Answer: There is no doubt that Britain is in a desperate state, our democracy having effectively broken down. Our country has probably never, ever, been so riddled with unfairness and inequality, and this is no accident. Why do we say this? Well, let us ask you a few questions first: Do you feel powerless? Do you feel your vote makes no difference? Have you lost faith in the system? Do you feel that this Government (Westminster) is not listening and is nowhere near in touch with your needs and desires? That nobody in Government actually cares about the poor, the sick, the disabled, or animals? Do you wonder, in despair, where to go to find out the truth? Do you feel the whole system needs to be torn apart and rebuilt, so the voice of the people can be heard? Do you suspect that Austerity is a nonsense and should be rejected, just as Greece has done, and Spain is about to do ?

If, in your mind you answered YES to even half of the questions above, we need to talk. The privileged hereditary rich ARE getting richer, and the poor getting poorer. We now have an electorate that is apathetic, because people are faced with meaningless choices, none of which give any possibility of optimism. We are in the vice-like grip of an elite group who have the money, power and connections to get elected and STAY elected. Vested interests determine how parliamentary votes are cast (how can that be allowed to happen in a supposed democracy?), justice is more than ever out of reach of the common man, and Law and Order in the Countryside has broken down. Politicians routinely lie, inside and outside the Houses of Parliament and are not brought to account. For democracy to work, its people must be informed truthfully. How can democracy work when we are being constantly lied to? We believe it's time for the people to reclaim democracy and the driving force must not be self-interest, greed, or career moves. True democracy must be based on morality, compassion and honesty.

Answer: Reform. We want nothing less than a complete reform of the Parliamentary system. It’s not just about removing the unfairness and injustice that the present Government represents, but removing the corrupt system that spawned it and all recent Governments. And it’s about radically changing the composition of Parliament – moving it forward, consigning the failed two-party system to history.

Did you know that the Whips in the major parties in Parliament regularly force MPs to vote, not on their own moral principles or according to the will of their constituents but according to the Party Line?

Answer: This is the hard part, but we believe we may be actually accelerating a trend that is already under way. The massive recent growth of the Green Party indicates that people are no longer regarding a vote for a smaller group dedicated to decent policies as ‘wasted’. Other small parties are similarly eroding the grip of the Two-Party system, notably the National Health Action Party, outraged that this Government on the one hand promised to keep the NHS intact, and on the other, has been indecently selling bits of it off to rich entrepreneurs for profit. There is already a movement to make MPs accountable if they tell a lie in the HOC or elsewhere. There is a feeling out there that there needs to be a massive change at this next election in order for democracy to be restored. The rise of UKIP, a party that, on face of it seems dedicated to bringing racist policies back into play and blaming immigrants for all the ills that beset the UK, indicates the desperation of the British people to make a radical change. But, though there may be good men and women aligned with UKIP, as there are in all parties, we believe that Farage’s right-wing rhetoric will ultimately be seen by decent educated people for what it is – a dangerous false dawn.

How will we work towards a decent alternative ?

We will ask people to be COLOUR BLIND as they vote in the polling booths at next election. We will ask them to vote for an individual who they believe will act decently, transparently and accountably in their interests, if they are elected. We will ask them to disregard the party lines and vote tactically to oust candidates who have been shoe-horned into a constituency by a major party to sit in Parliament and vote according to how their leader tells them to vote.

We will work seat by seat, completely openly, to encourage decent prospective MPs to do deals in order to force out the career politicians and party-liners. We will, as Common Decency, support prospective MPs from ALL parties if we are sure they will adhere to the principles of Common Decency. We’ll do it by publicity, personal endorsement and by helping the funding of their campaigns that otherwise would be dwarfed by the massive reserves of cash available to the major parties. Surely elections should not be determined by how much publicity money can be thrown behind a candidate? This is another reform we would like to make – remove the ability of the rich to unfairly influence the outcome of an election. (Perhaps this could be done by banning donors and the funding of election campaigns from a public fund.) and we will do it by at last giving a reason to vote for all those who at present do not feel their vote will count for anything.

It will not be perfect; but it can be a whole different universe from what happened at the last election. We believe our plan, as it evolves, can change Britain for the better and give us all a voice in the way Britain is run.