Main message to voters:
At our core we are a civil liberties movement for people both in our physical and digital worlds. We should be free to access knowledge to further ourselves, express ourselves freely both online and offline without someone snooping on our every move.
Election history:
I beat the Lib Dems and Plaid Cymru's first attempts in the Local Elections, gaining 7.6% in a recent local election. I have stood and won the office of Deputy Leader in the Pirate Party UK and have previously stood as a Governor on the Board of the party. I'm also an elected Charity Trustee
Priorities:
- Other Free Speech is something many parties skim over or miss out of their manifesto. I am absolute in allowing everyone the freedom to express themselves.
- Other I want to free our culture, our teachers, our innovates, our industries and more by allowing creativity to flourish under a reformed copyright system.
- Other Everyone deserves the right to privacy and our intelligence services need focus. We should move to targeted surveillance not mass surveillance.
Candidate positions on the election issues:
Economy
Targeting tax increases at high earners only is an ineffective way of raising revenue
The idea behind this statement is that high earners have resources allowing them to respond to changes in the tax regime to limit their liability - but there is no conclusive evidence of whether this statement is true or false.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"Incumbent parties do not understand how to expand the economy in a limited physical world & neither have applied for grants at lower levels of government properly. We are offering the reforms needed to lessen the cost itself, rather than limiting budgets. You can have your cake and eat it!"
1 of 40 questions
To encourage economic growth, the UK's corporation tax rates should be decreased
The UK's current 'main rate' of corporation tax is 19%, the lowest rate in the G20 group of countries, however some EU countries, such as Ireland, rates as low as 12.5%.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"Corp tax itself is generally not the issue but rather the workforce have largely been automated, from manufacturing, to admin services, to IT but only the company is making money here, no tax is being collected through PAYE. A Robot tax would allow a UBI and still allow businesses to make a profit."
2 of 40 questions
To fund public services, a financial transactions tax should be levied
The term 'financial transactions tax' covers a wide array of taxes levied on financial transactions. At the moment, in the UK, there is a 0.5% tax or duty on purchasing shares. Most proposals for a financial transactions tax involve expanding this tax or duty to transactions on other asset classes.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"Schemes such as Robin Hood (aka Tobin) Tax are a good principle direction, but it will only work if implemented on a global level. Generally UK public are uncomfortable with EU legislation, let alone global. While I agree funds need to be distributed, it needs to be more than just another tax."
3 of 40 questions
The UK government should expand its ownership of strategically important companies and utilities
This policy mostly refers to the reversal of privatisation - a process that involved the transfer of responsibility and ownership of a company/utility from the public to the private sector.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"Utilities (re)nationalised along with considering an Internet connection a utility. This isn't nationalisation for the sake of it but safeguarding the most basic of services for the country to be able to operate. Our digital world is a vital link to all areas of our lives & all should benefit."
4 of 40 questions
The UK should borrow substantially more money to invest in national infrastructure, even if this increases the national debt
The UK's Office for Budget Responsibility expects UK debt as a percentage of national income to peak in the current financial year at 88%.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"No. Private contracts can be allowed to expire & the service fall back into public hands. This offers a natural staggered re-coup of all services and we can stop paying out heavily on a degrading network. Money would be invested once the profits private firms were making go back to treasury instead."
5 of 40 questions
To fund public services, there should be a small increase in income tax for all earners
Currently, UK income tax outside of Scotland is levied at 0% up to £11,500 (the 'Personal Allowance'), at 20% from £11,501 to £45,00 (Basic Rate), at 40% from £45,001 to £150,000 (Higher Rate) and at 45% over £150,000 (Additional Rate).
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"We do not need to be lazy with taxation. Many services can access grants on many different levels of government. It is especially easy for items devolved to local councils. I have first hand experience of this with the charity I am a part of, that doesn't have the ability to tax anyone."
6 of 40 questions
Brexit
Leaving the EU's Single Market is a worthwhile price to pay to gain control over immigration to the UK
Access to the EU's Single Market tends to be associated with the free movement of people (one of the Single Market's 'Four Freedoms'), making it difficult to envision a scenario whereby full Single Market access can co-exist with full control of immigration.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"Immigration can be solved with a sensible foreign policy & investment in areas that are turning people into refugees. It is unwise to think we can fix the world's problems from inside the UK and similarly the money goes far further abroad, often where refuges & migrants do not want to move away from"
7 of 40 questions
Once talks with the EU are complete, there should be a second referendum on whether to accept the Brexit deal or remain a member of the EU
In the UK, the principle of parliamentary sovereignty means that referendums have a 'non binding' quality. The absence of a formal constitution in the UK means that deciding to have a second or subsequent referendum is a political decision for parliament to make.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"A referendum, local elections and a General Election, have proven exceptionally expensive & created apathy. Voter turn out is in the toilet & major parties are to blame.
