Welcome to the Community
Please choose one of the options below to log in and get stuck in!
Leadership
Morning Everyone,
I was alarmed to receive an e-mail last week confirming how close the party came recently to going out of existence in the UK and the contents of this memo were enough to shake me out of my inertia. I think that in many ways the Pirate Party is an idea whose time has come and so it would be particularly ironic if the Pirates were to disappear just as a degree of extreme fluidity was being injected into the British political scene. The UK political scene is dominated by parties who insist on either defining themselves on left-right-centre terms or else defining themselves by way of particular interests, intersectionality in the case of the Womens Equality Party, environmentalism in the case of the Greens, nationalism in the case of the SNP and Plaid Cymru. The two parties less obviously on the left/right scale have both missed the chance to present something different to the electorate. The Lib Dems by taking the decision to place themselves firmly in the 'centre' following Jeremy Corbyn's victory rather than explore their more interesting liberal and social libertarian ideas and UKIP by purely playing to the 'lowest common denominator' and adopting populist policies designed to play on peoples fears and prejudices purely for the purpose of garnering votes. For those in the, I would say, modern electorate, then, what are the options for those looking for a progressive, participatory form of politics looking to engage in consensus politics that is radical but refuses to conform to or create its own ideology. I think everyone reading this forum knows that the Pirate Party occupies this space.
Over the years I have become disillusioned with mainstream party politics. Like our former leader Loz Kaye I started my political journey in Labour and left the party at about the same time he did. Unlike him I then joined the Greens and spent 15 years in the party becoming a local councillor and running for parliament twice. Most recently I have until 2014 been a member and then Deputy Leader of RESPECT before leaving mainly due to the total deficit of democracy within that organisation, as well as some pretty major policy differences. I wouldn't have had a problem if those policies had come up from the grassroots membership but they didn't, they were largely dictated down by the 'triumvirate of influence' that runs that party, 2 out of the 3 being unelected. The job of a party's leadership is, in my opinion, to communicate and explain the policies decided by the membership and, of course, to lead. It is not to instigate and drive personal policy agendas, or at least no more so than any other member of the party has the right to do so. So to cut a long story short I left and since then have been watching politics more as an observer as I undertake a Politics and International Development degree with the Open University, whilst also working full-time.
Like everyone else in the world (seemingly) I do of course have no free time. However I am prepared to create some space in my diary and to set about attempting to revive, or indeed to create, some interest in the Pirates and to take them to a level commensurate with the undoubted interest levels in wider society of what the party has to offer. With that in mind I am prepared to offer myself forward for the vacant post of party leader and to seek out a seconder for the role from this forum. As I've said earlier in a democratic party like the Pirates I see the role of Leader as being more of a facilitator and communicator with policy very much driven by the membership. I bring a fair degree of communication skills to the table having previously been a professional actor, journalist and broadcaster (all of this work carried out under my Equity name of Dave Edler). Having previously been in a leadership position of a small political party (and for 6 months as Acting Leader) I know both the constraints and the opportunities that this presents if the democratic and operating frameworks are right. As my area of specialism was election strategy and organisation, something I helped with in the Greens, I can also put in place strategies that will begin to form the basic frameworks necessary for electoral success in the longer term future.
I obviously have a lot more to say but this is my opening gambit, so to speak. If anyone would like a more personal discussion then please indicate and I will facilitate this on whatever platform you would prefer. Pirates are generally good at boarding and making the most of sinking ships and so maybe this is the most opportune time to be wearing the Captain's hat.
Best Regards
Dawud Islam
I was alarmed to receive an e-mail last week confirming how close the party came recently to going out of existence in the UK and the contents of this memo were enough to shake me out of my inertia. I think that in many ways the Pirate Party is an idea whose time has come and so it would be particularly ironic if the Pirates were to disappear just as a degree of extreme fluidity was being injected into the British political scene. The UK political scene is dominated by parties who insist on either defining themselves on left-right-centre terms or else defining themselves by way of particular interests, intersectionality in the case of the Womens Equality Party, environmentalism in the case of the Greens, nationalism in the case of the SNP and Plaid Cymru. The two parties less obviously on the left/right scale have both missed the chance to present something different to the electorate. The Lib Dems by taking the decision to place themselves firmly in the 'centre' following Jeremy Corbyn's victory rather than explore their more interesting liberal and social libertarian ideas and UKIP by purely playing to the 'lowest common denominator' and adopting populist policies designed to play on peoples fears and prejudices purely for the purpose of garnering votes. For those in the, I would say, modern electorate, then, what are the options for those looking for a progressive, participatory form of politics looking to engage in consensus politics that is radical but refuses to conform to or create its own ideology. I think everyone reading this forum knows that the Pirate Party occupies this space.
