--- election_year: 2015 party_id: pirate party_name: Pirate Party UK party_leader: Loz Kaye political_spectrum: centre victory: false government_outcome: opposition sections: - economy - taxation - health - education - housing - foreign-policy - environment - transport - law-and-order - welfare - democracy-and-constitution - energy - science-and-technology - local-government --- # Pirate Party UK Manifesto 2015 _Our Manifesto for the General Election, 7th May 2015_ --- ## Table of Contents Table of Contents 1. NHS and Health 2. Welfare & Work 3. Economy 4. Education and Innovation 5. Society 6. Environment & Energy 7. Justice 8. Digital Rights & Surveillance 9. Rebuilding Trust in Democracy 10. Transport 11. Culture 12. Future Challenges --- ## NHS & Health We are committed to an NHS that delivers a comprehensive, universal, equitable, accessible service. It is vital that the NHS is publicly funded and publicly accountable. Since 2010 NHS funding per person has dropped in real terms. £800 million over the last government has been cut. This must be reversed if we want a health service that is fit for purpose. We want to increase NHS funding by 4% in real terms and bring UK healthcare spending in line with the G7 average. NHS funding must then continue to keep up with need, rising with in line with UK population growth. The NHS is a vital service, it is right that it be funded by general taxation. Privatisation, marketisation and private finance initiatives within the NHS have increased inefficiencies and costs. Since 1997, NHS infrastructure worth £11bn has been built under PFIs at a cost of £80bn, diverting money that should have been spent on patients to investor profits. These approaches create incentives to put profits over patients. We are committed to reversing privatisation and preventing any future PFI deals. We want to see a more accessible NHS, one where patients are not put off, or turned away due to charges. A key founding principle of the NHS was access on the basis of need, not ability to pay, as such we must get rid of NHS prescription fees in England (they have already been eliminated in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland). Funding for mental health services has been cut in real terms for three years in a row, yet mental health problems account for 23% of the total burden of disease. Despite the existence of cost-effective treatments it receives only 13% of NHS health expenditure. Mental health services must be funded appropriately to deal with demand and tackle unmet needs. To achieve this, we would rebalance the NHS budget to ensure mental health care receives the level of investment needed to improve outcomes and we would ensure that primary care staff are appropriately trained to deal with the mental health needs of their patients. NHS staff are a vital and precious resource and we have to make sure they are able to do their jobs. It's vital that doctors, nurses and other medical staff can focus on patient care; for this to happen they must have the proper level of administrative and logistical support. We aim to abolish patents on drugs and instead fund research directly, allowing the NHS to reduce its outlay on costly medicines. Health care has to work for everyone, as part of that we want to follow the lead of countries like Norway that have comprehensive LGBT public health plans with clear goals, and work to end the stigma around HIV/AIDS and normalise HIV testing as a routine part of caring for our health. It is also wrong that we discriminate when it comes to giving blood. Donations from men who have sex with men should be lifted. The focus must be on individual screening and making sure as many people as possible can donate blood and save lives. The NHS deals with the negative consequences of alcohol and drug abuse and as such should take the lead in both research and providing advice in all areas of drug policy, from the medicinal use of marijuana to the impact or dangers of new recreational drugs. **Key figures:** * £2bn - Annual NHS spend on generic drugs. * £12bn - Annual NHS spend on patent-licensed drugs. * £1.2bn - Value of NHS privatisation contracts tendered in March 2015 alone ### Our Solutions * Restore the NHS to public ownership: publicly funded, publicly provided and publicly accountable. * End the false competition and markets in health provision * Mental health training for primary care personnel * We should reinstate the NHS as the preferred provider of healthcare and remove the requirement to tender out contracts to the private sector. * Halt and reverse privatisation in the least damaging manner possible. * End Public Finance Initiatives within the NHS * Scrap Prescription Charges * Scientific approach to government trial schemes * Abolish drug patents * Widen public access to Computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy --- ## Welfare & Work All UK citizens should be able to rely on the welfare system as a safety net. We believe the current system is failing and needs to be revitalised. A successful welfare system reaches everyone in need. Punitive measures on those who try to exploit the system hurt the needy. We would introduce measures to prevent people receiving unfair blocks on benefits. We would remove the benefit cap: either someone is eligible for benefit, or they are not. All criteria for eligibility should be considered independently of each other. People under 25 receive a lower level of Job Seekers Allowance, and people under 35 receive a lower level of housing benefit than older people. We would end age discrimination in the benefits system; everyone who is no longer in full-time education