It's more prudent to push for a STV voting system to elect reps who can handle the brexit debate rather than constant referendums"
8 of 40 questions
The UK should remain a member of the EU
This is a close approximation of the wording of the 2016 'Brexit' referendum, which received 48% of the vote on a turnout of 72%, compared to 52% voting in favour of the 'leave' option.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"We should remain, however, the referendum result was a 2% margin to leave. If we leave, it should be proportionate, 52/48 does not say remain, nor hard brexit. Decisions through negotiations should be considered carefully & politicians need to listen to constituents - currently that means leaving."
9 of 40 questions
Even if there is no transitional UK-EU trade deal in place, the UK should leave the EU in 2019
Having notified the EU of its intention to withdraw under Article 50 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) in March 2017, UK withdrawal will take place either when there is an agreement in place or after two years - unless there is unanimous agreement in the EU to extent the negotiating period.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"2 years is long enough to make a transitional deal. A failing to make an interim deal would only be at the failure of our and the EU governments. However, putting a hard deadline on leaving is unwise. It would be better getting the right deal than rushing things and having no deal."
10 of 40 questions
Health
There should be no role for private sector operators within the NHS
While this is a devolved matter, with the National Assembly for Wales controlling Health in Wales, a move in this direction in England would likely have profound consequences in Wales.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"Contractors on a strictly temp basis or sending staff to training providers who are external are not an issue but the NHS needs to be renationalised and expanded. It should bring in the care sector and perform it's own drug research, to not be hit with heavy patent costs with reformed patent laws."
11 of 40 questions
New taxes raised to support the NHS should be earmarked solely for NHS spending
This would be an example of what is known as 'hypothecated tax' which the Financial Times defines as: 'A tax where the money obtained, or part of the money obtained, is used for a particular purpose, rather than spent on a number of things.'
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"While the principle is laudable, in practice it will not work. Restricted funds in charities work in this exact same way and it simply means other funds are misused instead of specific ones - instead the creation of a Tax Minister role to ensure tax is reformed and spent properly would work."
12 of 40 questions
Social care costs above a threshold of £100,000 should be met by individuals' estates, including the value of their family home
While this is a devolved matter, with the National Assembly for Wales controlling Social Care in Wales, a move in this direction in England would likely have profound consequences in Wales.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"Care costs can vary quite substantially across the UK. Applications for social care funding should apply general brackets but in an appeal they should be considered on an individual case-by-case basis."
13 of 40 questions
Workers' Rights and Pensions
The UK's minimum wage should be raised to £10 per hour by 2020
Since April 2017, the UK's National Minimum Wage rates are as follows: £7.50 (25 and over); £7.05 (21-24); £5.60 (18-20); £4.05 (under 18); £3.50 (Apprentice)
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"The minimum wage should be raised to the living wage - but we should also move towards a Universal Basic Income."
14 of 40 questions
Zero hours contracts facilitate flexible working and should not be banned
Zero hours contracts mean that employers are not obliged to provide any minimum working hours to a worker , who is not obliged to do the work when asked. Such contracts legally cannot prevent a worker for looking for or accepting other work.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"Employment contracts are for steady or some reasonably guaranteeable employment. Zero hours contracts are unnecessary as that function can already be performed by self-employed contractors without it being weighted to the employer's benefit."
15 of 40 questions
The UK government should maintain the ‘triple lock’ of increasing the state pension each year
The 'triple lock' promises to increase the state pension annually by whichever of earnings growth, prices growth or 2.5% is the highest
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"A pensioned paid in is a promise made by both parites. Incumbents, Labour, Tories and Lib Dems have worked to not keep their part of the deal - we must protect this agreement."
16 of 40 questions
Education
University tuition fees should be abolished
While this is a devolved matter, with the National Assembly for Wales controlling Education in Wales, a move in this direction in England would likely have profound consequences in Wales.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"Tuition fees should be abolished, a UBI rolled out to include students to support them while they are in education and a reform of copyright should be undertaken to grant access to the needed learning materials in order to make use of the education."
17 of 40 questions
The government should dedicate resources to opening new selective 'grammar' schools
This is a devolved matter, with the National Assembly for Wales controlling Education in Wales, but it is a key issue dividing parties in this election.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"Grammar schools are not a particularly successful schooling system across the globe. Finland, which tops the tables consistently, has opted for a truly comprehensive system. We should follow the evidence."