Over the years I have become disillusioned with mainstream party politics. Like our former leader Loz Kaye I started my political journey in Labour and left the party at about the same time he did. Unlike him I then joined the Greens and spent 15 years in the party becoming a local councillor and running for parliament twice. Most recently I have until 2014 been a member and then Deputy Leader of RESPECT before leaving mainly due to the total deficit of democracy within that organisation, as well as some pretty major policy differences. I wouldn't have had a problem if those policies had come up from the grassroots membership but they didn't, they were largely dictated down by the 'triumvirate of influence' that runs that party, 2 out of the 3 being unelected. The job of a party's leadership is, in my opinion, to communicate and explain the policies decided by the membership and, of course, to lead. It is not to instigate and drive personal policy agendas, or at least no more so than any other member of the party has the right to do so. So to cut a long story short I left and since then have been watching politics more as an observer as I undertake a Politics and International Development degree with the Open University, whilst also working full-time.
Like everyone else in the world (seemingly) I do of course have no free time. However I am prepared to create some space in my diary and to set about attempting to revive, or indeed to create, some interest in the Pirates and to take them to a level commensurate with the undoubted interest levels in wider society of what the party has to offer. With that in mind I am prepared to offer myself forward for the vacant post of party leader and to seek out a seconder for the role from this forum. As I've said earlier in a democratic party like the Pirates I see the role of Leader as being more of a facilitator and communicator with policy very much driven by the membership. I bring a fair degree of communication skills to the table having previously been a professional actor, journalist and broadcaster (all of this work carried out under my Equity name of Dave Edler). Having previously been in a leadership position of a small political party (and for 6 months as Acting Leader) I know both the constraints and the opportunities that this presents if the democratic and operating frameworks are right. As my area of specialism was election strategy and organisation, something I helped with in the Greens, I can also put in place strategies that will begin to form the basic frameworks necessary for electoral success in the longer term future.
I obviously have a lot more to say but this is my opening gambit, so to speak. If anyone would like a more personal discussion then please indicate and I will facilitate this on whatever platform you would prefer. Pirates are generally good at boarding and making the most of sinking ships and so maybe this is the most opportune time to be wearing the Captain's hat.
Best Regards
Dawud Islam
Open Source
This site was built and is provided using open source software. It wouldn't be here without the work of millions of volunteers who contribute to these projects and our IT team who build and manage our systems. We use GNU/Linux, Debian, Nginx, Drupal and many other open source tools to do what we do.
This site is IPv6 Ready
Powered by Vanilla
Comments
Thank you for being shaken from your inertia
We do desperately need new members to come forward interested in leading the Party, as such you doing that is exactly what is needed! I hope you're not the only one!!
It would be good to see some others doing so both for the other roles and also for the same role you're interested in - healthy competition being a good thing
Given I don't actually know you. I don't feel comfortable just immediately seconding you - but I encourage you getting involved nonetheless as that is the ideal way to get known to your fellow members of the Party (actions are better than words after all
Over the next one-to-two weeks I and others on the Board will be sorting out access to our bank account and paying some of our most immediate bills. After that we'll be focusing on getting some of the essential Party external functions operational e.g. the press team.
If you are to become Leader of the Party you will become a spokesperson for us and while your views won't necessarily reflect those of everyone else in the Party you'll understand that the members will want to be comfortable with most of the views you'll reflect as Leader.
As such it would be nice if you were to write about your views, with respect to the Party's stronger policy areas as well as areas we have no direct policy. That gives us a chance to see what you believe and also gives you the opportunity to advertise yourself to the members. You can, as any member can, use the Party blog for this.
Additionally if there are any issues of the day that crop up that you want to respond to you may wish to offer up your views. These might help us put out press releases or just get a better insight in to your politics.