and who has not yet reached retirement age should receive equal benefits. The "Bedroom Tax" (a reduction in housing benefit for a house considered to be under-occupied) puts extraordinary pressure on new benefits claimants to give up established homes, at a time when they are at their most vulnerable; it has caused disruption to both landlords and tenants alike. We would revoke the "Bedroom Tax", and restore full housing benefit to those in need. "Workfare" forces people on benefits to do unpaid work for private businesses, or face sanctions; this system has resulted in private employers exploiting free labour. We would replace Workfare with employment in a government-backed enterprise scheme. This would allow people to earn money, gain training and acquire experience without being exploited by private companies for profit. We recognise that many people who are starting or returning to employment are also being exploited for free labour. Internships are typically full-time jobs, yet interns often go unpaid. We would ensure that providers of internships are required to pay the National Minimum Wage. The National Minimum Wage (NMW) itself is severely lacking; a full-time job at NMW does not meet the basic cost of living in the UK. People in work should not suffer poverty; we would raise the minimum wage to match the Living Wage Foundation's recommendation, and keep NMW in line with the basic cost of living in the UK. Trade unions provide a way for workers' interests to be represented and defended. Trade union powers, including workers' right to strike to protest unfair work conditions, have been eroded under the coalition government. We would restore the power of trade unions, by reducing the strike notice period to 7 days, and revoking the 50% turnout requirement for a strike vote. Work should not prevent people from starting a family; the UK government's Shared Parental Leave program starts in April this year, and makes leave fairer. However, it does not take into account some situations that may affect families - including families with three or more parents (e.g. via parental responsibility agreements). We would extend this system to include all parents in a family. **Key figures:** * 0.9% - 2014 DWP estimate of fraudulent benefit claims * £5.13/hr - National Minimum Wage (18-20 year olds) £6.50/hr - National Minimum Wage (21+) £7.85/hr - UK living wage £9.15/hr - London living ### Our Solutions * Reform the welfare system to prioritise helping people in need * Remove the benefit cap * End age discrimination in the benefits system * Revoke the "bedroom tax" * Government-backed enterprise scheme for the unemployed * Pay interns National Minimum Wage * Increase National Minimum Wage to match the Living Wage * Restore the power of trade unions * Extend Shared Parental Leave system for all new parents --- ## The Economy We need an economy that works for everyone. In the last 5 years the UK has seen cuts to services, a fall in wages and a cynical attack on the support the state offers those in need. We have seen publicly owned companies, including Royal Mail, the Fire Service College, and Remploy sold off for little gain to the taxpayer, but great returns for investors. UK debt is higher than it was in 2010. The deficit is higher than at any time until we bailed out the banks and unemployment is still at 5.7%. We can do better. We want to shore up government finances, and increase tax revenues while increasing pay at the lower end of the pay scale. A 50% marginal rate of tax would be added for income over £500k per year. Austerity is not going to repair the UK economy. We face a number of challenges, from a lack of social housing to poor transport and communications links that can be dealt with by initiating infrastructure projects. Infrastructure projects provide long-term benefit to the UK, stimulating current and future growth. We would increase the rate of high speed broadband expansion, improve public transport (particularly outside London) and make Britain a world leader in renewable energy. This will allow us to reduce unemployment and provide skills to people who have lost jobs in other parts of the economy. We must remove Intellectual Property laws that are hampering growth. It's time to stop the tide of over-reaching patents and trivial lawsuits that are tying up new ideas and killing off start-ups. The 'too big to fail' culture that contributed to the economic crisis is still alive and well in the UK; we want to stop the UK taxpayer from propping-up incompetent or overstretched banks. There should be no more bank bailouts, and mechanisms must be put in place to deal with failures. To reduce reckless or questionable behaviour, directors of large public companies should have a personal liability for their actions and decisions. Taxation should be fair to the taxpayer; those earning least should pay a smaller amount of income tax, and should always have a lower marginal tax rate. That marginal tax rate should apply to all taxes on income, whether from employment, investments or other instruments. We would simplify the tax system to ensure that the tax system is as fair as possible. We want everyone to keep as much of the money that they earn as we can, but it must be the impact of taxation that is fair, not simply the amounts involved. We would take action to reduce tax avoidance and act on tax evasion. A dedicated tax minister with clear responsibilities to us all would ensure all businesses and individuals are contributing, and that no group faces an excessive burden. Companies whose structures shift their tax burden abroad or into tax havens would be excluded from winning public