, there would be a fast-tracking process for this in place.

Slightly more seriously and in no particular order:
1. Ensure the separation of church and state - this is a continuation of the secularity in schools.
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Yep.

2. Stop the reform of the HoL for the present until we can properly evaluate the effects, no point in changing it if we don't replace it with something better - for all its faults it works surprisingly well most of the time.
3. Create a written constitution for the UK - more than likely this would just involve transposing our current mish-mash of an unwritten system (although a decently working one) into a more solidified document and put in restrictions on the ability of parliament to change it.
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I would also propose a referendum on the national anthem. I would also keep the UK in the EU.

4. Stop the DNA database/ID cards scheme now before it ends up as the expensive white elephant it is destined to be.
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Oh I agree. Angus, your post worried me slightly. Have you read 1984 by the way? I'm a stout believer in people's individual freedoms. Also, what with China recently hacking their way into government computers, I wouldn't be so keen to have my details splashed across them anymore then they already are.

5. Remove the concentration on league table positions for education and try to create a more balanced syllabus for students.
6. Remove the fees for uni students but also set a more realistic target of students going to university - 50% is unsustainable and pointless, 30% is a more achievable aim off the top of my head.
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I'm not too sure about point five as it allows room for distinguishing pupils or helping candidates choose where they want to go, but I guess if the syllabus was more equal, that wouldn't be a problem. Although, I would worry that higher-education would be getting pigeon-holed. Who decides what's on the syllabus?

I would also over-hall both top-up fees and the income-assessed methodology.

Angus, how do you propose students show their mitigating circumstances before repeating the year? If a child has self-esteem issues, it's not going to help them being held back.

7. The criminal justice system needs an overhaul to an extent.
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I would seriously look into the sentencing given at the moment. Life should mean life, etc.

Ah also, I would either make the DVLA and DSA state-owned or I would implement strict policy on them as I think they're money grabbing eejits.
 
Bring back policemans power to give scrotes a 'clip round the ear hole'.
Give the police hand guns as standard.
Promote alternative futher education (e.g. apprenticeships).
Somehow change the NHS so that it is more effecient at dealing with A+E, adn on the whole.
Lower the cost of going to uni, probably by funding it with tax payers money.
Take away the ethnic quota's for public services.
Help our public transport system to make it cheaper and more effecient in some areas.
Promote cycling, e.g. building more cycle paths.
Remove R.E.
Increase the amount of flats being built immediately.
Last but not least, lower the amount of people who can enter Britain by having a strict quota which will only allow who we need.
Relaxed alcohol laws, the only reason I see kids drinking on the street is because they've been forced out of the pubs where they were supervised before. You can drink low level drinks (i.e 6 % and under) from the age of 16.
Whilst recycling has been getting better there needs to be a guarentee of an easy place for all households to recycle. It needs to become the norm to recycle anything possible. Government led composters will be sold for a small (non profit) charge for anyone who has the space for it.
Increase in solar, wind and water generated electricity. We're an island, so it can't be that difficult to increase the amount of energy generated from water! All council buildings will have solar panels and wind turbines on top of them. Planning permission will not be needed for anyone who wishes to have a wind turbine on their home.
[edit] oh, and death penatly for murderers and rapists.
 
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as above get rid of religious schools. I would raise the % of income tax (yes raise!) but increase the tax free theshold to £300/week so if you earned £300, your wages would be tax free! and it you earned £350 you would pay x% on the £50 but nothing on the other £300 etc so if you earned £1000/week .... etc.

Would make cigarettes only available in 200s to help people stop casually buying a pack but still available to people who want to buy them and can afford them! A complete overhaul of the personal credit laws. Make companies justify things like minimum term contracts, late fees and cancellation charges etc

Sure theres many more if i thought about it
 
Ah here's a brainstorm. I would promote the rights of fathers to be as currently I think the system is very bias towards women.

Also, feminism really annoys me so that'd have to go :D

Bank charges would be removed. They'd only be allowed to charge administration cost and an additional but very small percentage for profit.
 
Ban Religion
Bring back things such as chopping off fingers for stealing
Bring back death sentence for solid evidence crimes such as murder, paedophiles etc

Loads of other things i will think of, but my brain hurts :(
 
I would

Freeze taxes, and institute 2 years national service for all people who leave school and don't go on to university.

Declare Scotland, N.Ireland, Wales and England as self governing colonies, that remain part of the United Kingdom, and the only thing that is shared is treasury and military, with the monies and military force being given out proportionate to population.

