Black/Parker - An Interview with the leader of the Democratic Reform Party

A few weeks ago, I collected questions from PUK on facebook and my twitter @politicsukyouth


10 questions we're picked and submitted to James Parker DRP leader via e-mail. Her is his answers.


Directly after this post, at 6p 25/10/11 he will be available for one hour on the thread this post is on on PUK to answer any follow up questions, so read and ask him something! Get involved! :)

1. What are the Democratic Reform Party’s (DRP) 3 main policies?

The National Executive Committee’s approach is to understand how all policies are interconnected and how they all affect one another; this means that they cannot be addressed separately. 


We have a process of decentralised policy making using the Online Parliament, to be officially launched shortly. Members with experience and/or qualifications act as Subject Specialists to facilitate dialogue, and enable all people to work together to construct effective policy. Therefore our policies are constantly evolving to meet the needs of the situation. 


However, if I were to pinpoint the three main areas that seriously and urgently need addressing then I would say the three E’s, which are Economic Justice, Educational Reform and Environmental Repair. As stated I believe these three areas are actually interconnected and therefore need to be addressed in a systematic and integrated way. 


To briefly summarise the three policy areas that I personally feel are important:


A, We need a wiser and more intelligent education system that allows the fullest development of students. You cannot ensure a healthy and happy future for the human race if you keep 'processing' each new generation as if their sole task is to find a good paying job. While it is important we unleash the talents of the student so that they have the skills for productive work, it is also exceptionally important that we start to educate all students on how to live wiser and happier lives, instead of just more 'profitable' ones. 


A more intelligent education system would thus not only increase happiness, but also update what has increasingly become an antiquated system with no links to the careers that people will eventually be employed in in the modern age.


B, It is time that we developed policies that ensure the economy contributes towards the well-being of all, rather than just profit maximization for the few; an agenda that will enhance ethical and sustainable trading for a fair deal for everyone. This approach has proven to be far more effective, not just because it is a good thing to do but because it is the wisest thing to do, whether it is for one's own success or for the benefit of the whole community. I believe this approach is the answer to the economic crisis. 


C, We must urgently move beyond oil dependency, using cutting edge eco-technology that is already available. It is a myth that we do not have the technology, we do. We are a nation of Shakespeare, we launched the industrial revolution, achieved some of the greatest scientific advancements, as humanity we have created the micro-chip, cracked the DNA code and landed on the moon; therefore  I know we can universally adopt renewables.


All our policies are linked into a compassionate reform agenda that seeks to enhance the well-being of all; this must be achieved through deep-rooted and far-reaching democratic and constitutional reform at a local, national and global level. 


As mentioned compassionate reform is at the heart of all of the DRP’s policies, compassion is a core principle and therefore in truth there is no specific hierarchy of policies, there are many equally important policies not mentioned and they are all equally important for the well-being of all. 

2. Should smaller parties have a "vision" or a manifesto?

They should have both, it is vital that all political movements have a clear vision that everyone understands and that this should form the narrative of the manifesto.


Our vision has led to a manifesto that seeks to reform the entire system so that it is ready to face the challenges of the 21st Century. The DRP was created in response to this urgent need for reform so that we can truly upgrade society. Our vision is to create a new, ethical politics for this the 21st Century, which calls for the deep-rooted and far-reaching reforms beyond the limited scope of the current party system. 


The 21st Century has seen ‘New Labour’ being abandoned; and the reformist social democrats and social liberals within the Liberal Democrat Party are now ineffective within the Conservative coalition. We are living in times of unprecedented global change; an information revolution, and an environmental and economic crisis are but a few things that define our era. The problems we face go beyond any one party; we therefore urgently require a new level of intelligent reform and a completely new politics. 


This is because the future is either going to be a catastrophe or a real change in human history, in which we move beyond tribalism into a new process of co-operation. This is why democratic reforms are both necessary and inevitable as the next historical leap.

3. It has been said by the DRP that you guys ‘do things differently’ - why do you think this is the case? 

We are different because the party has matured beyond tribalism; we no longer need to invest ourselves in a doctrine. We believe it is vital that we move beyond tribal thinking and towards a sense that we are not separate from one another. This is the heart of a new politic that we believe needs to emerge. 


We want to work with all people, groups, and organisations that truly care about the welfare of all and therefore want to co-operate in order to solve the escalating problems we face. There are so many problems being ignored by governments and business due to the separative and self-centred structure, which lacks the wisdom and intelligence needed to secure our future. 


We are a people-centred, inclusive party, which means unleashing the collective intelligence of the people. We seek reform on the local level - devolving power so people can do more within their local town/village, making real decisions, national – a new social contract with the people, and globally – international representative governance based on compassion and wisdom in order to solve our global problems.