18 of 40 questions
Social security and Housing
The 'bedroom tax' should be scrapped
The 'bedroom tax' (also known as the 'under-occupancy penalty' or 'spare room subsidy') is a cut in housing benefit if you live in a council or housing association home and are classed as having a spare bedroom.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"The tax was brought in with a complete disregard for the current housing stock. It is impossible to adhere to the criteria to avoid the "tax". It also prevents shared parenting as a spare room can no longer exist at both parents properties. Scrap it completely."
19 of 40 questions
The UK government should invest substantially in expanding the number of council houses built in the term of the next parliament
While this is a devolved matter, with the National Assembly for Wales controlling housing in Wales, a move in this direction in England would likely have profound consequences in Wales.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"Labour, Conservative and Lib Dems have failed to do this. Greens won't build unless it is Brown Site, which means council stocks cannot be replenished within the current brown site stock. Build entirely on brown site and only expand into green belt where necessary and after environmental surveys."
20 of 40 questions
The government should introduce legislation that caps landlords' ability to raise rents
While this is a devolved matter, with the National Assembly for Wales controlling housing in Wales, a move in this direction in England would likely have profound consequences in Wales.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"Right principle but wrong policy. Experts such as Shelter; people & homes charity have already stated RENT CONTROLS not RENT CAPS are the solution. Rent controls give flexibility while caps provide a max rent - when mortgages increase, rent caps aren't feasible, landlord sells & tenants get evicted."
21 of 40 questions
Unemployed people who fail to seek a job or accept training should have their benefits sanctioned
Sanctions for failing to seek work or accept training are a key feature of the way that Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) is currently administered.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"The JSA system need reform to be fair to those claiming on their national insurance, however on the assumption a system is giving those who seek help, the help they need, they should only get state support if they are in turn willing to support the state."
22 of 40 questions
The Political System
The voting age should be reduced to 16 in UK elections and referendums
The minimum voting age is currently set at 18 years old.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"You can rent, join the army, make medical decisions, have sex, get married, have children and many other things... but not vote. The only way we are going to get young people engaged in politics is making it so they are able to have a say in the same system they are being expected to take a part in."
23 of 40 questions
A system of proportional representation should be adopted for UK general elections
Proportional representation' refers to methods of casting and counting votes that are designed to facilitate a closer correspondence between the proportion of votes and seats won by parties than the current 'first past the post' system.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"I as Leader of the Pirate Party UK were one of the first parties to sign the #MakeVotesMatter pledge some years ago and all of our candidates agree a PT system is needed. Personally I favour STV as it retains locality like FPTP does but is also proportional - best of both systems."
24 of 40 questions
Wales should aim to become an independent country
Wales is not currently an indpendent country, but its devolved parliament controls many key aspects of Welsh life, including healthcare and education.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"We need a steady handshake of powers from Westminster to the Senedd but the voting system in Wales is still only "semi-proportional". There is little point in gaining more powers to just another disproportional piece of government. Reform voting so the right politicians can have the right powers."
25 of 40 questions
Substantially more powers should be given to the National Assembly for Wales
The Wales Act 2017 recently passed into law, and it set out some new powers for the Assembly as well as moving from a 'conferred' to a 'reserved' powers model.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"Gradually more powers should be devolved to the Senedd from Westminster. We are fortunate enough to see both N. Ireland and Scotland having workable models on how devolution can be provided. If we follow their example, we should be able to have a fair voting system and more powers quicker."
26 of 40 questions
The House of Lords should be reformed so that all of its members are democratically elected
Unlike the elected House of Commons, members of the House of Lords are not directly elected.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"We need democratically elected Lords and remove reserved seats for Bishops. However, we want to avoid simply replicating the House of Commons - so we need serious consideration and debate over the best system. Currently I'm leaning towards a Technocratic model, where some expert oversight is needed"
27 of 40 questions
Wales is currently unfairly underfunded by the UK government
Adjustments to the Welsh budget are determined through the 'Barnett Formula'.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"Wales exports highly in electricity and a number of other essential services and commodities to England without charge but does not get a proportional share of funding in return. The EU has helped pick up the bill but naturally this will need recording after brexit. More funding needed from UK."
28 of 40 questions
Environment
The government should do more to tackle climate change, even if this increases costs for industry
The term 'climate change' in this question refers to the scientific finding that human activity is resulting in changes to the global climate.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"While the industry cost should not be a blocking factor it generally isn't cost related, it is profit and profit-direction related. Renewable energy provides a different group people profit & currently they have fewer lobbying powers in gov. We should vote with our principles and not our pockets."
