Why Centrism?

Together we can REALLY take back control.   Unlike other parties, we are not seeking to impose a pre-set vision of society on the electorate.   Rather, we are seeking to change the way decisions are made so that the electorate changes society to what it wants it to be.

For many people our traditional political processes are simply not working.  The forces of globalism and free trade have brought prosperity to many but despair and disillusionment to many others.  Populist votes have shown the degree of resentment.  The world has become more dangerous as resentment turns to increasingly violent protest.

But we can change all that.  There have been many wonderful slogans in the past:-

• Take back control
• From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs
• Education, education, education
• The invisible hand of free markets working for the common good
• YES WE CAN

We can deliver on all these – a lot in one 5 year parliamentary term, all of it in two.  The problem in the past has been that we have fought among ourselves rather than pulling together.  Centrism will address all the issues one after the other, consult the electorate in an honest spin-free debate and decide to implement the solutions that are effective and supported by the consensus.  The People in control.  Rational management.  Progress on all issues.  Togetherness.  Peace.  Prosperity.  Happiness.  It’s all possible

Our Programme sets out the reforms we propose to make.  In many areas, such as education or health, unlike the other parties, we are not setting out a predetermined programme of change; rather we are pointing out the different possibilities and showing how we would make the decision and ensure it was supported by the people.

And the days are gone when political debate was a polarised contest between ideologies – state ownership vs free enterprise as the underlying system.  Nowadays Left and Right represent a spectrum of preferences, particularly over the extent of state involvement in the lives of citizens within a regulated, capitalist market economy.   A spectrum with a central majority allows us to move away from adversarial politics and towards the central consensus – recognising what people want and giving it to them.

This gives us a huge opportunity to improve the lives of our citizens by sweeping away the complexity and enormous cost of Government inherited from the decades of gladiatorial politics.  Just doing Government properly.  It’s time for change.

In our Manifesto we set out how we might determine the consensus and take the decisions to move towards it.  It is set out as a logical analysis from the truism that everyone wants to be happy down to a programme of proposed actions to make sure people are happy.

Statistically 68% of us are Centrists – having attitudes, views, preferences, opinions close to the average. Only 16% of the population have the extremist views at either end of the population.   Why then do we allow these extremists to control the political debate? It’s madness. In any sensible system the quiet, sensible, consensus seeking middle ground would set the agenda.

Are you a centrist?  Take the quiz to find out.  Then read how we  can make it happen