A New Democratic Proposal.

A New Democratic Proposal.

As a citizen of the United Kingdom, I would like to propose a new approach to the way we practice democracy in this country :

I propose that a new political party be established - an Independent Democratic Alliance - which has no agenda of its own, and which is created with only one policy : “to effectively and efficiently research, assess, collate and implement the wishes of the majority of the electorate”. It will have a mandate to devise and offer suggestions and possible solutions to problems faced by society - and a responsibility to ensure the provision of free and adequate education regarding matters put forward for referenda - but will defer at all times to the wishes of the electorate.

The purpose of this approach to the political engine and to local and national media is to gauge the appetite of the electorate for the realisation of such a party.

As a party of government, the IDA will use a wide range of publicly-accessible media and cutting-edge technology to assess the wishes of the electorate, create a raft of solutions based on public consultation and expert opinion, and devise and implement free, publicly-acceptable referenda. The current malaise of apathy will be countered by the understanding that the voices and demands of the public will be deciding policy, rather than the interests of a small political elite.

This new party will be formed according to the wishes of the people of the United Kingdom - its initial manifesto, along with party structure and political safeguards, will be decided through public consultation and referenda and subject to change according to the wishes of those same people. A constantly evolving manifesto and party structure will more realistically reflect the nature and the wishes of our society.

Every adult citizen of the UK will be an honorary member of the party by default, able to influence party structure and behaviour.

The selection of party members to stand as candidates in local and general elections, along with certain high-profile positions such as Prime Minister, will be carried out by local and national referenda, with a wide range of media used to run polls to ensure a rounded picture of public opinion and prevent corruption.

All active members of the party (those elected into public office) will be required to sign a contract binding them to a strict code of behaviour, and to the spirit of this new democracy - that they should act only in the interest of their constituents, and vote only according to the verified wishes and demands of the majority of voters within their constituencies. Personal and party accountability and culpability must be assured at all times.

In the interests of truth and transparency, and in a bid to engender trust in these new political actors, all official activities undertaken by members of the party will be recorded for free and unfettered public scrutiny, save for certain elements of political activity deemed by public referenda to be worthy of secrecy. Active members will be subject to audio and video recording of all activities save for those mentioned above, with the resulting information offered to the public and the media without delay.

The IDA will not accept donations, nor will it spend money on political campaigns, other than that required as deposits for candidates standing for election, believing that public support should be based on a desire for this new approach for democracy and that current technology offers the ability to disseminate information widely with little or no cost.

A party such as that outlined above has the potential to overhaul the political system in this country, to put the power to decide on the nature and behaviour of our society in the hands of the sixty million citizens who comprise it, but this approach is not without its flaws - we, as a people, will make mistakes when we take our first tentative steps towards self-government, but it is only by learning from our own mistakes that we will grow and mature as a political society, and put an end to the blame-game which keeps the current political elite in a permanent position of dominance over the lives of sixty million citizens.

It is my opinion that such an approach, as is outlined in this brief description of my proposal, will encourage more public participation in the political process, engender trust between politicians and the public, and lead to a mature, self-governing society secure in its dealings within its borders and with the rest of the world’s nations. It is also my opinion that naysayers, who will claim that the electorate has neither the education nor the appetite for full, direct democracy will be proved wrong.

The future holds many promises for a people fully-equipped to govern themselves, including the opportunity to make changes within society to allow it to function in the way we wish it to; the chance to make changes to social welfare provision, our system of taxation, our health, education and penal systems, and to the way we interact with our neighbours on this planet; the sense of pride and self-satisfaction that comes from knowing that the advances made in our society are the results of our endeavours, and the sense of self-worth that comes from the realisation that we have matured as a people, and will no longer be reliant on politically-motivated groups to organise and decide on our behalf.

As representatives of the people of this nation, it is incumbent upon MPs to bring such a proposal - which offers the possibility for us as a people to improve our political situation - to the attention of their constituents. Should such a proposal be rejected, then at least democracy has been served by ensuring that no political stone has been left unturned. Should the proposal be accepted by the electorate as a possible way forward, then it is the responsibility of MPs to ensure that their voices are heard. If this situation should occur, then I would urge MPs of all parties (along with other political activists, single-issue proponents and concerned citizens) to step aside from undemocratic party politics, and offer their services as democratic representatives under the banner of the IDA (in its incarnation as an officially-registered party able to form a government) in the next general election.

As representatives of the opinions of the people, the media - from tv to press to online news and blog sites - have the responsibility to offer up such a proposal, and others should they materialise, for public discussion; to listen to the responses generated, and promote the wishes and demands of the majority; to elicit opinions and suggestions for solutions to the problems faced by every man, woman and child on every street in every town and city of our great nation.

For the benefit of all, let democracy advance.


Jai Gomer, citizen.


This open letter is being sent to every MP and political party in the UK, and also to a wide range of media outlets.

For further information, visit : http://a-new-democracy.blogspot.com/ or find “A New Democracy” on Facebook.

If you have any questions, queries or suggestions, please contact me at : democratic.citizen@googlemail.com