VISION:
An Independent Parliamentarian in Europe guided by the terms of reference
granted by my constituents in Greater London, tempered by my beliefs in what is right for them and the country, and forming
alliances as necessary to see these through.
MISSION:
If elected to
the European Parliament -
- to represent the concerns of my constituents in Greater London;
- to seek to influence
Europe and EU legislation for their benefit;
- to defend and protect their rights;
- to work to reform EU and remove
waste, fraud and mismanagement.
CLEAN AND HONEST POLITICS
I believe in clean
and honest politics, and therefore in politicians with integrity, honesty and ability.
I believe that
any office bearer caught in financial scandal and the like must be subject to deselection by their constituency, and where
necessary answer to the Court of Law.
I believe that any dirty politician and their adviser who peddle lies
and untruths must be subject to deselection by their constituency, and answer to the Court of Law.
I believe
in electing representatives at all levels of British or European politics, including the House of Lords.
I
believe that politicians should concentrate on sorting out the financial impact on the UK of the global credit crunch, rather
than just focussing on their own interests.
FAIRNESS TO EVERYONE AND EQUALITY
I believe that everyone who is British or European legally resident in the United Kingdom must be treated equally and fairly
regardless of their race, gender, religion, sexual orientation and background. We are all stakeholders in British society,
and we all want the best for each of us in all areas of life.
EUROPE
I believe
in economic co-operation and close cultural, diplomatic and other ties between countries.
Whilst I believe
that the European Union can bring benefits to each member country, it should not be able to dictate everything that happens
in member countries.
I support the idea of a referendum on the European Constitution/Lisbon Treaty, for I
believe that every citizen must be given their share in decision-making on an issue that will affect all their lives and which
they need to understand fully, and this cannot be just a political party decision.
There are advantages and
disadvantages to joining the single currency, and I support the idea that it should be presented to the people of Britain
for an informed decision.
The European Commission, including the European Parliament, must not be allowed
to avoid their duty to eradicate fraud and mismanagement, and must work to abolish a seeming culture of abuse.
I support the idea of an independent audit office to check all aspects of finance of the European Commission and European
Parliament, and for the findings to be publicly available on an audit website.
I will seek allies from Independent
Members and other parties who espouse the same causes.
HEALTH AND DENTAL CARE
I believe in maintaining a physically and mentally healthy society, from childbirth to old age.
I am opposed
to privatisation of the National Health Service.
I believe that dental care must be made available and affordable
again to as many citizens as possible.
I believe that care for the elderly must be a high priority and funded
by government because nations must recognize the contributions of our parents and grandparents to nationbuilding.
SAFETY ON OUR STREETS
I believe that anyone, young or old, should not have to fear going
out on the streets of London. Crime on persons and on properties must be stopped, using best effective practice from
other countries where available.
IMMIGRATION
I believe that all migrants
and ethnic minorities who have legally acquired British or European residency or citizenship must have equal rights as native
residents, for they share the burden of taxation and national insurance, and they should not be subject to harassment by government,
the media or the wider public.
I believe that there is a business case for the regularisation of illegal
migrants who have been in Britain for at least 5 years, and they should be treated with dignity, justly and fairly.
Our borders must then strictly be controlled to prevent a repeat of this seemingly perennial problem.
I
believe that the British government must not put obstacles, delays and other impediments in family reunion cases, and enough
staffing resources should be made available so that it meets European law.
I believe that an independent appeals
process needs to be resurrected to counter the superpowers invested in Entry Clearance Officers who currently make the decisions
and to whom appeals are also made.
I believe that any extremist party or individual that seeks to undermine
equal treatment of legal immigrants in Britain and harass them in any way be it verbally, in writing and physically,
must face prosecution by the Court of Law.
EDUCATION
I believe that education
and learning is the right of every citizen and this should not depend on their ability to pay. There must be government
provision for everyone who needs it, without putting them in deep indebtedness or hardship.
I believe that
British education is still one of the best in the world, aided by the primal status of English language internationally, and
we should continue to promote it and encourage international students to come and learn from our institutions.
BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURS
I support business and entrepreneurs as a vehicle for economic
growth and continued prosperity. I believe that they should not be strangled by the never-ending stream of regulations
from the Labour Government and Europe. I believe that businesses must however have due regard to employee's rights,
and respect the Working Time Directive.
I oppose privatisation of public services. I believe instead
that public services organisations should be expected to perform at world-class competitive levels to prove their value-for-money,
and be able to continue to provide the very services to the public they were set up for.