UK General Election 2019 - Debate Thread

[Lumine]

Change UK:

Debate Answers

1. What is your position on Brexit? If you support Brexit, how will you enact the actual policy of Britain leaving the European Union? If you oppose Brexit, what is your plan to reverse Articel 50 being invoked by then-Prime Minister Andrea Leadsom?

As we've made it clear again and again we believe Brexit has been an unmitigated disaster which has already divided the United Kingdom, put a major strain on the economy, endangered the union and pushed politics to the brink. Let there be no mistake that Change UK is a party which passionately believes in continued membership of the EU as well as on the dream of cooperation with our European neighbors, all too often demonized by irresponsible politicians who want to win votes by promoting fear and division.

As a result, not only we strongly reject the notion of a no-Deal Brexit and would push to suspend Article 50 if such an outcome appeared imminent, we believe it is time for the people to make an informed decision knowing what we know now. We will push for a People's Vote with Remain on the ballot, we will campaign for Remain as strongly as we can on that vote, and if we lead the next government we will do our best to ensure not only we remain on the EU, but that we become a positive voice for change and reform within the EU.

2. More than 300,000 people are homeless in this country and scores more are living in temporary housing. If elected Prime Minister, what will you do to address this crisis?

It is indeed a truly staggering number, and a clear example of how badly successive Conservative-led or Labour-led governments have let ordinary, hard-working people down. Anyone who aspires to lead the United Kingdom as Prime Minister should know that the first duty of a government is to work towards the well-being of their citizens, and that does not merely involve being responsible with public spending, it means being humane and compassionate when it comes to situations such as this.

That is why we've insisted on the notion of a "Social Market Economy", an economy that cares about Britons without descending on the usual Labour-Lib Dem mania of throwing money at problems without finding workable solutions or involving the state in what usually ends up being a bureaucratic nightmare. And likewise, without descending on the Conservative or UKIP approach of either cutting public spending to the point in which nothing can be done or merely leaving the situation as it is.

This level of homelessness represents the Economy of Despair, and a Change UK government will seek to tackle this crisis by initiating a new home-building scheme that respects the Green belt, ensuring public spending towards housing and homelessness is reasonably increased and promoting home ownership. 

3. Reform of the House of Lords has become a hot-button political issue in this campaign. How would you like to see the Lords reformed, if at all.

Oh, it absolutely has to be reformed, no question about it. This is a modern, forward-thinking democracy which needs institutions which are compatible with the present times, and having an un-elected second chamber with hereditary peers or political appointees is not only remarkably undemocratic, it can also mean politicians are too tempted to ensure their friends receive a peerage.

Unlike what Mr. Cameron would have you believe, reforming the House of Lords does not mean ignoring its contributions or the important role of a second chamber. It means ensuring that second house is actually representative of what the people voted for. I find it risible some believe it isn't important to address Lords reform even if it's not the biggest priority of the moment, because this is a part of our political system in desperate need for change.

Our solution is simple, Change UK will reform the House of Lords into a fully elected body - via a proportional voting system - and see to it that elections to the House of Lords are conducted alongside General Elections. This is a modern society and it should be up to the voters to decide, not to the whims of a Prime Minister or due to hereditary reasons.

4. Britain has suffered several major terror attacks over the last few years, including the Manchester Arena bombing and the Westminster Bridge attack; Jo Cox was shot to death in 2016, and, just last week, Arder Carson was brutally stabbed to death in his constituency. How will a Government led by you ensure Britons remain safe in their own neighborhoods?

It is certainly a very concerning situation that has been developing in terms of terrorism, and one which successive governments have failed to address by constantly cutting funding for security and our national defence, by promoting fear and distrust, by poisoning our politics with messages of hatred, or by trying to appeal to the political extremes in this nation. As politicians we have a duty to keep Britons safe, and Westminster has not been up to the task in the slightest.