29 of 40 questions
Regulated 'fracking' of shale gas and oil should be allowed by the UK government
The term 'fracking' in this question refers to the process of injecting liquid at high pressure into subterranean rocks, boreholes, etc. so as to force open existing fissures and extract oil or gas.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"The gas industry regulation on paper is absolutely fine - however whistleblowers and employees have been silenced by government, business and to an extent unions who want to see the business continue. A national halt to fracking should be in place until the industry regulation can be enforced."
30 of 40 questions
Foreign Policy and Defence
The UK should maintain the 'special relationship' with the USA in international affairs
The Special Relationship is the unofficial term for the exceptionally close political, diplomatic, cultural, economic, military and historical relations between the United Kingdom and the United States.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"The unfair extradition and sharing of mass information obtained by snooping on innocent civilians has to stop. While we should remain in a "special relationship" with the USA, that is a very different situation to opening our citizens to being exported without a shred of evidence presented."
31 of 40 questions
Renewal of the UK's Trident nuclear weapons system should be cancelled
Last year the House of Commons voted by a large majority to renew the Trident system.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"Trident should be cancelled but the international threat should not be shied away from. When Ukraine dissolved its nuclear power, they immediately faced a Russian threat. We must have a defence that isn't nuclear war; a missile defence grid similar to the one the USA deployed in Europe."
32 of 40 questions
The UK should continue to spend 0.7% of its national income on overseas aid
This has been the level of UK spending on foreign aid every year since 2013.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"A 0.7% international aid budget radically reduces the amount of refugees that need to come to the UK. It ensures most of our immigration is positive and the money goes a lot further abroad than it would providing relief for migrants in the UK."
33 of 40 questions
Social Issues and Crime
The UK should dramatically expand its number of police officers, even if this means cuts in other public services or tax increases
The Home Office reports that there were 124,066 officers in the year ending March 2016 compared with 143,769 seven years previous to that - a fall of 14%
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"Communication with, neighbourhood watch, councils, communities and others needs to be a lot stronger. Policing powers such as PREVENT and RIPA have caused the public to fear police interaction. If we reform these laws and the police, we can achieve better policing without cuts to other sectors."
34 of 40 questions
For those convicted of a crime, there should be more of an emphasis on rehabilitation than on punishment
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"Our re-offence rate and % of criminals places into prison is the highest across all of Europe. It isn't working, it isn't reducing crime and it is exceptionally costly for the tax payer. Reforming prisoners and education must be at the forefront of the prison system."
35 of 40 questions
Burkas and other face-covering garments should be banned from being worn in public
There is currently no ban on Islamic dress in the UK.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"Banning things rarely works and is hardly enforceable. Many face coverings are for safety (motorbike helmets) and allow us to maintain a level of privacy should be choose to. Police are not going to respond to 999 calls placed on someone wearing a mask - a waste of resources."
36 of 40 questions
The recreational use of cannabis should be legalised
It is currently illegal to possess cannabis in any form in the UK.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"The decriminalisation of most drugs would dramatically reduce the number of people who struggle getting rehab - as they will be treated as someone with an illness instead of a criminal. However, cannabis including it's medical use is almost entirely harmless and can be taxed to produce revenue."
37 of 40 questions
Immigration
Immigration contributes significantly to the UK's prosperity
The latest ONS report estmiates that annual net migration to the UK was estimated by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) at 273,000 a fall of 49,000 from the previous year.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"Immigration has a net positive and generally speaking the boarder controls are successful but in the case of refugees our approach needs to be two fold. Accept refugees in emergency situations but work to fix the problem that causes people becoming refugees. 0.7% aid budget is better than open doors"
38 of 40 questions
Net immigration to the UK should be reduced to below 100,000 per year
The latest ONS report estimates that annual net migration to the UK was estimated by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) at 273,000 a fall of 49,000 from the previous year.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"Immigration targets aren't useful - increase immigration quotas would be more balanced. For instance, foreign students attending language schools provides huge profits the the UK - if we implement a net cap, we could kill profits and reduce positive foreign relations."
39 of 40 questions
Too much immigration has undermined British culture and identity
The latest ONS report estmiates that annual net migration to the UK was estimated by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) at 273,000 a fall of 49,000 from the previous year.
Agree
Disagree
No opinion
Comment:
"Integration and contribution adds to our culture but it must be done so in proportion. Accepting large amounts of immigration is different to accepting large amounts of refugees. While we should continue to help those in need, typically foreign aid is far more successful than an open door."
40 of 40 questions