Change is what any political party has to adopt in order to win your trust and further vote when needed. When a political system comes under fire for being outdated then the politicians need to act fast. The whole debacle over the expenses with politicians is a prime example.

No political party acted on day one. It took several months of newspaper reports and growing public resentment to get politicians to accept they had not moved with the times. We are still waiting for a proper acceptable proposal to come forward. This length of time for all politicians to act in a responsible manner is beyond a joke. They should have acted when the very first report came out in the open.

Changes that the population demand

More and more of you are demanding that the government place restrictions on private companies profits when it comes to the utility bills such as Gas, Electric & Water. Not one politician has come up with a solution to the growing problem that affects millions of people who are poor. We have all seen various newspaper and television reports of the poorest pensioners either heating their home to stay warm or spend the money on food. In our society today this just smacks of the world gone mad or at least our country.

I propose that we should renationalise the following and most of the country would agree.

GAS

ELECTRIC

WATER

RAIL

I also propose we have a national banking system that operates on a non profit level. This could then in turn offer pension saving schemes and even a pension fund for all who wish to join based on real earnings and return to the final salary scheme if appropriate. Being non profit it could also offer a fair return on interest for savings and government mortgages to rival any private bank.

I would also propose that we invest heavily into public sector housing. The number of council properties has fallen to levels that are unnaceptable. Each council can then apply direct to government for a housing budget based on space. Each local authority can then direct the funds into deprived areas and bring communities back into the fold.

To stop the profiteering from buying a council property to sell on for profit I suggest we impose a strict time frame in which the property could be sold. This would have to be agreed on a national level but I think seven years is not unreasonable.

Anyone over the age of 70 would receive free gas, electric and water. As well as a 95% reduction in rail fare. A token payment of 5% is acceptable.

The older generation should also benefit from all health services and at no cost.

Most of us view the utilities and transport along with the NHS and education as services. Yet they have been continued to be run as private businesses which some of them now are thanks to the Thatcher sell off. This was a huge error in my view and should be reversed.

SOCIAL REFORMS THAT CAN WORK

UKPR proposes a number of ideas that can work in favour for the economy. It is accepted that spending or investment comes first in order to see the benefit. Taken into account that this country under all previous governments has been slowly stripped of any national wealth it comes as no surprise that measures to get the people on the lowest incomes out of the recession will take more than three terms of office for who ever wins the general elections. In real terms you are looking at a minimum of 15 years of struggle before any potential relief from this recession of 2009.

Many of you will still be angry over the expenses row with our politicians. Even after the whole sorry saga has been exposed by the Telegraph news paper a number of MP’s along with the Prime Minister have still tried to hide the facts. This despite the promise of all parties to reform parliament is just another political exercise in spin.

By making genuine cuts in government spending UKPR offers some common sense alternatives to saving the economy from decades of public debt with no return of investment. By making cuts in the purchase of nuclear warheads will save £billions along with the scrapping of the free pensions within the civil service also saves £billions per year in tax payer money. If we adopt true transparency in all expenditure we can end the farce of offices having desks that cost a £1000 or more and office chairs that cost over £300 or more. If you look at all public money being spent in areas funded by the tax payer this sort of thing is considered normal by those in charge of the funds.

We need to end this fiasco of why a shovel for either rail or road maintenance costs at least three times as much as a shovel bought from a high street hardware store. This list would be endless of examples of how public money is wasted in such areas and the problem is so immense that it beggars belief.

So by tackling the problem with full transparency and above all accountability would bring and end to this corrupt system of tax payer money being squandered. UKPR does not pretend that any of the answers it offers are like a magic wand. What we do offer is answers based on common sense without political spin and in very basic terms.

Example of one social reform:

The state owns a number of land sites that with minimal investment could be used for new housing. We propose investing into each local authority that wishes to adopt the scheme, a massive council housing build. Each authority will be able to use land currently not in use or derelict sites to build new council property. In this proposal we set out some very clear rules such as the contracts for the build go to the most suitable within the local authority and any jobs are offered first to the unemployed with the relevant skills. It is common knowledge that any large building programme brings other investment and locals feel the benefit.

The land does not have to be paid for as the state already owns it so the cost is down to materials and labour. Once the properties are completed the rent collected goes back to the local authority. These in turn is used for maintaining those properties and further build schemes.

Most of us accept that the shortage in housing has grown to unequal proportions. The alternatives that other parties offer give zero return back to the tax payer. This scheme is to help those most in need which include the low income the elderly and the infirm. By building any scheme we can offer an equal amount of housing to a cross section of people and communities can then flourish again.

Second example of social reform:

Network Rail is the example here. Tax payer money is pumped into this business in return for the smooth running of trains. The reality is that we either want a rail system that is a business or a rail system that is a public service. Either way they both cost the tax payer huge sums and that is the truth. Yet Network Rail is a business and those senior managers running the company expect lucrative salaries with golden handshake pension deals and massive bonuses. This is in spite of the public anger over the bonus culture being corrupt. Those working on the ground face serious dangers within the company while facing other problems such as management attacking pay and conditions. That though is a separate issue to the one here on real reform.

UKPR is proposing that we abolish the private sector within our rail system. Bring about an end to the corrupt bonus culture and again offer true transparency in this industry. Founder of UKPR John Finningham works in the critical maintenance of Network Rail and sees first hand the level of tax payer money wasted not only in senseless areas but in such a huge scale. By adopting UKPR’s method of accountability and transparency it is possible to offer the public rail maintenance at a fairer cost. UKPR does not oppose any bonus but it does oppose the idea that some people have of expecting one. Any bonus for managers must be in full view and accountable. In other words do the job on time and within the budget then we offer a realistic bonus.

The rail network of Britain must have future investment just to survive. And the public have to accept that having a rail system will always cost the tax payer. So if it is always going to cost the tax payer then why does the tax payer own nothing of the rail system?

The track maintenance is virtually a nationalised industry all but in name only. UKPR sees no sense what so ever in a private company squeezing out massive salaries, pensions and bonuses that the tax payer has no say over. UKPR will want this to end and effectively put the unworkable Network Rail out to pasture. No more public money being wasted and the end to the fat cat culture of public money.