Charlie Clinton
Lib Dem Candidate for Holborn & St Pancras

We need Proportional Representation and we need it now.

We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity at the next general election: the Labour party is on course to win power, the membership of the Labour party are in favour of PR, and the country is in such a state that it’s never been easier to make the case for change.

Sir Keir Starmer is the man standing between the country and a fairer democracy. As the candidate standing against him I intend make the case to his voters: showing the connection between the challenges they face on a daily basis and our current voting system.

Brexit would not have happened if we had PR – there would not have been a majority for Brexit supporting parties in 2015. The Tories would not have an 80-seat majority on 42% of the vote. We most likely would not have had Liz Truss derailing the economy, or Rishi Sunak derailing our NetZero Plans. PR would ensure we have better representation of women, as well as minorities.

But reforming parliament by itself isn't enough. We need top to bottom reform of the political system allowing for better representation at all levels:

• Reforming the House of Lords to ensure it is an effective parliamentary body which reflects modern Britain
• Devolving more power to Local Government: allowing more tailored, targeted policy making: Precision government by those who know the needs of their areas.
• Fully Federalising the United Kingdom: giving the nations genuine control of their affairs and preventing any more economically and socially destructive departures.

Only When we have fixed politics - will we be able to get on with the job of fixing Britain..

We do not have enough people or resources to do everything that needs doing.

Whether you are talking about the NHS, farming, supply chains, hospitality, education, the police, prisons: there are arguments between those who say "we need more money" and those who say "there is no more money". The net result is we are asking our public servants to do more, usually with less support, just to maintain the standards we have become used to.

We need to reframe the debate. We should focus on increasing productivity through technology, and especially AI. Through productivity gains we can increase the quality of life for our public servants at the same time as we increase the effectiveness of our public services. Technology will not be the only solution of course, but it is an opportunity we have barely tapped so far and can be a key to transforming our nation – and helping us on the road to NetZero while we are at it.

There are risks attached. Yes there will be up front costs to be borne, but this is an investment with a significant ROI. Yes, there will be an impact on jobs: but as with the transition to a green economy the jobs will change, they will not disappear. Yes, there are ethical concerns to implementing AI at scale: whether you believe that the Terminator or The Matrix represent possible outcomes(!), there is a real need today to ensure that AI is not used to reinforce or widen systemic inequality. Lib Dems are best placed to balance manage this transition - tapping into the opportunities while managing the risks.

The Conservatives can’t be trusted to regulate business effectively – they will chase the fastest economic growth they can get, and they won’t protect the workers. Rishi Sunak confirmed this ahead of his AI safety summit - the Conservatives are not planning any significant regulation of AI. The Labour party will be held back by the Unions who have and will continue to challenge automation at every turn. The Lib Dems will champion the positive vision of a future empowered by technology – paired with responsible regulation to protect people against the risks, such as:

• Ensuring companies are required to upskill & retrain staff wherever possible - instead of making people redundant.
• Ensuring Algorithms are trained according to clear ethical guidelines and that they don’t embed existing inequalities.
• Ensuring Algorithms are trained using data obtained legally and ethically - if necessary updating copyright and data protection laws cover use in algorithms.
• Banning the use of predictive algorithms to make financial, medical or other critical decisions without a human in the loop (See this example from the Netherlands if you need convincing)

Every business & public service stands to gain from increased productvity – and we can ensure those gains are passed onto the people, creating a happier, healthier society. What if the smart application of technology throughout businesses is the key to unlocking the illusive 4 day working week for millions of office workers? Or a higher wage for shift workers by reducing other business operating costs?

Ultimately delivering a more efficient, productive society can also go hand in hand with a more sustainable one. As we evolve our society over the next few years it is absolutely critical that we deliver the NetZero transition at the same time.

Fixing the planet by reaching Net Zero is not actually about saving the Planet.

The Planet will outlast humanity no matter what we do. Fixing the planet is about saving people. It is the people in our country and around the world who will suffer if we fail - they are in fact already suffering, especially in the global south. We must succeed, and we must do it in a way that works for everyone. From the people who work in the fields to those who work on the oil rigs.

The most powerful tool at our disposal is the economy. The single biggest driver of the climate catastrophe has been our collective pursuit of profit & comfort at any expense. Short terminist thinking: Businesses focusing on quarter-by-quarter profits; Investors prioritising quick and constant returns; Consumers buying products only to throw them away.

The good news is that the government has the tools to turn the tables. Through the budget, tax system, and the right supporting policies, we can make the environmentally unsustainable, financially unsustainable, and make the sustainable options more accessible to all while reducing living costs at the same time.

It will be a difficult process. People resist change. Livelihoods will be put at risk as businesses who thrived on the old model fail in the new world. But for every business lost – another one will spring up. Keir Starmer wants to ban new licences for Oil and Gas, as he should – but the Unions are fighting back: concerned about the lost jobs. The reality is with the right support the jobs will change: they will not vanish. The Labour party need to be bolder on this issue - committing to revoke the new oil and gas licences being issued, to stop development in its tracks, and negotiating the right package of support to get the workers and Unions on board.

Meanwhile Rishi Sunak is attempting to create a new dividing line in the debate on climate change. Claiming he stands for pragmatic climate policies which won’t penalise the working family. He is hoping that we will be seen as imposing unnecessary costs on people, when we are already on track to hit our targets. This is simply not true. We are not on track to hit our targets, these delays push us further away from reaching them, he's not saving anyone any money, and he is actually increasing the costs for people today by slowing down on insulation.

By comparison Liberal Democrats have a raft of ambitious, practical plans - in headline policies such as our Pre Manifesto & Tackling the Nature Crisis, as well as embedded throughout our wider plans including the Industrial strategy, Transport, Farming & Housing policies. As a sustainability professional there is no other party I would join.