There were a lot of great things about growing up in the North West in the 70s and 80s, people were friendly and looked out for each other, we had a great sense of community, we took risks, and we grew up with a strong work ethic. Not only that, but television was better too!
However, I became increasingly aware of inequality in our society and the impact that recession can have on communities and families. It has always seemed unfair to me that two people,who work equally hard, striving to provide a home for themselves and their families, should be paid vastly different wages. It also irked me that women were not paid as much as men.
Inequality in the workplace needs addressing
I appreciate that some people have more difficult jobs and, in some cases, have to train for much longer to get the appropriate qualifications and skills, so some people will always be paid more than others but really, how can someone working in IT or sales, for example, be paid twice as much as a nurse or a teacher?
This sense of inequality led me to join the Labour Party where I was a member for many years. I also stood as a candidate for Labour in the 2010 General Election. Although Labour did some good work in the late 90s and early 00s, I have felt over the last few years that they have lost their way.
The world has changed and needs a new approach
In addition to this the world is now a very different place. Over the past two decades we have seen the world ‘globalising’, and whether you are for or against globalisation, you can’t stop it. The world’s economies and supply chains are interlinked, major global corporations dominate and control the marketplace and, increasingly, the political space. Governments now kowtow to large corporations not the other way around.
Raw materials for our products are becoming scarce and competition to secure these resources is rife. It’s a land grab. The biggest, richest and most powerful nations will be the most successful.
Our future prosperity and security is no longer a matter of survival of the fittest but will be about survival of the biggest.
Britain needs to be part of a united Europe
Britain needs to not only survive, it also needs to thrive if we are to address stagnating wages and address inequality. To do this, we need to be part of something bigger. We need to be part of a united Europe that could become a world superpower.
What would Britain’s role be you may ask? Well, us British are excellent innovators for one, but above that we have always provided leadership on the world stage. I firmly believe that Britain can provide a strong leadership role within a united Europe. Ultimately Europe will unite with or without us, and I want to see Britain leading front and centre of a united Europe otherwise we risk getting left behind.
So why did I choose to join Volt?
Sadly, the mainstream parties are either too populist or too politically correct these days. In my view they lack the courage to be honest with people, and their ‘top-down’ approach of telling us, the people, what we can and can’t do, coupled with pointless and harmful tribalism, is an antiquated system for a by-gone age. We need a political renaissance so that our elected officials genuinely represent the views of the people they represent, not just their own political party.
Politicians and political parties in the future need to become the custodians and advocates of our shared values and ambition whilst implementing the thinnest veneer of government possible to bring to life the voice of the people.
With this in mind, I decided to set up a new political party that would aim to unite the people of Europe, unite the sensible middle ground of British politics and transform how democracy works. I got lucky as when I did a little research it turned out someone had already done the hard work for me and set up Volt! So, I joined, and I am now the party leader of Volt UK. I don’t get paid, it’s hard work but it’s important work.
About Volt
Volt is a Pan-European political party that provides hope, aspiration, forward thinking and, most importantly, a strong voice for the vast majority of the ¾ billion like-minded Europeans who are fed up with the old, failing, divisive political parties and institutions across Europe. Global problems such as climate change, security, immigration, the rise of nationalism and challenges to democracy all require global solutions. We want a strong, reformed Europe that unites us all, and that can rise to meet these challenges.
Thanks for reading.