All the above goes to any and all other members interested in getting involved
Health & The NHS: The NHS should be free at the point of use and prescription fees in England should be scrapped as in Scotland and Wales. All creeping privatisations should be ended and rolled back. Car Parking should be free at all hospitals, money should not be made (sometimes huge amounts) from people visiting a relative daily for several months. Mental health should be given parity of esteem and funding compared to other branches of healthcare. However most fundamental of all we currently have a National Sickness Service rather than what the title suggests. Hardly any money is spent on preventative measures that could save the NHS millions if not billions. The whole emphasis needs to change to one of a focus on preventing illness from happening and on encouraging citizens to empower themselves to make sensible health choices and to adopt healthy eating and exercise patterns.
Transport: Railways should be re-nationalised as part of an integrated transport policy, although for this to happen reform will be necessary at EU level which could prove difficult if we remain in the EU. At present private companies have a mandatory right to bid for franchise tenders. Transport should be better subsidised, especially low usage routes that are vital for marginalised constituents. London should re-introduce a new 'Fares Fair' scheme similar to that introduced by Ken Livingstone in the 1980's.
Welfare: Britain should move towards a Citizens Income Scheme, an idea whose time has come. With advances in artificial intelligence the workforce will change dramatically over the next 20 years with many current roles becoming redundant. Home based work needs to replace the daily commute with a shorter working week and a better life/work balance. Workfare should be scrapped as should the benefits cap. Society should recognise that there are many ways to contribute to it that do not take the form of traditional types of 'work' but that are nevertheless beneficial to the cultural wellbeing of the country. The minimum wage should be raised in line with the 'real' living wage (not George Osborne's) and should be open to all ages. Retirement should be optional but pensions should be available for all from 65. Council tax should be scrapped and replaced with a more re-distributive system but not a mansion tax.
Foreign Policy: As a matter of course the 'default' position should be not to engage in foreign wars unless there is a direct threat of imminent attack on Britain (by conventional means, not by terrorist activity). Trident should be scrapped. Foreign aid should be kept at current levels but better directed. All efforts on the world stage should be aimed at conflict resolution and the eradication of hunger and poverty. The west should not seek to impose its own moral code on societies with democratically elected governments that choose a different way of living. The Asylum process should be quick, open and transparent with a desire to help and accommodate being the default position. Yarls Wood and other detention centres should be shut.
Workers Rights: The trade union reform bill should be scrapped and some previous legislation rolled back. There is no desire to return to the disputes of the 1970's but the balance has been shifted far too much in the governments favour and trade unions and their members need to have many of their basic rights restored. Facility time for trade union officials must be enshrined in any new legislation. The gap between male and female achievement both in raw wages terms but also in achieving positions of influence in FTSE 100 companies needs to be addressed.
Education: Tuition Fees should be scrapped and lifetime learning should be available for everyone. The internet should be available for free in every household. Education policy should be at the centre of government with every child and adult able to and encourage to achieve their full potential.
Business and Taxation: The whole approach to taxation needs to be re-examined with a more re-distributive system introduced that nonetheless should not discourage entrepreneurship and innovation. Funding for micro businesses should be widely available and the number of co-operatives should rise dramatically. Britain should lead the way in innovation and developing a new economy to meet the needs of a new 21st century society. Corporation Tax should rise slightly but more important is the closing of tax loopholes and the cultivation of a 'new deal' with business and industry that rewards companies for their transparency over corporate taxation with lower rates than those that conceal and try and hide funds offshore.
Culture & The Arts: These areas have been ignored for years by government and the country's provincial theatre network has almost disappeared as a result. The acting profession has become the almost exclusive preserve of those with money with virtually no working class students at the top 15 British drama schools. Discretionary grants need to be re-introduced to enable talented actors to train regardless of their means. Funding for small scale theatre, both static and touring, needs to be re-introduced with childrens theatre also funded and valued. Community based arts projects should be given more prominence and incentives for British Film re-introduced including tax breaks. Communities should be encouraged to explore new definitions of 'British Identity' in our multi-cultural society and all British born citizens should be valued equally as Britons regardless of their generational backgrounds.
