The Monarchy Bill

1. Citizenship classes renamed Subjectship classes and to include mandatory cap doffing/forelock tugging/curtseying classes
   
2. Mandatory DNA testing of all royals to ensure heredity (starting with Harry)
   
3. Benefit fraud action against any civil list claimant found not to possess royal DNA
   
4. For the sake of tradition, the legalisation of slaughter of any monarch if the murderer is willing to become monarch in their place.

More clauses to add to a Monarchy Bill anyone?

If I was PM I would set up a citizen's jury to recommend an electoral system for Westminster - and then have a referendum on it - as promised long ago in our manifesto.

Then I would implement a citizen's income and a land value tax, abolish the NI ceiling, widen council tax bands so the wealthy pay more and have a flat rate of income tax at 39% to pay for the CI - everybody earning less than the average wage would be better off, the poorest would get the most.

Then I would devolve tax raising powers, health, education and other appropriate services to regional assemblies elected by proportional representation - just like in Scotland (solving the West Lothian w/o breaking the Union). Then I would abolish the House of Lords replacing it half with a House of Jurors (picked at random from the population just like a jury) and half with 'experts' in each field elected for 15 year terms in 'vocational constituencies' in line with their percentage of the population - so 2% might be doctors, 5% construction workers and 6% nurses and so on..

Then I would give the vote to 16 year olds, break up the media monopolies to ensure a free-er press and enshrine protection for all this in a written constitution needing a two thirds majority to be changed.

Once all this is implemented I could probably retire leaving democracy to take care of the rest.

We're really screwed, to be honest. Winning an election right now would be a mountain to climb, but for the record, I would do the following, and then call the election next Spring (not wanting to risk 'doing a Major').

1) Withdraw the state aid to bank shareholders, and redirect it to ensuring house building - cheaper housing is good news, not bad news. I am shocked and appalled at the number of Ministers who are suddenly looking for any policy to prevent housing becoming more affordable.

1b) Necessarily therefore, I would write off any (or most) negative equity incurred by those who bought their homes in the last couple of years. The future direction of the housing market was obvious, and it is the banks, with their economists, statisticians and so on, who should have exercised caution - individuals should not be punished on their owner-occupied home.

2) I would then substantially restructure the tax system in some high-profile, symbolic, but also meaningful ways. Create far more winners than losers, and dare the Tories to oppose us. This may involve a higher top rate of income tax, and inheritance tax, but those are just examples. Cutting VAT might be more useful than cutting tax on fuel, as well.

3) Fairly criticially, and I'm not sure of the issue yet, but I would try to pick a fight with the EU on an issue where the Tories are split. The former part of that shouldn't be too hard, as the EU can be relied upon to do something silly on a fairly regular basis. Banning speculation in oil (good grief) might not be the one, but hey. For starters, halt macho ratification of a legally defunct treaty.

4) I would launch a fast-reporting commission on crime, results required by the end of 2008 at the latest, to look at how to get credible statistics, how to enable the police to do more policing, how to deport foreign criminals and keep them out, how to make the CPS prosecute properly, and maximise effective sentencing, including speedy creation of more prison places, and addressing the collapse of discipline and respect in far too many schools.

5) Renationalise the railways with minimum compensation. It's largely symbolic, and might not do that much long-term good, though it would certainly, as the finances are presently structured, allow for more investment at the same time as lower fares. I feel sorry for whoever is Minister next time there's a major crash, as there will always be accidents. Short-term though, it's a winner. 

6) Announce a substantial programme of building and retro-fitting sustainable energy at a range of scales. This is vital for the long-term as oil depletes, as well as in the meantime for preventing us sending every penny we earn to the Middle East anyway. It may lose votes in some areas as we put up wind farms, but we should ensure people see the benefits quickly, in their pockets.

7) Announce that, instead of all sorts of rubbish posters encouraging people to vote, one voter in each constituency (using the marked register) will win a cash sum (I'm thinking around the £50,000 mark) as a reward for voting, chosen by lottery. See how much more that does for turnout than any number of hand-wringing empowerment strategies.