Privitisation would be abolished, all rail, mail, road, and telephony would be state owned, run and funded.

Keep the law as it is now, except police HAVE to be armed at all times.

You can only claim jobseekers if you are actively applying for jobs, if the 'right' job doesnt come up, get the first job you can and then apply for "the right one".

All immigrants would be required to learn English to GCSE level within 2 years of arriving in this country, if you can't speak the language, you should leave.

Make Welsh/Scottish/English/N.Ireland History compulsory in school. You have to study the past to learn from the mistakes.

Raise Alcohol age to 21 and Tobacco to 21 as well. You can get a driving license at the age of 16 as long as you pass the test and have an insured car.

Each county would have a health, fire and police services at appropriate ratios for the population density. Maximum response times for all services should be 20 minutes or less. If youths are caught vandalizing property, they HAVE to clean it - sod their human rights, they made a mess and they should clean it.

There's not enough space on the internet for the changes that I would make :D
 
SGCWill said:
I would

Freeze taxes, and institute 2 years national service for all people who leave school and don't go on to university.

Declare Scotland, N.Ireland, Wales and England as self governing colonies, that remain part of the United Kingdom, and the only thing that is shared is treasury and military, with the monies and military force being given out proportionate to population.

Privitisation would be abolished, all rail, mail, road, and telephony would be state owned, run and funded.

Keep the law as it is now, except police HAVE to be armed at all times.

You can only claim jobseekers if you are actively applying for jobs, if the 'right' job doesnt come up, get the first job you can and then apply for "the right one".

All immigrants would be required to learn English to GCSE level within 2 years of arriving in this country, if you can't speak the language, you should leave.

Make Welsh/Scottish/English/N.Ireland History compulsory in school. You have to study the past to learn from the mistakes.

Raise Alcohol age to 21 and Tobacco to 21 as well. You can get a driving license at the age of 16 as long as you pass the test and have an insured car.

Each county would have a health, fire and police services at appropriate ratios for the population density. Maximum response times for all services should be 20 minutes or less. If youths are caught vandalizing property, they HAVE to clean it - sod their human rights, they made a mess and they should clean it.

There's not enough space on the internet for the changes that I would make :D
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Freeze taxes, and institute 2 years national service for all people who leave school and don't go on to university.

I totally agree on this one m8! Ive said for years now they should bring it back.
 
Nix said:
I wouldn't go as far as having the PM being the only one who can authorise it as that would be quite obviously time consuming. I would instead, propose a committee who could review each case and ultimately allow euthanasia. Obviously, it would initially be in its infancy, but if people declare they wish to die before they turn into a vegetable, there would be a fast-tracking process for this in place.
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I think you misunderstood slightly - I want the right to say to my death squads (I may work on the name later to make it a little more friendly and approachable) "him over there, he is to be involuntarily euthanased" because he has stolen my parking space or taken some other such grievous liberty with my status as unquestioned overlord of my domain.

Nix said:
I'm not too sure about point five as it allows room for distinguishing pupils or helping candidates choose where they want to go, but I guess if the syllabus was more equal, that wouldn't be a problem. Although, I would worry that higher-education would be getting pigeon-holed. Who decides what's on the syllabus?
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Back to the more serious stuff. My initial point 5. was about the school system rather than at university level although I suppose it applies to an extent to both. I want schools to teach basics such as the 3Rs (is there a worse phrase to describe education ever?) but in a rather different way to the way I understand it is taught now. League tables will be less important but children will be encouraged to read more and question more with less focus on simply passing exams instead of actually learning. Passing exams is relatively easy, you just need good exam technique but it doesn't necessarily mean you have learnt anything. I can quite easily forget most of what I 'know' about a subject 10 seconds after I've walked out of an exam, even including what questions I've answered but I've ended up with a decent enough degree and I'm not convinved that is entirely the way it should be.

I didn't really intend to do anything to the courses in higher education per se, it is up to the universities to decide what is and is not appropriate to teach and the students/businesses to decide whether the university is teaching well enough to be worth attending - market forces to sort it out if you like. However as I said I'd limit places more or at least I wouldn't make it a target to have half of school leavers in full time education. Therefore I suppose I'd need to improve the careers service for school leavers also to combat this probably lack of direction on finishing.

Nix said:
I would seriously look into the sentencing given at the moment. Life should mean life, etc.
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Perhaps, I'd probably settle for a consistent and understandable system of sentencing first and then work it out further. :)
 
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