Policies Not parties Not people

 

See also: Beyond Partisan Division

See also: Policies Not Parties Not People

See also: Policies-Not-Parties Movement 

Policies, Not Parties: A New Political Future

It often feels like we’re living in two different countries—divided not just by opinion, but by entire worldviews. Red vs blue, left vs right, progressive vs conservative—these aren’t just political differences anymore. They’ve become identities. Identities that clash, compete, and fracture any sense of unity.

We’ve been told this is democracy. That voting for people or parties every few years gives us freedom. But what if that’s an illusion? What if that very structure—representation through parties and personalities—is the mechanism that keeps us divided?

Division Is Not a Flaw. It’s a Feature.

Competition, in sport or market or government, breeds winners and losers. And so too in politics. But governance is not a game. When power depends on defeating the other side, the system thrives on division. The more polarised we are, the easier we are to control.

We are encouraged to take sides—not just in elections, but in culture, identity, even friendships. And yet, beneath the shouting matches and tribal loyalties, most people want the same things: affordable housing, access to healthcare, a clean environment, meaningful work, fair laws, and peace.

So why don’t we vote directly on those policies?

The Crisis of Representation

Today, our votes are filtered through layers of representation. We vote for parties who choose people who claim to speak for us. But by the time a decision is made, it often bears little resemblance to what the people actually want.

What if we stopped voting for representatives and started voting for policies? Real, practical decisions—on housing, taxation, healthcare, energy, justice. Not slogans. Not smiling faces on posters. Not vague promises we can’t hold them to. Actual, actionable proposals.

A government that simply enacts the will of the majority—not as re-presentation, but as proportional presentation. Let the will of the people be counted, policy by policy.

The People Are Not Polarised—The System Is

Despite what we’re told, most people are not at war with each other. We are tired of the false choice between two extremes. We are tired of being forced to pick a team in a game we didn’t design.

Even global leaders from outside the democratic tradition have observed this flaw. Vladimir Putin once described Western democracies as “chaotic” because of their constant internal contradiction. Now, to be clear: this is not about defending Putin or autocracy. It’s about paying attention when opponents can see our weak points more clearly than we can.

When democracy becomes disordered, it risks becoming the very thing it claims to stand against: a rigid, centralized power structure that offers the illusion of choice. When it becomes “orderly” again, it risks morphing into a kind of controlled unity that resembles authoritarianism. Fascism, communism, and corrupted democracies may differ in label but converge in practice when power becomes opaque.

What Comes Next?

There’s a growing call in Britain and beyond for systemic change. Former prime ministers are demanding it. New parties are being built on that demand. But few are offering clear, implementable alternatives.

Here’s one:

Policies. Not parties. Not people.

A system where every major national issue is voted on directly by the public. Where proportional participation determines policy, and government’s only role is implementation.

This would require infrastructure, security, public education, and civic commitment. But it is possible. And it is already emerging in small forms—participatory budgeting, citizen assemblies, digital referendums.

This is real democracy. This is real communality. This is a future worth building.

We need to stop asking who to vote for. We need to start asking what we want—and how we get it. Because until we do, our so-called freedom will continue to feel like a choice between two captains arguing over the wheel, while the ship sails in circles.

Vote for policies. Not people. Not parties. That gets my vote.