sector contracts. We support the implementation of a land value tax (LVT). LVT would raise more from the wealthiest without penalising the poor, whilst at the same time being much harder to dodge than income tax. It would support economic productivity, as those who rely on existing assets for income would be charged, whereas those who work for a living would not. Many industries that are essential to the United Kingdom (including water, electricity generation and supply, gas supply and other utilities) have been privatised in recent decades, but continue to rely on massive government subsidy for infrastructure investment. These private organisations then take millions in support, whilst channelling profits to shareholders and directors. We believe that when taxpayers subsidise services, the taxpayer should see a return on their money before private investors are paid dividends. We would renationalise the Royal Mail and protect it from being damaged by cherry-picking private competitors. In addition we propose that any government subsidy or grant to a profit-making company for the delivery of services should be met pound-for-pound by private investment. ### Our Solutions * Keep public money out of tax havens * Reduce the ISA allowance to £5000 * Introduce Fair Tax brackets * Oppose the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) * Implement a land value tax * Merge National Insurance and Income Tax * A dedicated minister for Tax * Scrap Pensioner Bonds * An end to Quantitative Easing * Nationalise BT OpenReach * Renationalise Royal Mail * Guarantee everyone a free basic Internet Connection * Seek an exemption from digital service VAT rules for small businesses * Remove commercial restrictions on suburbia * Encourage entrepreneurship through micro-businesses * Eliminate the 'Help to Buy' Scheme --- ## Education We need an education system which delivers a great education to everyone and makes it possible for people of any age to reach their full potential. It means investing in early years, primary and secondary education and removing barriers to higher education by scrapping tuition fees. The framework for early years education must be updated to ensure it meets the needs of children before they get to school. We also need to ensure that early years teachers have time to teach, by reducing the administrative burden where possible. Parents in some areas are facing a shortage of school places, particularly in primary schools, where they are seeing increased class sizes or small schools with too many pupils enrolled. We want to give back to local authorities the legal powers they need to plan and provide enough school places in their local areas. The Government must ensure that the funding is available to deliver school places where needed. Local authorities should be at the centre of and responsible for the local democratic control of education. The national curriculum should be about the "what", but not "how", so that schools and teachers can teach in a way that best benefits the student. Schools should have the freedom to spend their budgets as they see fit and should be encouraged to invest in knowledgeable, enthusiastic and well qualified teachers. Schools must aim to educate, not to simply pass exams. The number of examinations that young people sit should be reduced, and schools should be judged on a broad range of indicators. The public ranking of schools by exam results should be discontinued. To minimise the impact of changes to grading criteria, and to ensure that exam results remain comparable in the long term, we will assess the effectiveness of a percentile based grading system. Innovation Our economy depends upon innovation. We need to make sure we have the right policies in place to support innovators in all sections of the economy. The UK has a very strong technology development and scientific research sector, however research funding is at a 20-year low of 0.5% of GDP. We would increase funding of research to at least 0.8% of GDP, matching the G8 average. That research investment must be open to all. For that reason we support open access to outputs of publicly funded scientific research. We need Research Councils UK (RCUK) to continue its commitment to full open access, provide grants to scholar-led open access journals and data archives. It is also important that we can build on the work of others, patents exist to reward the inventors of truly outstanding ideas. We would reform the patent system to ensure it does just that, and prevent patents from being used to stifle competition. We will allow and encourage more competition in the manufacturing of patented devices by introducing a system of compulsory patent licensing, and we will provide exemptions to patent law for non-commercial use, personal study and ### Our Solutions * Abolish university tuition fees Lifetime access to education * Reduce class sizes * Local democratic control of education * Let all schools access a national media library * Make publicly funded academic research available to all * Investigate reducing the school leaving age * Reinstate the Education * Maintenance Allowance in England * Have a national curriculum that says 'What' but not 'How' * Increase the science research budget to G8 average * Open access to outputs of publicly funded scientific research --- ## Society The Pirate Party wants a free and fair society where everyone can take part, with space to live, respect for all of our communities, and where basic human rights are the cornerstone of a fair society. We oppose any attempt to repeal the Human Rights Act 1998 and believe the UK should remain a party to the European