If you have an interest, experience and/or expertise in certain areas and wish to work with others in a team then we want to hear from you. We intend to be a political space for (via Subject Specialisms) active participants in the process of democratic reform. This will allow for a greater level of involvement by those who have something to contribute but would otherwise be ignored by the centralised and bureaucratic system we have today. 


We seek to move to a consensual rather than adversarial politics, where we utilise the intelligence of the people in whatever field it may be. We are interested in actually putting forward ideas and alternatives; and not just engaging in a blame game in “you do that”-“well you did that” childish bickering. The new politics is about unleashing the potential of all too fully evolve our society for everyone.


We will still challenge other parities when we think that what they are advocating is wrong, but it will be done in non-personal and respectful manner, recognising that all are equally part of the process of change.


We have moved beyond the need to make enemies, attack others or be anti this or that. When we believe something is wrong we will act but it will be beyond pointless-political-point-scoring, because we want to foster a new and authentic politics.


We want to reach out and create an integrated network, create constructive dialogue that will unify our efforts, and finally fix so many of the unnecessary problems, which I don’t need to tell you exist today. We need a greater level of wisdom and intelligence in politics today, because there are a set of challenges all converging together that can no-longer be fixed by conventional thinking. 


Deep-rooted and far-reaching reform will be achieved by reaching out, so that we have a more decentralised decision making process, where all policies are important. Although we believe in strong leadership to facilitate this process of change, we also believe that this is balanced with consensual politics.


The party leaders have a responsibility to coordinate, organise and attract 'Subject Specialists', where members can be part of the policy making process on what they are passionate about. 


The Online Parliament will be more than a just discussion forum, it will be a co-operative forum, which will develop an organic policy process utilising the collective intelligence of participants. 


As mentioned the subject specialism within the Online Parliament is decentralised; this will enable us to advocate reform right across the board; and this why we’re not conventional. 


The Online Parliament will work in the same way Open Source Media currently does, which is continually evolving through teamwork. We believe this is the next stage of democracy, that being teamwork, where humanity becomes the active participants of problem-solving, using  dialogue, questioning, observation and reasoning in order to find real solutions.  


We now need to move beyond this rigid, centralised system that leads to control and conformity; and begin to utilise the openness of global interconnections. The Online Parliament will directly represent people as a whole because it will go beyond division and will acknowledge a common agreement in order to create an effective, co-operative and self-organising process. 


This is what we mean by democratic reform. These are not just words; we truly need authentic change; and we need to put an end to the playground politics that's failing to address the escalating crisis. The world can no longer wait around for politicians who are absorbed by old, separative thinking, it’s time to break the old stagnating system that is failing us and unleash a new, effective and positive politics fit for the 21st Century. 


The current political system was created before the internet, before cell phones, before global travel and before the exponential levels of information sharing across borders and cultures; this has led to a growing movement, which has now grown beyond conventional politics. It is a movement based on ethical, environmental, sustainability issues and doing what is right. This is increasingly becoming a mainstream phenomenon. 


Therefore deep-rooted and far-reaching reforms are not only vital but inevitable in this decade. It is serious times for serious politics; it is time to upgrade the system using our common sense, wisdom and intelligence. 

4. What is the DRP "route" into mainstream politics (eg. local elections, Scottish, Euros...)

We will create a groundswell of support from the growing number of people who care about the country and the world but have grown beyond the current system and therefore feel disengaged and often frustrated with it.


The DRP is a movement for real change; it is a new kind political orientation where we will work with all those people who want to see a positive politics and real improvements in the world. It is beyond rhetoric, it is about actually facing the reality of the problems, rather than being absorbed in an out-dated system that prevents clarity. 


This is actually the mainstream now; it is just the media are still focused on the old. We may be currently a small party but we are not a fringe one; we believe that we are at the epicentre of a new mainstream politics for the 21st century.  

5. Would you say you are on the left, the right, the centre or another third way? 

We would use the label centre-left but it depends on where you think the centre ground is at the moment – the centre ground is a sensible position and we aim to define it. However, while we recognise the significance of the left/right paradigm, we also want to move beyond it. This paradigm emerged over the last century, but this new century needs wisdom and compassion to become the new focus of the political conversation. 


For instance, Martin Luther King was a very wise political leader; his actions went beyond the left/right paradigm. It is within this context that a new serious politics must clearly move beyond the left/right paradigm and start a new conversation on real democratic reforms.


Today we need leaders with vision and intelligence, willing to work for the rights and freedom of ‘everyone’ with compassion, wisdom and a spirit of determination. I personally believe there is always a wise solution to a problem, which goes beyond left and right thinking. This can be empirically seen by the influences of such political leaders like Martin Luther King. 


