Immediate aims of the left

Here we outline a series of aims or goals that the left should try to achieve, and by doing this improve our support among the general population:

1. Abolition of all laws that limit or suppress the free expression of opinion and restrict or suppress the right of association and assembly. Declaration that religion is a private matter. Abolition of all expenditures from public funds for ecclesiastical and religious purposes. Ecclesiastical and religious communities are to be regarded as private associations that regulate their affairs entirely autonomously.

2. Reduce the wages of members of parliament to that of a skilled worker. Find and arrest all who exploit loopholes for corruption.

3. A graduated or heavy progressive income tax.

4. Nationalisation of main industries and all banks. For private companies which employ over 20 men must have 2 workers representatives on the board. All public transport shall be placed into the hands of the state.

5. Fixing of a normal working day not to exceed eight hours a day and five days a week with the two days off being consecutive.

6.Prohibition of night work, except in those industries that require night work for inherent technical reasons or for reasons of public welfare.

7. Due to the revenue coming into state hands from nationalisation and higher taxes, we shall have the money so that students needn’t pay tuition fees for university. Thus, free education for all, with students given grants.

8. A ‘mansion tax’, as why does one need a mansion? In retaliation to the spare bedroom tax, we wish to introduce a spare house tax.
Also, if we are to have taxes, none shall be exempt. Buckingham palace has 240 bedrooms, but no spare bedroom tax.

9. Repealing of taxes or policies that target the poor or disabled, for example the bedroom tax or ‘fit to work’.

10. Reduction in the money given to the monarchy. £100,000,000 can easily be reduced to £1,000,000 for the whole family. After all, we are giving them free houses.

11. Democracy referendum would be held with multiple options on 3 issues, the monarchy, the House of Lords and the electoral system.

12. Housing, introducing a ‘use it or lose it’ position, no more empty houses in the UK and no more homeless people, ‘land banking’ to be made illegal.

This is in no way a definition of what we would like to see as an ideal society but a list of fairly easily obtainable objectives in the immediacy (long term goals will vary).