Freedom and Rights: Keep and enhance the Human Rights Act and resist all attempts to limit freedom of information and to introduce surveillance and covert measures. Absolute freedom of speech including the freedom to offend and to be offended. However legislation needs to be introduced to prevent and police hard core 'trolling' on social media platforms. An end to 'no platforming' and a recognition that disagreeable opinions can better be challenged in open debate. After years of being denied platforms and at the same time rising in popularity it was the appearance of the BNP's leader on BBC Question Time that very hastily led to the complete collapse of that party. Deny people a platform and they become victims and martyrs.
EU: For me, the jury is still out on this one. Ask me again in a couple of months!!
Scottish Independence (or anywhere else): Nations are a political construct. If the inhabitants of a particular geographical area want to organise and govern themselves in a different way, and a majority agree in a democratic format (i.e without physical force or compulsion) then they should have the right to do so.
Digital Rights: As per the PPUK current policy.
Environment & Climate Change: The attacks on the 'green agenda' must be reversed and rolled back. New investments and incentives in renewables should be introduced.
Democracy and Citizen Empowerment: Votes at 16. PR using either the STV or additional member systems for all levels of government. A youth parliament with representation at Westminster. A 'mature parliament' for the over 65's also with representation at Westminster. Moving the House of Commons to a central location in a new purpose built chamber with the original still used for certain ceremonies for tradition and tourism. Genuine recall for MP's. Local and national referenda on a range of subjects and policy areas. An opportunity for citizens to introduce private bills into parliament. Online consultations with the public mandatory for certain policy areas including decisions to go to war.
This is all off the top of my head so feel free to ask questions about any policy areas I've left out. And of course to re-iterate that these are only MY views and I would be happy to represent party policy regardless of whether it conflicts with above.
Dawud
Thanks for coming forward. The party certainly needs more active members right now.
I see you stood in Bradford West against George Galloway. What was it that caused you to leave the Greens and join Respect? A conversation with George on the night of the count perhaps?
A consistent problem I've found in the pirate party is there are those, who from experience have found that a huge proportion of constituents care more about the minimum wage, nhs, economy... fuel prices and the sort while our key demographic is more concerned about copyright, openness, civil liberties and so on.
If we talk about our core policies, it's harder to connect with the general public and get attention from the media, thus our impact is small.
If we talk about a broader set of policies and respond when asked for comment on hot-but-less-pirate-related topics, our main supporters are discontent with our "not focusing on our core policies enough".
I've personally been at a loss on how to satisfy both groups simultaneously.
Would your experience offer any solution to this?
As a side question, what was it like to meet Howling Laud Hope? I've had some small conversations with Alan, he seems a super nice guy... and hilarious.
In terms of George and RESPECT I suppose, like a lot of people when they first meet him, I was impressed with the passion of his campaign and his oratory in the debates and in terms of the issues on the ground that he was addressing in Bradford West I was in full agreement with him. It was clear that we had been in agreement on a lot of issues and about 10 days into the campaign George's people approached me to sound me out about joining them after the election. I asked them to come back to me once the election was over which they did. As the result had been so decisive and because of a lot of engagement from young people in the campaign and, for the first time ever, by large numbers of young muslim women, I saw it as an opportunity to end Labour's hegemony in the City where the party had a reputation for running corrupt and dirty politics, something that persists to this day. So I joined but was vetoed for a winnable seat by Party leader Salma Yaqoob who felt it was wrong that someone who had just run against the party should be given one of the top 6 targets. One of those was the ward I actually lived in and by a huge dose of irony the party messed up its nomination for the ward and had no candidate in a seat they would almost certainly have won. I still fought a strong campaign in my 'difficult' ward gaining over 700 votes and coming in just behind the Tories in third. I then stood for the RESPECT National Council (NC) at the party's AGM and was elected topping the poll ahead of activists who had been in the party for years. When Salma resigned as leader I ran as deputy alongside Arshad Ali and we were both elected as the new leadership team. Shortly after Arshad had to resign after allegations in the Guardian and so I assumed the role of Acting Leader for 6 months until Yvonne Ridley took over. My brief was head of elections, branch development and organisation.