Convention on Human Rights. We have an obligation to provide sanctuary to those individuals who have been forced to flee their homes. We should ensure that those people who come to the UK seeking asylum are treated fairly and are given decisions quickly about their status. Once asylum seekers have been granted asylum they should be given assistance, including access to employment and education. We want to see affordable homes for all. We would enable councils to build affordable council housing. Income from council housing sales would be ring- fenced for housing construction and councils would also be permitted to borrow to fund housing construction. We would introduce new statutory regulation of letting agents that all would be required to observe. This would include an independent ombudsman and a mandatory code of practice. The Pirate Party would give residents new rights to freely use privately owned space that is in the public realm. The right to protest without fear of reprisal is fundamental to a democratic society; we will stand up for this right. We recognise the value of whistleblowers to society and will defend the right of citizens to expose illegal practices in the workplace and elsewhere. Exposing corrupt or illegal activities must take precedence; no-one should fear persecution for making the public aware of a breach of the law. The UK would grant asylum to whistleblowers fleeing foreign governments. Whistleblowing would become a protected trait similar to gender, age and sexuality, making it illegal for employers to discriminate against whistleblowers. Whistleblowers would be awarded a share of any fines levied based on their disclosure. We must protect Sure Start services. It is vitally important that all children get the best possible start in life, but that alone isn't sufficient in dealing with the problems that the UK faces. The rationale under which Sure Start Children's Centres were set up should be extended, not rolled back. They have made life easier for millions of families and could improve lives further. Sure Start should be be about actively bringing down the levels of child poverty in the UK, not just a start in life, and should provide ongoing support for whole families. The current mechanism used to determine eligibility for the Employment and Support Allowance is failing many people in dire need of support. We would call for an immediate review of the assessment methods used and look for alternative ways to administrate assessments. ### Our Solutions * Protect the Human Rights Act * Protect whistleblowers * Build affordable council housing * Regulate letting agents * Protect the right to protest * New rights over public space * Treat asylum seekers fairly * Protect Sure Start * Alter the method by which ESA is assessed --- ## Environment & Energy We need smart policy to improve our environment. The environmental challenges, from dealing with local 'grotspots' to climate change, are monumental. We have a responsibility to look after our environment and wildlife. This requires changes in all parts of our economy and in our behaviour, but if we work together we can deal with both. Litter is more than a blight on our landscape; it is an indication of wasted resources. We can work together to improve the areas where we live and at the same time deal with a threat to our world. Using new technologies for power generation and to fuel our cars will help a great deal too; we want to see investment in British engineering to bring about the changes and technology that we need. There are simple solutions too, we support bringing in a bottle return scheme (paying for a deposit on bottles and cans which is given back when they are returned). This would reduce litter and the burden on recycling facilities, as well as changing attitudes towards our precious resources. Making polluters pay for the damage they do to our environment, whether they are big businesses or irresponsible landowners is the right thing to do. Open spaces must be protected, land ownership must be transparent, our common heritage maintained and developers made to act responsibly. It is time for a fair environment policy. There should be a new focus on littered and polluted "problem" areas, and a more proactive Environment Agency. Power generation will be a major issue facing the UK in the coming decade. The next government will have to put together an effective and environmentally sound policy to ensure we have the required generation capacity. We believe that the focus should be on renewable energy as well as investigating and developing new technologies, including nuclear, and continuing to improve the effectiveness of existing ones. Removing public subsidies to fossil fuel and hydrocarbon production and focusing support on renewable production would help to continue the UK's switch to cleaner, sustainable energy. We shouldn't just focus on large generators though, continuing the feed-in tariff would will ensure that small scale renewable power generation remains attractive. If we want to be at the forefront of innovation in energy and get the most out of our resources and environment, we need to set and meet ambitious goals. We know the UK can exceed the target of 80% reductions in emissions between 1990 and 2050. ### Our Solutions * Increase research funding for renewable energy production * Tax incentives for companies that lower global carbon footprint * Remove public subsidies to fossil fuel * Make the polluter pay * Adopt the Passive House standard for all new buildings * Require green or solar roofing for all newly-built commercial buildings * Exceed 2050 emissions reduction targets * Protect