Castles in the air

Proposals for a new regime:

1. Redefine ‘national defence’ to include defence against the things that are most likely to harm people: ill health, homelessness, ignorance and climate change. Reallocate defence spending and associated human resources to health, education, social housing and renewable energy/energy efficiency industries.
2. House members of parliament in halls of residence akin to an academic college instead of providing them all with houses in the most expensive city in the country. Add the houses they would otherwise occupy to the social housing stock.
3. Require all elected representatives to serve 6 months’ apprenticeship in service to those most in need, so that when they come to debate policy they can imagine the lives of the people affected.
4. Restrict ‘campaigning’ to production and distribution of anonymised manifestos, paid for by the state and presented in the same style and format so that only the content differs.