In terms of presentation I think that you lead with what makes you unique and so I would always start a debate or interview with a few words about the PPUK core agenda. In the same way that Labour found at the last election that you can't 'out-UKIP UKIP' by coming on strong about immigration we are not going to win over socialists or environmentalists when there are currently much strong political 'brands' out there for their niches. So first you consolidate your (small) base and reach out to those who would naturally be attracted to your unique message. Having established your uniqueness you then go strong on the 'normal' main policy areas like Health, Education, Housing and the Economy to show that you are not a 'one trick pony'. It took the Greens years to learn this lesson and it was really only at the 2015 general election that they were seriously considered as a party that covered more than just environmental issues for the first time. I'm not saying this stuff is easy, it most certainly isn't, but you are absolutely right in saying you have to find that balance.
To end on an optimistic note I would argue that recent electoral developments in Scotland, the rUK, Europe and the US show that people everywhere are very similar and the public mood is searching for change, both on the far right and far left. In many European countries the Pirate message has resonated and has proved very popular. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that many people in the UK share the exact concerns of their European cousins and that a PPUK message could resonate with a large constituency if the message can be got out effectively. Despite first past the post there is still plenty that can be done and achieved and seats at a local level can certainly be won.
It's always good to see new people here, and you certainly have a wealth of experience in politics, both internal and public-facing. I feel we may have something in common, as I too once had a public falling out with Mr Galloway, however mine was on Big Brother's Big Mouth (hey, I had to get TV experience somewhere!). As you mention, we are in a similar situation to the Greens, in that we are stepping away from our single-issue roots and trying to establish our credentials as a party with a fully rounded manifesto. As a former party leader, I can attest to the fact that we are a long way from achieving this, which leads to my question for you:
As Pirate Party Leader, the vast majority of media coverage and press interest you'll get will be around copyright, patent and surveillance issues. As a former equity member I expect the public would assume you would actually be a copyright maximalist, opposed to our policies. Would you feel well versed enough in current IP law to argue the case for shorter copyright, legalising file sharing or introducing patent reform, and are these things you feel passionately about?
In the spirit of continuing the conversation, I wonder whether you can tell us about any aspects of current PPUK policy that worry you. What would you feel uncomfortable about defending to the Press (or your friends and family ;-) and what would you hope you could persuade the membership to change?
I'd also be interested to know where you draw the line between increased State involvement (for example to provide health service, offer free broadband, run a nationalised rail service) and minimised State "interference" in the lives of citizens. The Party seems (to me) to navigate difficult waters between an interventionist, socialist approach and a strong libertarian leaning.
Sorry, this all feels like you're already on the hustings for an election!
Thanks,
Adrian
Your final point is a dilemma for both Pirates and Orange Book Liberals. I agree with the general liberal principle that the job of the state is to facilitate the existence of a society that allows individuals to do whatever they like as long as their actions don't cause harm to others. For this to happen they need to have access to good health, access to good education (including via free internet access) and the ability to travel to achieve their ambitions. So in the case of the three examples you quoted state intervention can easily be justified as providing a means to an end of personal freedom for the individual. Once you move towards intervention in areas such as creating parity of wages you start to tread on more dodgy ground particularly if you start to impose upper earnings limits, something I wouldn't personally be in favour of. I do support introduction of the living wage, though, as again that would be another empowerment to provide the freedom for a life beyond mere existence.
Politically, how did you get from Respect to the Pirate party?
I think the Green and RESPECT positions on freedom of information, civil rights, surveillance and so on would be very similar to those of PPUK although neither party (particularly RESPECT) had a developed policy on the PPUK key agenda around digital rights and copyright issues. In terms of George himself I think a lot of people make the mistake of thinking of him as a Trotskyist or at least a Marxist but from my experience he was very wary about even using the term 'socialist' to describe himself, preferring 'progressive'. RESPECT is/was really a progressive social democratic party and I would say on most policy areas was to the right of where Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell want to take Labour now, with a few exceptions. It was the exceptions that I didn't sit entirely comfortably with, although my main reasons for leaving as mentioned in an earlier post on this thread was because of the total deficit of democracy within RESPECT. I would happily give more concrete examples in a more private setting.
I wasn't so much thinking about your specific reasons for leaving Respect, which as you said earlier, were more to do with organisational differences than political ones, but more in terms of your personal political trajectory. Are you saying that Respect and the Pirates occupy roughly the same political space?
