The Creative Freedom Party (CFP) is a new political party, whose policy development emanates from a single core concept.
We humans are, by dint of our evolutionary design, creatures that create. Our identity is not driven by what we are, but by what we do. A human who creates always takes pride in what they do, which in turn feeds how they feel about themselves. When people feel good about themselves, they are less stressed, and can enjoy better lives and better relationships with others.
All humans are considered equal, in that each person is a creator, and capable of great things. Everyone should be allowed to live their fullest life of creativity and freedom. Humans are not equal in other ways, and this is a blessing, not a curse. We are all different, and any attempts to coerce conformity of mind, body or identity should be avoided. Tolerance of others who may have different viewpoints, lifestyles or ideas is fundamental.
Policy
All CFP policy will be processed, where possible, through the lens of creativity. The stated aims of the CFP are simple. All people can be creative in some way or other, whether that be a filmmaker, a scientist, a teacher, a plumber or simply someone who enjoys knitting. We believe that creativity, what we do, drives identity. CFP’s policies will always use creativity as its core concept. How can people do something (for themselves, for the community, for the country) that they can be proud of?
Education
Education is too obsessed with ‘academic’ achievement. The National Curriculum will change to be a balanced blend of creative and academic subjects.
The obsession with tracking progress has to stop. Teachers are leaving the profession in droves because, quite simply, they aren’t allowed to be teachers any more. The national curriculum is too hard, and is causing young children to become stressed at an early age. The CFP is fundamentally opposed to anything that overtly stresses people.
Teachers should be trusted to teach. People will know teaching is a success when they see their children happy and thriving. Children don’t need to have every aspect of their learning broken down into minute details and graded. This is a waste of time and effort.
Environment
We have a duty of care to protect the environment. Net-zero is something to aspire to over the longer term for the good of the country, and not because we’re about to disappear in some apocalyptic disaster. We will encourage innovation and move away from things that pollute. At the same time, we shouldn’t destroy perfectly good ways of producing power in favour of unreliable ones if it means making things worse and us poorer as a result. Green levies will be reviewed. If they are working to promote innovation in cleaner, more reliable energy, all well and good. But hitting people with stealth taxes is not a good idea. There are better ways to deal with things than by picking the pocket of the entire country, especially when the cost of living is so high.
Local power
Rather than rely on massive power stations to provide lots of energy, we will investigate technologies such as hot sand, modular nuclear and renewables to provide power to local areas. We will also make sure that power can be cross-supplied to other parts of the country if a specific area is affected. The energy sector, and the vast bureaucracy that has grown up around it, favours large corporations. Smaller suppliers, like farms, could be providing power from slurry, small-scale hydro and solar, but the cost and effort to put the generated power back into the grid is prohibitive. This will change.
Climate change
Yes, the climate is changing, but the jury is still out whether it is man-made, and, if it is, by how much. We feel it’s better to assume that climate change is not man-made, simply because if it really isn’t, and it continues to change anyway, despite our best efforts, we still need to plan and be prepared. We can’t go gung-ho for net-zero and then be unpleasantly surprised that it made no difference.
Finance and business
Finance and business are fundamental to a thriving country. If the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent issues with supply chains taught us anything, we will aim, as a country, to be as self-sufficient as possible. Where there are areas that we can’t be self-sufficient, ensure that we have robust supply chains, trading agreements and decent stocks. Small businesses will be encouraged to develop and grow, with competitive tax breaks and rates. The tax system will be simplified and the tax burden of the country reduced.
Technology
News outlets and mainstream media face a big threat from new technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI). Not because AI is dangerous or could harm humans, but because they see it as a direct threat to their business models. They encourage a wilful misunderstanding of what AI does and how it works. We believe AI can be a force for good. The UK will take AI and use it to enhance our nation, to better our lives. This will require vision and creativity, but that is something we are good at.
Health
The NHS is a fantastic organisation, but it is not fit for purpose. The fundamental idea that care should be free for all is noble and worthy, but the current levels of spending and bureaucracy are unsustainable. Something has to give somewhere. Whether that be moving to a more balanced approach to private/public healthcare, as the French have, or introducing some kind of additional contributory/insurance system as the US has, alternatives will be looked at and given serious consideration.
Reinventing the NHS
Medicine is too reactionary in the way it is set up. Wait for someone to get ill, then treat them. This will be reversed. Make sure people don’t get ill in the first place. Make sure they have things they need to stay fit and healthy for longer. Regular check-ups for everyone. Hospitals built around improving the health of the whole body, not just repairing the broken bits.
Stress and mental health
Stress is reaching epidemic levels. We will address the causes of stress to get people feeling better about themselves. We will encourage people to get together more, to talk, to create. There is a certain magic in creating something as part of a team, whether that be making something intangible, like music, or tangible, like a start-up business. In the US, and no doubt here in the UK, the number of people without any friends has increased by 400% since 1990. A meta-analysis suggests that loneliness increases mortality as much as smoking 15 cigarettes per day. We will address the atomisation of society. The current obsession with mental health is a symptom of a society that is fragmenting, one that has no pride or purpose. Many blame the internet and social media, and that might be a part of it. What is more insidious is the division caused by inclusivity and diversity. Constantly focussing on things like ethnic or physical characteristics is destroying the fabric of society. As we’ve said already, our identities do not derive from what we are in terms of physical or emotional traits, but from what we do. The myth that we are whatever we wish to identify as completely misses the point of human experience. The sooner people understand that they are capable of so much more, that life can be better, then the nation can start to heal divides. We believe that everyone has it in their remit to help improve their lives and those of others. When people focus on doing things, something they can be proud of, we can then start to build a nation with some kind of purpose. And with purpose will come a sense of national pride, where sexuality, gender, race, or religion are irrelevant. For too long, we have been told, ‘well, things are bad, but they could be so much worse.’ This attitude has to stop. Things can be so much better, and people have to believe that. For with that hope comes the release of stress.
Social Care
We believe that people should be free to pursue their creative dreams. We support the idea of Universal Basic Income for anyone who wishes to take it. The only caveat is that to claim it, you must produce something creative on a regular basis, either as an individual or as a group.
Creative Arts
The UK has, in the past, been a powerhouse of music, art, literature, theatre and cinema. It is our vision that we regain this status. We have incredible artists, writers, directors and musicians. We need to undo the appalling damage that Labour has done to the music industry, killing off the pub scene, the incubator for so many amazing groups. We need to make our film industry robust, the go-to place for worldwide production. Our publishing houses and production companies will produce a wide range of novels, plays and films, and not be afraid to take creative chances, or be afraid of a vocal minority of critics. Not just based in London, but across the country, with competitive tax-breaks to encourage filming across the land. The BBC needs to reinvent itself and regain its status as the premiere broadcasting corporation.
Does all of this sound interesting to you?
We are a fledgling group, not yet even an official party, taking soundings on whether we should proceed. If you like the direction that we are taking, please let us know: