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Simpol-UK

Press Release - 8 June 2004

Pledges of support to new democracy campaign could decide Euro election results

Click here for the current state of pledges

Candidates in the forthcoming European Parliament election could see their chance of success hanging on support for the Simultaneous Policy (SP) campaign. SP Adopters undertake to vote for any candidate, within reason, who signs a pledge of support for the campaign. Green MEP, Caroline Lucas, signed the pledge today. The aim is to build cross-party and international support for the Simultaneous Policy, a package of measures to address global problems such as climate change, unsustainability and unfair trade.

SP Adopters in different regions will be voting for candidates who have signed a pledge to implement the Simultaneous Policy alongside other governments when all, or sufficient, other governments have made the same pledge.

The policy package is being developed by Adopters across the world and will ultimately be put to approval by all citizens. SP is a process as well as a package of policies. Candidates who sign the pledge are agreeing in principle to implement, alongside other governments, policies developed and approved by the people of the world. The campaign aims to break the influence of transnational corporations and financial markets on policy setting.

Green MEP Caroline Lucas is the latest candidate to sign the SP pledge.
Click here for Caroline's website
where this photo appears.

Simpol-UK Local Group Network Coordinator, Mike Brady, said:

"As things stand, SP Adopters in the South East will be voting Green, while in the East they will vote LibDem. The point of difference between candidates is whether they have signed the SP candidate's pledge or not. We aim to ensure only candidates who have signed the pledge are elected. Adopters with a party preference may alternatively encourage their preferred party to support SP."

Adopters in the South-East report that Caroline Lucas was elected to the European Parliament at the last election by a margin of just 249 votes. Support for SP could make all the difference this time around.

When the Simultaneous Policy was first proposed in John Bunzl's book with that title, veteran campaigner and author Noam Chomsky commented: "It's ambitious and provocative. Can it work? Certainly worth a serious try."

Mike Brady said:

"The European elections are just the beginning. By the time of the general election we aim to have far greater support so that signing the SP candidate's pledge will make the difference between winning and losing in marginal constituencies. Our obligation to the international campaign is to achieve a UK government that has pledged to implement SP alongside other nations."

For further information contact Mike Brady on 07986 736179 and see the Local Group Network site http://spdev.gn.apc.org/

State of the parties

Simpol-UK recommends that SP Adopters vote for candidates who have signed the pledge, if they do not find them 'unreasonable' or, alternatively, to encourage their preferred party to support SP.

In constituencies where no European Parliament election candidate has signed the pledge, Adopters may wish to consider spoiling their ballot paper by writing the words 'Simultaneous Policy' on it. This will add to the count of spoiled ballots and the words will be read during the counting, encouraging parties to sign the candidate's pledge in future elections.

The state of the parties in different constituencies is as follows as at 13.15 on 9 June 2004 (the number in brackets is the position of the candidate on the party list, where candidate 1 would be elected first from the list):
Constituency
Parties with candidates signing the pledge
East Midlands Green Party (2 and 3 but arrived late)
Eastern Liberal Democrats (4)
London Green Party (4, but arrived late)
North East None
North West None
South East Green Party (1 and 9)
South West None
West Midlands Green Party (6)
Yorkshire and Humberside None
Wales None
Scotland None
Northern Ireland None

Details of constituents and candidates are available on the Election Demon website.

Notes:

  1. The first candidate to sign the SP candidate's pledge was Rosalind Gill, a Cambridge-based LibDem candidate. See the New Statesman 10 May for further information.

  2. It is not yet possible to present what the Simultaneous Policy package will contain as the process of development is at an early stage. As greater numbers become involved in the campaign the primary issues to be addressed will emerge through policy fora held around the world under the guidance of National and Global Policy Boards. The Simultaneous Policy package will be put forward for approval by the people of all countries prior to implementation.

  3. The UK Simultaneous Policy Organistion (Simpol-UK) was incorporated on 22 March this year and SP Adopters around the country are beginning to form local groups. The Founding Declaration for Simpol-UK (click here) provides additional information. Adopters in other countries are also active and network through the International Simultaneous Policy Organisation (ISPO) - see http://www.simpol.org/

  4. SP's starting point is that we live in pseudo-democracies because governments are limited in the action they can take as they fear disinvestment and loss of jobs if they introduce policies which are distasteful to transnational corporations and financial markets. Human rights and the environment take second place to what is best for 'the economy' and voters become increasingly apathetic, it is argued. SP puts 'we, the people' in charge of deciding the global rules which shape our world and the campaign strategy compels politicians to implement that package of policies when all, or sufficient, other governments have also pledged to do so. Simultaneous implementation removes the threat of disinvestment.

  5. Endorsements for the SP strategy can be found on the website http://www.simpol.org/ In April it was announced that Jose Ramos-Horta:
    Foreign Minister, East Timor and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, 1996, had given his support, stating: "I am pleased to confirm to you my interest in endorsing the SP campaign and to be as active in its support as I can."

  6. SP Adopters are delivering leaflets door-to-door with the message: "Had enough of politicians? At the European elections why not vote for yourself? SP - how to use democracy to put the people in charge. Only vote for candidates who pledge to implement the Simultaneous Policy."