open spaces * Label electrical and electronic goods with mean time to failure * Ban wild animal acts in circuses --- ## Justice The Justice system in the UK is disproportionately applied in many cases, and many judicial mechanisms are hidden from public scrutiny. We are committed to creating a transparent, reasonable and fair justice system for all. There should be no more secret courts. All judicial process should be fair, open and accountable, Justice must be seen to be done. The police must be transparent and accountable; we would ensure independent oversight of all investigations into police wrongdoing - police internal investigations should run their full course even if an officer under investigation resigns or retires. We will insist that searches of personal property should only be done with reasonable suspicion of a serious criminal offence. Judicial review of all other officials should be protected; it is essential that courts prevent officials from acting outside of their legal powers. We would remove restrictions on who can ask for a judicial review, and give High Court judges the discretion to conduct reviews without interference. There are numerous criminal laws that are poorly defined, overly broad, or easily and commonly misapplied; these laws stifle liberty. We would immediately repeal: Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) , sections 49 & 54, which can force people to hand over encryption keys, and prevent them from telling anyone about the request. Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 , sections 142-149, which prevent people from protesting at or near the Houses of Parliament. Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 , sections 63-66, originally aimed at ending "rave culture". We would conduct a review of: Communications Act 2003, Section 127 , which is out of date, and inappropriate for the Internet age. People should not be arrested for making jokes on Twitter. Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 , which is loosely defined, creates numerous violations of human rights (including allowing testimony obtained using torture). People have an inalienable right to determine their own fate. Therefore, we would legalise euthanasia, with strong safeguards in place to ensure this privilege is not abused. Alcohol and drug abuse or dependency should no longer be treated as criminal issues; people suffering from alcohol or drug addiction need help, not punishment. Contaminated drugs can kill; people should be able to submit dangerous or contaminated drugs to officials, without fear of being prosecuted. Safe locations should be provided for heroin addicts to inject, with sterile equipment and under medical supervision. The poor are served disproportionately by the justice system. Legal representation must be available to all; it should not be a privilege for those who can afford it. We would reverse cuts to Legal Aid and introduce reforms to guarantee access to legal representation for all. Sanctions would discourage frivolous motions. Fines issued to convicted criminals should be proportionate to the person's wealth, in order to penalise people equally. We would introduce a system of "Day Fines", where punishments are assessed based on annual income; fines are then scaled accordingly, to punish people equally. This would also apply to commercial fines, which would scale fairly for both large multinational and small businesses. Imprisonment should be a last resort, and should be a process of rehabilitation, rather than punishment. Removing prisoners' vote violates their human rights. Voting is an essential part of society; by allowing prisoners to meaningfully participate in society, we can rehabilitate them back into it. Prisoners would be permitted to vote in the constituency ### Our Solutions * End Secret Courts * Reverse Legal Aid Cuts * Repeal laws threatening civil liberties * Make fines appropriate Protect judicial review * Strengthen police accountability * Legalise euthanasia * Treat drug addiction as a medical problem * Give votes to prisoners --- ## Digital Rights & Surveillance Ever since the Pirate Party was founded we have been pointing out that the new world of technology brings new challenges and opportunities to politics. The Internet deserves a voice in parliament, as all too often our representatives have been wilfully ignorant. This is why we stand for digital rights. This is about protecting our rights and making sure that the digital revolution is available to all, and not just a few. For many, the online world is a place to reclaim some freedom. Here too, we are increasingly watched and restricted. We're here to say it doesn't have to be like that. Citizens' rights to private communication is vital. We will forbid third parties from intercepting or monitoring communication traffic, and require specific warrants to be issued by a court before communications traffic is monitored. We will oppose the return of the Communications Data Bill (“Snoopers' Charter”) or similar legislation added to any other bill. We will ensure that the freedom to encrypt data and communications is not abridged or limited, and that access to encryption tools is not restricted. The Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee must be truly independent and robust, it must act for UK citizens not protect vested interests. We will strengthen data protection laws; companies must inform data subjects of their rights and be clear about their data policies. We will make it easier to apply to a court for compensation where data protection laws have been breached, and increase the penalties for any breaches of data protection laws. We will allow the courts to apply these penalties to both the individuals and companies responsible, proportional to the scale of the breach. We want clearer guidelines and restrictions on the use of DNA records by authorities. This will ensure samples are only taken voluntarily or when there are reasonable grounds to suspect the individual of having committed a serious offence. Samples should be promptly destroyed if the individual is acquitted or not charged with a criminal offence, and they should only be held for the length of time for which there is a reasonable suspicion that the suspect has committed a crime. Too often the out going government's digital policy has been directed by tabloid headlines, not experts in the field. We will stop the imposing by government of censorship tools such as so-called "web filtering" or site blocking as blanket tools. We will cut the copyright cops PIPCU. We will repeal the sections of the Digital Economy Act which conflict with digital rights. Everyone should have equal right to access the benefits that technology can bring. We will extend the requirement to provide basic telephone services to a requirement to provide a minimum level of broadband service and extend this responsibility to all providers who operate in the UK. We know that the UK's future success depends on a modern broadband infrastructure supporting a free and open Internet. We must aim to end the "Digital Divide". We will promote the provision of free public WiFi as well as the provision of Internet access in community centres and libraries by local authorities. It's vital no-one is excluded from the digital revolution. We will promote the inclusion of accessibility features, such as subtitles and audio descriptions for the disabled. Our aim is to make content accessible for disabled people. We will introduce an obligation for publishers to provide a DRM-free copy of ### Our Solutions * No warrantless blanket surveillance * No return of the "Snoopers' Charter" * No restrictions on encryption * Support a thorough overhaul of all intercept legislation to respect privacy * Push for proper oversight and that warrants aren't just rubber stamped * Strengthen the independence of the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee * Restrict exports of anti-privacy software * No to government Internet censorship * Strengthen data protection * Broadband for all * Promote public WiFi * Repeal sections 3 to 18 of the Digital Economy Act 2010 * Support digital accessibility --- ## Trust in Democracy Our democracy is in real danger. All too few people take part and vote, not enough people are able or willing to get involved. It's time to reverse that trend, and it starts with restoring trust in government and the political system. The independence referendum in Scotland showed that when people believe they can make a difference they get involved with the process. We need to replicate that across the UK. We can start by trusting people. Given that self determination is one of the Party's fundamental principles, we believe that a referendum on the UK's membership of the EU should be offered to voters in the UK. We trust people to make the right decision. We want to open up our democracy to younger people. They see their lives and futures directed by governments they have no say over. We trust young people and want to allow them to vote from the age of 16. The government also needs to be more open and accountable. We will introduce a new right for constituents to force a by-election in the event of a loss of confidence in their MP. We will require minutes of all meetings of officials on government business to be accessible through Freedom of Information requests. We will also aim to ensure that all available information that could be requested under a Freedom of Information request is made public by default. The quality of legislation must be improved, and we have to aim to avoid laws that don't do what they were claimed to do. We would investigate the possibility of permanent elected legislative committees for each government department in the Commons rather than ad hoc public bill committees. We would roll out post- legislative scrutiny on all important policy-changing acts before new bills on the same subject are to be considered. We will require that all international treaties be passed through the UK parliament as a standard bill, requiring the full approval of both houses. The detail of the government's deals and agreements with suppliers and other businesses should be disclosed. Independent audits of public sector spending and processes should be carried out annually, with bi-annual review of spending to identify where spending reductions or greater returns are possible without reducing the overall effectiveness of the public sector. The delivery of services to government is littered with stories of companies exceeding budgets, delivering late and renegotiating contracts to improve profits. This seriously undermines public confidence in a government's ability to negotiate sensible contracts. We will implement penalties for significant performance failures for government suppliers. If a company fails to deliver a government project within 125% of budget or 125% of the deadline then that company (both its parent organisations and subsidiaries) would be banned from providing services or products to the government for at least 2 years. Beyond government, we need to improve our democracy. We see proportional representation as vital to ensuring that governments properly represent everyone, and that everyone's voice matters in elections. We intend to restart the national debate and