Welcome aboard our ship, you certainly have a keen pen to say the least, and your input towards debate appears to be exquisite. However, from experience, a new person coming to a [fringe] party and 'offering' to become leader immediately rings alarm bells! Whilst your political pedigree hails from the labour / green / respect camps, in yourself as the figurehead, PP would simply become another socialist 'alternative' to the other socialist alternatives! Granted, PP, like the greens, would need policy expansion to grow, bleating on about Nationalising the Railways, saving the NHS, taking sides [too late now] on the EU, does show how keen you are on one hand, but at risk of boring our core support into a corner methinks? PP's core values should always be at the forefront and not buried under piles of socialist dogmatism.
I've no doubt that you'll be a 'known' name soon enough, let's hope that there're still enough shipmates to sail this vessel...
Bluebird
Turning to Bluebird, who might first be interested to know that I was a season ticket holder for the final season at Ninian Park (whilst living in Barry) but I digress. It is interesting what you say because in the wake of Salma Yaqoob's resignation from RESPECT George asked us at an NC meeting what qualities we should look for in a new leader and my response was to say that anyone who touts themselves for the position is almost certainly NOT the person that we are looking for!! I was not going anywhere near this position and had ignored all previous e-mails calling for nominations. However it was only in response to the 'last chance saloon' e-mail that came round last week that I realised how desperate the situation had become and in the absence of anyone else showing interest I decided to throw my hat into the ring to try and preserve what I think is still a very important and unique political party. In terms of definition it is vital that PPUK doesn't define itself as anything!! The minute we put ourselves into a box we are finished and remove the reason for our existence, our uniqueness. I think 'disruptive' is probably the best adjective to describe us as and whilst almost any sane person would subscribe to the policies you mentioned earlier the fact that we also include them in our manifesto is purely to demonstrate that we are not a 'single issue' party and have the same wide agenda as everyone else. As I have said before we absolutely should lead on the PPUK core policies and all our press releases should be providing commentary on events or decisions that impact on our core agenda. That is certainly where I see our 'action' as being at but at the same time we do still need to have policies on 'normal' policy areas as well.
Leaving aside the obvious football intonation and south Wales, yes, I concur, core values first [as in its Swedish parent model], other add-ins afterwards. Don't get too Biblical with your script [there are reams already from yourself], just stick to the point. How long have you actually been a PP member just out of interest?
Bluebird
Agreed, they [PP] know little about myself also, so this little oxymoron tete - a - tete of ours could just expand itself into the Leadership / Deputy Leadership contests eventually {?}. I had thought about the DL last year, but was put off by faceless trolls! This party certainly needs an injection of something...Let the contest warm up. I am of the centre right persuasion.
Bluebird
P.S. My membership has been 3 Years & 3 Months, so just after the London Olympics I started with PP.
I don't want to get into splitting fine hairs over specific political definitions on which we might or might not agree. What I'm interested in, as I said, your personal political trajectory. In other words, the changes in your political outlook between 2014 when you left Respect and today.
It's usual for people's views and attitudes to change over time. Often our views evolve slowly, while at other times we can experience sudden and dramatic changes of perspective. Whether rapid or gradual, these changes come about as a result of a series of events and our corresponding insights into those events.
I assume that your political perspective has shifted between the time you were in Respect and today. So what events and insights have brought about that change?
I was on the Board of Governors at the time this decision was taken. It was taken by a huge majority.
The reasons vary - for me personally there were questions around how they conducted their finances that to this day have gone unanswered by PPI. There were also some concerns over what we considered to be a lack of democratic process and the location of the meetings exclusively being held in Germany.
However perhaps more relevant to joe bloggs member, we took the approach that you should be a member of something as long as it is useful. PPI was no longer useful to PPUK and instead was taking up our NEC's time in a far greater degree than we were benefitting from PPI.
I think we, as a party, take this approach with everything and it will no doubt play some part in how we stand on the EU referendum.
Bluebird
That's interesting. Thanks.
Surveillance is a big area of focus for the party. You said earlier that you are "completely against all forms of surveillance". Could you expand on that?
In the same way we want huge copyright reform but don't want to just remove copyright completely.
It's an important distinction and an angle far easier to argue.
Could you clarify on that? Are we at odds? I sometimes find myself guilty of saying "I'm completely against X" when I mean "I'm completely against our current X". It's only a small slip but it can be costly when in front of a camera or on the radio.