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Paul
Thanks
I agree we should take advantage of the fact we are outside of the euro and can control our own interest rates as part of an independent fiscal policy.
I believe that education is all important and should be available to all from cradle to grave. We need to encourage youth to get educated and look to break benefit dependency. My personal view is that we should offer 16-18 year olds a "wage" to stay in education or vocational training, or failing that delivering community service. This should be less than current unemployment benefit levels, but no one below the age of 18 and no one who has never had a job should be entitled to unemployment benefit.
We should also seek to eliminate tuition fees as early as possible as it gives students the wrong start to adulthood to be saddled with £15-20k of debt before they even get a job.
With regard to low level crime, I want to get rid of ASBOs as they are a waste of time and resources. I would replace them with a policy of fines for the first 3 offences (that would currently result in an ASBO,) the third offence would automatically get 30 days in jail, each subsequent offence would double the previous custodial scentence. These people will learn that we should not have to and will not tolerate low level anti social behaviour such as noise nuisance, public drunkeness, fighting, public order offences etc. I would also introduce a similar approach to motor offences, get caught speeding more than once then you loose your licence for 2 weeks and get a fine related to the amount over the speed limit, next offences this doubles and so-on.
We also need to consider how best to get the most out of the current police budgets and increase officer hours out dealing with/preventing crime, this could include getting rid of some of the ludicrous form filling to generate stats, but also perhaps replacing a small number of PCSOs with decent support staff to complete what paperwork is required.
The state needs to encourage and assist business, particularly small business, through a range of measures including reducing employers NI, providing soft loans where jobs are or will be created, provide grants to assist SMEs deliver training and education etc.. But we must step back and then let business stand or fall on its own merits. With regard to financial services regulatory oversight and activity needs to be removed from the Treasury entirely (it is not their function and never should be) and divided between the BoE & FSA; the former taking the macro view, the latter the micro view. By removing the Treasury form the equation we ensure at least a modicum of independence and reduce the ability of ministers to interfere. Banks should be clearly divided between retail and investment with these entities being housed in separate subsidiaries that are not allowed to cross subsidise and are ring fenced to protect consumer deposits from contagion from the market making/investment activities.
There is loads more but that will do for now