push for a system of proportional representation to be implemented for all elections in the UK. ### Our Solutions * Votes at 16 * Open and accountable government * Expand freedom of information * New right to force a by- election * Proportional representation for all UK elections * Improve quality of laws * Penalties for budget failures by government suppliers * Aim for a balanced budget * All government IT systems must be hosted internally * Expand the Open Government License * A Referendum on the European Union --- ## Transport Part of looking after our environment and having a dynamic economy is having a well-functioning public transport system. There must be no more private profit at public expense on our railways. When assessing rail performance, overcrowding and affordability should be taken into proper consideration. Ticket pricing needs to be transparent, easy to understand, and work between different forms of transport. We can get Britain moving. Rail privatisation has made a mess of rail provision in the UK. Ticket prices are on the rise, and seats are in short supply. Rail is more highly subsidised now that it was prior to privatisation - since 1985, rail subsidies have increased five-fold in real terms. Profits are increasingly funnelled out of the country via contracts with international providers. We would renationalise the railways; we would do this gradually; as contracts expired, provision for each area would be renationalised. The UK is far too reliant on fossil fuels, and a big part of this is our reliance on motor vehicles; if we can reduce our use of motor vehicles, it will be beneficial to all. We believe that the benefits of all modes of active transport are poorly recognised in the UK at present. Using active modes of transport such as walking or cycling for local journeys reduces the amount of traffic clogging the roads, creating shorter journey times for drivers, better health for the nation and cleaner air for everyone. We believe in the health benefits to the extent that we would consider promotion of active transport to be a health issue; cycling promotion is currently fragmented, and split between Department of Transport and NHS budgets; we would move all such funding into the scope of a single NHS project. This would result in a net saving to the NHS, since obesity, heart disease, and other inactivity-related illnesses would be significantly reduced as a result. The NHS is therefore invested in successful promotion, via a positive feedback loop. The biggest barrier to cycling in the UK is the poor state of the infrastructure. This is a result of two main factors: Lack of funding, resulting in dangerous compromises and conflicts with other road users Lack of a coherent, standardised design handbook, resulting in ad hoc design choices by inexperienced road designers A national design handbook would put an end to the haphazard, compromise- ridden infrastructure that we see every day. We would adopt the "Making Space for Cycling" handbook proposed by Cambridge Cycle Campaign to ensure that any infrastructure created is coherent and safe, while ensuring smooth, fast and direct journeys for cyclists. We would pay for this by committing a transport budget of £20/person per year. This is double what the Netherlands spend to develop and maintain their world- leading infrastructure - but the UK is playing catch-up. Safeguards would be put in place to ensure this money is only spent on infrastructure that primarily benefits cyclists. The overall success of this effort would be evaluated after five years, and the budget adjusted accordingly. We would consider a reasonable target is to increase cycling modal share in all major cities to 5% by 2020, and to 10% by 2025. ### Our Solutions * Nationalise the rail services * Our target for road safety would be zero fatalities, zero serious injuries. * We would design infrastructure with zero compromises made to safety. * Adopt the Cambridge Cycle Campaign "Making Space For Cycling" design handbook * Commit £20/head for cycling infrastructure * 6.8p - Average rail subsidy per passenger, per mile for all networks * 51.5p - 2014 Northern Rail subsidy per passenger, per mile * £350million - 2014 Northern Rail total subsidy * £28million - 2014 Northern Rail dividends paid out to shareholders * £2/head - 2014 UK spend on cycling, including "Cycling Cities Ambition" fund£30/ head - 2014 Denmark spend on cycling * £10/head - 2014 Netherlands spend on cycling * 2.5% - Modal share for cycling in London * Pirate 14.5% Party - Modal Manifesto share for 2015 cycling in Copenhagen * 38% - Modal share for cycling in Amsterdam --- ## Culture Culture is a vital part of our country - it shouldn't be a luxury. The Pirate Party wants everyone to be able to take part in and share culture. Art can be controversial, but it is important we don't squash freedom of expression. After all, that is what so much of the successful culture of Britain has been about. Let's once and for all get rid of the idea that “pirates” are destroying culture. Artists should be the focus of culture sector funding, this is where the research and development of the creative industries happens. Success in increasing and protecting money going to artists, rather than administration or overheads, must be one of the key performance indicators of National Portfolio Organisations. We will encourage and support libraries, museums and other organisations that hold collections to digitise their content and make it available online, in open formats, wherever possible. This will both preserve access to culturally important artefacts and increase accessibility. We would prioritise