You have just surprisingly won a general election with a huge majority, putting you unopposed as prime minister of the Sensible Party of the UK.
1. Who do you appoint as ministers?
1. Ministers can only be appointed by submitting a CV to prove that they actually know something about their portfolio.
2. I would ensure that companies like Amazon, Starbucks etc were forced to pay the correct amount of tax.
3. I would purge all the career politicians, and (as above) replace them with people who understood their constituents and how they could help them.
4. Foreign Aid to stop going directly to governments, but via charities, so that it would reach the people who needed it, rather than lining the coffers of some dictator with a chest full of medals.
5. I would stop awarding lucrative government contracts to firms like Atos, Crapita et al, and send the money towards public services instead.
Oy, who are you calling 'common'?
Capita, but you see what I did there?
1. What FleurDuMal said in #1 . Preferably these people will, have had real jobs and experience, rather than simply Oxbridge qualifications and debating society experience.
2. What FleurDuMal said in #1 . I would also channel more funds to the corporate crimes and fraud departments of the police, so that they are no longer a toothless organisation. Enforcement may also involve emergency legislation.
3. Politicians would only be allowed to earn income from their parliamentary salary whilst in Office. They would not be allowed to hold any positions within any organisations that had government contracts for 5 years after leaving office.
4. Campaign for significant international financial and infrastructure aid to 'trouble spots' around the world, to try and stabilise regions which might otherwise descend into war, provide cannon fodder for warlords and extremists and lead to mass migration and refugees. This should also allow for massive scaling back of military intervention.
5. Nationalise all infrastructure services. Raise corporation tax.
I think I'd be a little uneasy about Ministers having had jobs or experience related to their portfolios. That could mean they had connections that undermined their objectivity.
The suggestions here all confront corruption of one sort or another.
It suggests that it's not left/right or liberal/authoritarian debates which most concern people: it's failings of the political system itself.
Only the democratic, transparent, accountable state, not private banks, should be in a position to create credit (happens to be Green Party policy)
Bin TTIP. If that means leaving the EU, I'm sorry but maybe that's got to happen.
Tobin/ "Robin Hood" tax. No if's no buts.
It suggests that it's not left/right or liberal/authoritarian debates which most concern people: it's failings of the political system itself.
I think that's the case, yes.
I am very concerned about the direction in which the country is headed politically, but I think there is an over-arching concern that our political system isn't really fit for its purpose.
I think I'd be a little uneasy about Ministers having had jobs or experience related to their portfolios. That could mean they had connections that undermined their objectivity.
Many of them already have, in any case, but I still think it would be a good idea to have - say - a Minister for Health with healthcare experience, or a Minister for Agriculture who actually understood farming.
I think there is an over-arching concern that our political system isn't really fit for its purpose.
Depends on the purpose. If the purpose is ripping us off blind and treating us like shit it seems very fit for purpose. The fact that things are, if anything, getting worse, demonstrates what the true purpose is.
We should now be in a state of serious rebellion. The social contract has been torn to shreds.
I think I'd be a little uneasy about Ministers having had jobs or experience related to their portfolios. That could mean they had connections that undermined their objectivity.
Good point. But there's no reason why, for example, a health minister needs to have been in a managerial position within an NHS trust, or an ex hospital administrator. For example, a nurse who has gone on to get a masters degree or PhD in a public health related topic would be ideal.
Similarly, there no reason why the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills need be someone who has been the CEO of a large corporation. On the contrary, this would probably give them a very linear and blinkered view of commerce. Running a country is not like running a business.
I don't disagree with that in principle, Tiny, but matching the Ministerial jobs with MPs who had the right experience, but also the capacity to cope with a ministerial role might be difficult. I think I'd settle for just a much better spread of backgrounds and experience among MPs than we have now.
Sorry going back a bit is it really Green Party policy that only the state should be able to create credit? If so that's bats hit.
but also the capacity to cope with a ministerial role might be difficult
It's all about the advisers surely? Do any (OK most) new ministers have much idea what their job involves?