Can politicians solve our problems while we remain passive observers rather than active participants? To merely verbalise about change with words of freedom, responsibility, fairness surely is just rhetoric, we have heard the same words over and over again and yet the problems remain. 


Can the problems we face be tackled separately without looking deeply at them? While we are competing over ideas then, I feel, there won't be a radical change in the world, a change that is urgently needed for our survival. The ideas we have accumulated will not save us, what will save us is freeing our self from ideas that others have given us and actually looking together at the current problems. We must face our problems with maturity, as a total process beyond them being separate parts.


The current government is only concerned with superficial change, not with understanding the problems deeply. This is because we have given authority to other people who distract us from the deeper issues. It is for this reason that I feel real change cannot happen until we see that the individual and society are one; because without each one of us the society does not exist. 


There won’t be a real change until we truly see this and understand our common accord, where we become active participants in the process of change. This is what the DRP is about; we cannot continue with the present society for much longer, we need democratic reform, not on ideology but in our relationships, working together beyond our own imposition; human to human. This cooperation must transcend beliefs; cooperation depends on facing the reality, the truth of our collective relationship with each other. 


The DRP will seek to find clarity on the issues. We will go beyond political expediency by looking honestly on what to do about it, and we believe this will gather the support of a significant number of the population.

6. What is your policy on ‘votes at 16‘?

My view is for people to be able to vote at 16. However, we are recruiting Subject Specialists in the area of electoral reform in order to try and objectively research into these issues, find out the pros and cons and research into the needs and demands for such a change. 


Personally, I am always for a progressive agenda. In my view changing the age to 16 will encourage younger people to engage in politics. It will give them the political education needed to become well-informed citizens.  


At 16 you can get a job, move into your own accommodation, pay tax, and be treated as an adult. It is right that you should also be able to vote. I believe 16 years olds have the ability to make informed democratic decisions and offer democracy a fresh perspective. 

7. What is your own personal view on ‘benefit tourism’?

The issue of ‘benefit tourism’ does not exist within a vacuum, as mentioned above it is not a separate issue; it is the by-product of a macro picture. Destructive competition between nations has produced the human need to find prosperity elsewhere. The wealthier nations have prevented the poorer nations from developing fair and free trading for decades; the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is but one example. 


Therefore our greed in the West is partly responsible from this disparity of wealth.  I do not believe that people travel from across Europe to then live on benefits. Research and evidence does not suggest that a large number of people from Eastern Europe are claiming benefits in Western Europe. 


EU migrants must meet the usual Habitual Residence Tests in order to register for British National Insurance (without a National Insurance number you can't receive any benefits), and are in fact moving to other areas of the EU where employment opportunities are better. 


Migration is a global occurrence and is not caused by the UK benefits system alone. Therefore the issue is more to do with the organic growth of global migration due to globalisation, which often challenges the supremacy of the nation state. However it is vital that we look at the reality of immigration, go beyond fear and look at both the pros and cons in an honest and compassionate way.


During economic downturns it’s natural for people to seek a scapegoat, and unfortunately immigrants are increasingly being targeted as scapegoats today. We seek to tackle discrimination wherever we see it, for although it is right that the state acts to maintain a sustainable level of immigration, immigration itself is healthy, and beneficial to our society. 


Immigration has enriched our society, bringing new foods, art, ideas, music and culture. It has benefited our economy; with positive impacts on our GDP in almost every report. And it has also helped to alleviate the growing costs of our pensions system. 


We benefit from immigration in many ways but there are also problems with the national immigration system that needs a total overall through deep policy analysis.  


We need immigrants to be included into the over-arching British culture in order to integrate into our communities and therefore end the scapegoating. This is also linked into the need for a wiser education system. 


We need to launch Community Integration Initiatives, run by local people; Subject Specialists are currently researching into this issue. 


I know such an issue can raise much anger especially when people feel that the economic system is not providing them with what they need; together with a sense that the community is being eroded. 


It is immature to just label such people as dogmatists when people have real concerns about immigration; however the negative aspects that manifest due to immigration are mere symptoms of much deeper causes. If we are to solve this problem then we need to seriously look at these causes, such as the lack of global economic justice, the need for an ethical economy and developing real jobs that reflect the talents of the people. 


As mentioned we also need a wiser education system that encourages students to think beyond the limitations of their environment and become active participants in the process of change.  


So we can get as angry as we like but it is not going to change the situation, it will only change if we face the reality and work together in order to fix it. 

8. Under your leadership, where do you see the DRP in a year’s time?

I want to increase membership at an exponential level by offering something new and positive, which has been mentioned above. It is quite possible for the DRP to be widely known and supported this time next year. 