the digitisation of especially rare items. Paper books are free from VAT yet e-books are not. A book should be defined by what it provides, not the material that is used to produce it, and any tax on books is a tax on reading. Like paper books, e-books should be zero-rated for VAT as soon as possible. It's time to bring laws about how we consume film, music, TV and books into the 21st century. A fair and balanced copyright regime that is suitable for the 21st century is an absolute necessity for the UK to remain competitive in a global economy that is built upon ideas and innovation. Copyright should give artists and innovators the chance to make money from their work; however, that needs to be balanced with the rights of society as a whole. We will work for copyright reform and reduce copyright terms to 10 years to balance everyone's needs. Under current copyright law it is unlawful to circumvent effective technological measures that restrict access to copyrighted material, even if doing so is required for lawful use. This includes both civil liabilities and criminal offences. In the event that such a “technological measure” prevents permitted acts, the only current remedy is to apply to the Secretary of State for a permit. The Pirate Party seeks to abolish these laws, making it legal both to circumvent “effective technological measures” and produce, distribute and possess tools to aid in doing so. This would not change existing copyright law, merely remove the extra layer of illegality. It's vital that we protect the new arena of digital culture for future generations. We will support preserving digital culture and introduce IP exceptions to allow the archiving of digital culture. We would seek to remove restrictions from broadcasters on satirising footage of Parliamentary proceedings. Comedy can bring politics to a wider audience and we believe that MPs' and peers' actions should not be immune from humorous criticism. ### Our Solutions * Make culture funding artist centred * Work for copyright reform * Reduce copyright to 10 years * Remove VAT from eBooks * Digitise Library and Museum content * No "restarting the clock" on copyright * Abolish anti-circumvention restrictions * Protect archiving of digital culture * Allow the use of Commons footage for satire --- ## Future Challenges The policies in this document represent what our candidates will support, they indicate a direction of travel that our members have said they back. They deal with problems that we have now and offer solutions that could be implemented now. But that isn't enough. We know we will face huge new challenges in the future, some of them will come out of the successes that we will achieve, especially if the policies in this document are implemented. The biggest of these challenges within the UK is what the economy will look like when technology is able to do more, when it allows fewer people to do vastly more work, across all fields. Self service tills have replaced staff in supermarkets, robots have replaced engineers in factories and computers have replaced whole teams of analysts in offices. The range of work that can be automated is only going to increase, it will have an impact on doctors, lawyers, retail staff, soldiers, builders, mechanics and many more. We can't ignore the potential implications and we need to think about solutions now. Move toward a Universal Basic Income One possible solution to an economy that can produce more and more goods and services without creating jobs would be to provide a Universal Basic Income (UBI) for UK citizens. It would ensure that all British citizens had a basic income allowing them to live, learn, innovate and take chances with new endeavours. A citizens' income would also replace most benefits which would reduce costs and complexity. It would help ensure that nobody falls into a poverty or unemployment trap. Importantly, the incentive to work would remain, as getting a job would not remove the UBI, but would raise the amount of money coming in to the household. It would also create flexibility for single parent families, carers, disabled people and people wanting to dedicate their time to community or volunteering programmes, as part-time jobs would become a viable means of bringing in an income. There are significant hurdles to the implementation of such a system, including the need for comprehensive research into the social and economic impact it would have and whether it can be affordable. We think it is likely that such a programme is possible but would have to be reached incrementally. As such, we propose running a trial of basic income in a small area of the UK to establish how such a system could be implemented. International Challenges Internationally there is much work to be done to repair, and re-establish relationships amongst countries on the international stage. There is much turmoil, anger and suspicion between states that should be working together. The Israeli–Palestinian conflict continues to pose challenges and divide people and countries after many decades of conflict and unrest. It is not the only serious issue we face on the world stage, but resolving it is vital. It is only right that we encourage the UK to recognise Palestine. It is clear that Palestinians have decided that they want to be in control of their destiny and have their own state. They should be supported in that endeavour, not ignored. We would support the recognition of Palestine and recognise that such recognition would mean that Palestinians would enjoy the benefits of independence and be held to the same standards and have the same duties as other states in the family of nations.