Change UK believes in a robust, strong national defence and on ensuring Britons are safe and feel safe as they go about their lives. That is why we must reverse the highly damaging cuts to defence and to the police, as well as maintain our nuclear deterrent. That is why we must introduce new government strategies to tackle extremism, to fight against cyber-crime and cyber-terrorism, to ensure criminals are not only properly sentenced, but actually rehabilitated instead of sent back to the streets to repeat the cycle.

5. Mrs. Soubry, is Change UK a left-of-center or a right-of-center party? Some have criticized you, a former Conservative MP, for endorsing and campaigning on what many have described as a manifesto of the left. Your response?

I have to say I find this obsession with narrowing a party within such a simplistic description to be rather outdated in this day and age. One of the reasons why we find ourselves in this complicated situation is because several parties have decided to give in to extremism and move away from the political center, whilst at the same time defending some rather outdated ways of thinking for the sake of their own ideologies. They refuse to consider that "the other side" might actually have good ideas as well, and reject those ideas simply because they came from a different source.

The policies in our manifesto are not there because they're center-left or center-right, they're there because to us they feel necessary for the United Kingdom, and the best course to follow for a better future. Some are more aligned with the left, some more aligned with the right, but above all, this is a common sense manifesto which seeks to correct some of the most pressing issues Britain faces today and which seeks to represent mainstream Britain by taking a firm stand on security, protecting the environment, seeking a more compassionate economy, fighting against Brexit and reforming our politics.

If anything, this is a vision of radical centrism. Centrist, because it moves away from unrealistic, bitter extremes in order to represent mainstream Britain and provide ordinary Britons with a voice. And Radical, because we do not believe in keeping things exactly as they are, we believe in change.

[Lumine]

Change UK:

Debate Answers

Do you believe that Britain can, or should, become carbon neutral in its energy production?

Absolutely, no ifs or buts. The fact is that through the inaction of politicians both in the UK and abroad the environment has been pushed to the brink of disaster, and if we fail in the challenge to correct that before it becomes too late it will be our children and our grandchildren who will pay the price of an inability to properly tackle the climate crisis. As a mother I can tell you the last thing I want is to see the future generations live out in a Britain devastated by the recklessness, denial and greed which has causes so much harm already.

And becoming a carbon neutral nation is a crucial part of that. We need to lead on this issue domestically and on the world stage as an unequivocal voice in favor of preserving the environment and promoting new sources of energy, and it is our firm manifesto commitment to achieve this by 2030 as we promote a diverse base of renewable energies to fuel our economy and our homes. I am very glad most of us on this stage happen to agree on this, but I have to say I’m disappointed that the Prime Minister seems to believe 2050 – thirty more years! – is the proper target for the UK. The time to act is now, Mr. Cameron, not tomorrow.

Based on all polls and projections, no single party will come close to commanding an absolute majority in Westminster. What is your position on coalition building in the Commons? Do you believe coalitions are an advantage or a disadvantage to the proportional, party-list system?

I think it’s a great advantage for the UK and something which fundamentally works to change politics for the better. It is not easy to transition to a new system for any nation, but we’re starting to learn the value of coalition-building and cross party cooperation and we have seen both extremes that can arise from this: politicians who fail to compromise and decide to divide and rule by fear, like the Coalition of Chaos, and politicians able to work together for the good of the country, like so many of my colleagues have proved by working in Parliament to stop a blind Brexit or a No-Deal Brexit. Our old system discarded the votes of millions of Britons and kept their voices out of Parliament.

As to what will happen after the election, I can say right now that although we recognize the enormity of the challenge caused by the incompetence of the Brexiteers we in Change UK are prepared and willing to lead in the national interest. If we win on this election or we are in a position to form a modern, decisive and forward-thinking government with other parties that will secure a Second Referendum and so many other necessary reforms we will attempt to do so. If we are in a position to support a government that will secure that Referendum, we will also do our best to negotiate and give Britain a better government.