Anything is possible in this day and age; what seemed impossible only a few year years ago no longer seems so now. For example, post 9/11, when the world was focused on terrorism, who would have thought that only seven years later a President named Barack ‘Hussein’ Obama would enter the Whitehouse? 


So I don’t want to put any limitations on it. 

9. Why should people join your party?

They should join if they are serious about making real change in the world. We want people who are in it for the right reasons and truly care about the world and its future. We no longer need an individualism that is just about competing against others for control and resources. And nor is it about a collective that blindly conforms to a uniform and standardised rule. 


Therefore people should join if they want to be part of real change and resonate with our message of a new form of politics based on a greater sense of co-operation, positivity, honesty, and people-centred participation, which empowers people to be a light unto themselves. 


We want to work with active participants for change; people who have moved beyond consumerism and self-seeking individualism of established society. The internet has opened up greater international cooperation and interconnection between ethical groups across the world, groups that truly care and simply want to work for the right reasons. However; they fail in many respects because of their single issue and fractional approach. 


It is for this reason that we aim to be a political tool that will organise the parts into a coherent whole, creating unification under a new altruistic and humanitarian agenda. The Online Parliament aims to encourage this by moving beyond a passive democracy and towards an empowered, active participative democracy.


This is beyond ideas like ‘being given power’ or ‘bottom up’ approaches; it is about excising the inherent power we already have, the sense of unity that we already have, simply because we exist and are part of this marvelous Earth. 


Politics takes up so much of our publications and media, politicians seem to dominate our airwaves with slogans and sound bites. The debates are generally centered on position and power, influencing people’s opinions and decisions. 


Politics is like a game show - with ceremony, ritual and myths, while the real and pressing problems, which we all face together, are ignored. It seems that the media think we are more interested in the political show itself than seriously understanding our collective problems and solving them. My aim as leader is to face this reality, a reality that must be confronted.


Our politicians repeat the same slogans and ideology and hide the shallowness of their answers. Politicians endlessly manipulate the symptoms and hope to bring a change in our society. Politics in its current form seems to only address the symptoms that keep occurring and escalating; we are absorbed in the ever increasing symptoms. Do we believe this approach will ever succeed? 


This approach will always lead to the same cycle of failure that has been repeating itself through political history, regardless of ideology and political parties. 


The outer affects the inner and the inner affects the outer; life is a total cyclic process. The outer and the inner cannot be separated; they are constantly affecting each other. This is a whole process and does not simply depend on human-created politics or economics alone. It does not function like a game show; it is an intelligent process of growth and renewal, and beyond the authority of the show.


It is for this reason that we need to go beyond the superficial politics and enter a new politics based on wisdom, intelligence and a greater sense of unity and understanding. This does not come about through following any particular authority, through any political ideology; it comes through comprehensive understanding. 


This awareness goes beyond the conditioning of repetitive slogans and sound bites that are given to us on the airwaves; this understanding is to penetrate into deeper layers of life.


We are therefore interested in working with those that have gone beyond the superficial, who have looked deeply at the problems and want to work together in order to solve them before we destroy ourselves. 


We believe a new democracy must be fluid and organic, which empowers each creative, unique and diverse individual to work together and truly create these solutions. 

10. What is your main aim as leader of the DRP?

I will aim to increase membership and coordinate the distinct parts into a coherent and unified whole. This will require a leader who works in a systematic way, rather than in a top-down, hierarchical way. This means I recognise that each part is an equal expression of the whole and the leader is not higher or lower but a first among equals. 


I want to inspire others to be their own leader in whatever way they want to contribute. I also want to help the party to reach out beyond itself, beyond being just another fragment fighting against other fragments. I want this party to be something truly new and unique, something never been seen before, a unifying force that aims to go beyond the old divisions and work for the common good.


I will work with the many who care and are already working to bring about a more peaceful and ethical world. In order to tackle the escalating problems that we all face, leaders need to act with both heart and mind alongside the collective intelligence of the people. There are many problems in the world today all converging into a set of challenges that conventional thinking is simply not capable of addressing.


This is the reason I stood -to represent you and to serve the collective needs of the people. We need decisions made by free individuals -- not by Liberals, Socialists or Conservatives but by those who truly care about society as a whole.  


I will work for those who feel left out and unrepresented by mainstream politics but still care and feel concerned about many of the issues we face. It is time to introduce ethical authority into politics and place this above the current power structures. 


It is by working together, networking and coordinating our efforts that we can continue to strengthen and build a truly effect and transformative global ethical movement. In doing so, we can finally eradicate failing practices and implement real ethical change for the welfare of the whole community.


My aim is to always put people above the party and thus our primary goal is to help people for the welfare of all. This is what leadership is, it is about seeing that the solution lies in the heart of the problem. 

**

Thanks James - enjoy the Q+A on the boards PUK!