Britain needs a strong government, and regardless of the results I very much hope no leader attempts to rule as a minority government on his own. The stakes are just too high to put partisan self-interest above the needs of the public.

If Britain cannot negotiate a withdrawal agreement with the EU by October 31, how would your government proceed? Would you attempt another extension, would you go forward without a deal, or would you end the Brexit process entirely?

Under no circumstances will I never consider a blind Brexit or a no-deal Brexit to be acceptable, and frankly I would reject the notion that seems to come out of arsonists like Mr. Farage or Mr. Nuttall regarding the UK willingly committing economic suicide. It seems clear to me we have reached a point in which we need a clear mandate from the people as to where to proceed with this complex process the Coalition of Chaos has handled so badly, so divisively and so narrowly focused on partisan self-interest. This because not only the circumstances have changed, the British people having been explicitly told in the referendum No-Deal was not an option, but because the referendum campaign was won on the basis of outright false promises we now know to be fantasies-

The people deserve to have a second referendum, a people’s vote to make a formal decision between concrete alternatives as opposed to vague statements that fail to address the issue. A Change UK-led government will request an immediate extension from the EU the day after taking office and put a bill for a second referendum before parliament, and we will campaign with all out strength and our passion to Remain in the EU, to keep our seat at the table and to prevent the clear damage Brexit will do to our economy, to the union, and to the people. Such would be the damage coming from a No-Deal Brexit that we would be prepared to revoke Article 50 if it means preventing it.

I do find it risible that the Prime Minister is under the delusion that giving the people a direct vote is to overturn their will, and even more, that he is so confident about the notion of a few deal without giving any details. Which deal will you even negotiate, Mr. Cameron?

There are reports that the American Major League Baseball Association is in talks with local business owners about operating a MLB franchise in the United Kingdom. Having seen the success of the MLB's London series earlier this summer, what is your position on an MLB club calling the British Isles their home?

I don’t mind it, really, I think we should welcome foreign investment in Britain as long as it follows the appropriate guidelines, laws and regulations, and also welcome the notion of new jobs being created in our country though what seems to be something rather harmless. I do find it rather odd Mrs. Swinson has chosen to scaremonger here by either portraying this as some sort of tax-evasion Trojan horse or trying to score points – I have to imagine that’s the goal here – by playing an anti-American tune she believes might resonate with the audience. Baseball, I might add, is hardly comparable to Mr. Trump, and it’s not helpful nor open minded to fall into stereotypes here.

Do you support or oppose such projects as the new runway at Heathrow, HS2, and Crossrail?

Generally speaking, I think the state of infrastructure in the UK has deteriorated significantly in the past few years of Labour or Conservative governments, often lacking proper support, consultation and funding for smaller or rural communities that are either left behind or negatively impacted by large-scale projects. That worries me, because instead of pursuing a more sensible approach towards necessary improvements in infrastructure that could actively benefit the economy, create new jobs and benefit transport across the UK; we’re left with an outdated approach which often neglects environmental concerns or the voice of communities.

Ms. Soubry, would your Government support the public spending that was needed to fund the 2012 Olympics in order to host future global sporting events, including a possible 2030 World Cup?

In one word, yes. Although it is a fact that the Olympic Games did cost far more than it was estimated, the truth is that the London Olympics were a triumph for the United Kingdom and an extremely positive experience for many of our citizens, and an investment that was worth its cost. Studies show the economic boost to London, the South East and other regions significantly outweighed the cost in public spending, thousands of Britons saw a positive impact from the games on health, economic and social terms, and it had a positive impact on our standing and perception in the world, all of them worthy objectives that any responsible government would be pursuing.

I’d be wary from offering a blank cheque because I do not believe in them, but it’s clear to me this instance of public spending was absolutely worth its cost and we should be pursuing further events to be hosted in the UK so the people can directly benefit from them.