True Democracy Petition

Teo

If you want to sign the petition for True Democracy, go here.

This petition requests that the government calls for referendums in the UK, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, to decide if the amendments proposed here should be enacted or if we should continue with parliamentary democracy.

Summary of Amendment 1

Gives the Electorate the power to vote on Bills that have passed through Parliament, except for Bills detailed. Reduces the number of fiscal events per year to one. Gives the Electorate the power to vote on Emergency Acts.

Summary of Amendment 2

Gives the Electorate the power to create referendums.

Summary of Amendment 3

Creates a mechanism for entrenchment clauses. Gives the courts the power to vote on certain legislation. Entrenches the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, the Human Rights Act 1998, and elements of the True Democract Bill. Amends the Human Rights Act 1998 to state that money is not speech and that monetary limits may be placed on political campaigns.

Amendment 1: The Legislative Process

1. After a Bill has passed through Parliament, the Bill must be passed to the Electorate for voting and be approved by a simple majority for it to receive Royal Assent. Parliament may pass Supply and Appropriation (Anticipation and Adjustments) Bills, Consolidation Bills, and Bills that are for the sole purpose of abiding by international law without the Electorate’s approval. Local Bills shall only be voted on by voters in constituencies directly effected.

2. Once a month, there shall be a Monthly Voting Day, and all Bills that passed through Parliament that have awaited a decision from the Electorate for at least a month shall be included in a ballot.

3. There shall be one major fiscal event per year. None of the changes detailed in the Finance Bill shall commence before the start of the coming fiscal year. If the Finance Bill is not approved before the start of the fiscal year, annual elements, such as income tax, current expenditure, and supply and appropriation provisions shall rollover until a new Finance Bill is approved by the Electorate. If the Finance Bill was not approved before the start of the fiscal year as intended, changes may be applied to the current fiscal year. Changes may also be applied to the current fiscal year, if a a new government is in its first year, so long as the Finance Bill is first included in the Monthly Voting Day six months before its earliest changes are to commence. The Finance Bill must be first included on the ballot of the Monthly Voting Day of October, and published one month beforehand. What currently forms Spending Reviews and Supply and Appropriation (Main Estimates) Bills shall be subsumed into Finance Bills.

4. Emergency Acts shall not require approval from the Electorate to receive Royal Assent. The Act shall be included on the ballot of the Monthly Voting Day closest to a month from the date it received Royal Assent, unless the Act is no longer in effect. If approved, the Act shall remain in effect. If rejected, the Act shall remain in effect, but must be amended and re-submitted to the Electorate for approval. The Act shall be included on the ballot of the Monthly Voting Day closest to what would be one month from the amended Act being published. If rejected again, the Act shall no longer be in effect.

Amendment 2: The Referendum Cycle

The Entry Stage

1. For a period of one month, members of the Electorate shall have the right to vote on, and create, referendums online. Members of the Electorate can approve or reject referendums, or abstain from voting. Voters shall be able to change their own votes during the Entry Stage. Each creator shall only have one referendum open at a time. Creators may only close their referendum in the first week of an Entry Stage, once closed the referendum shall no longer be publicly visible. Verification required to vote online shall be determined by the government, so long as this does not involve the creation of a national ID card. Votes received for referendums in one Entry Stage shall be carried over to succeeding Entry Stages. Creators shall choose whether their full name and the contact information of their choice is private or public each time they create a referendum. Voters shall choose whether their full name is private or public each time they vote. In addition to the referendum’s title, the creator must provide at least 500 words of explanation and/or argument.

2. Within one week of the Entry Stage’s end, the referendum with the highest net approval rating by vote count that meets the criteria listed below will be chosen by the Speaker of the House of Commons for UK referendums, the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament for Scottish Referendums, the Presiding Officer of the Senedd for Welsh referendums, and the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Northern Irish referendums. A written explanation shall be provided for referendums rejected for failing to meet the criteria. Once a referendum has been chosen, the Speaker or Presiding Officer shall decide on the type of legislation required, whether it be a Bill or a Statutory Instrument. The Speaker or Presiding Officer shall decide if the referendum seeks to create, amend, or repeal entrenched legislation, in which case the referendum will require a supermajority of two-thirds at the Focus Stage to be sent to the next stage.

-It seeks to create, amend, or repeal legislation.
-Specific values and dates are provided, if it seeks to create, amend, or repeal an item of government income or expenditure.
-The referendums of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales shall only relate to devolved matters. The referendums of the UK shall not relate to devolved matters of Northern Ireland, Scotland, or Wales.
-It does not seek the same outcome as legislation currently before Parliament or the Electorate.
-It does not seek a conflicting outcome to legislation currently before Parliament or the Electorate.
-If a referendum seeks an outcome that would breach a treaty the UK is party to, the referendum must also have stated that it seeks for the UK to leave the relevant treaty.

The Focus Stage

3. The referendum chosen shall be on the ballot of the Voting Day closest to a month from when it was chosen. If the referendum does not gain a simple majority or a required supermajority, the Referendum Cycle will return to the Entry Stage. If the referendum does gain a simple majority or a required supermajority, a Bill shall be drafted and sent directly to the Committee Stage or a Statutory Instrument shall be drafted and the relevant committee shall choose whether to scrutinise it or have it sent to the Final Stage. Referendums relating to entrenched legislation will require supermajority approval from the House of Commons.

The Committee Stage

4. If a Bill has been drafted, the creator of the referendum shall be given the option to be a witness at the relevant committee, and shall be given all questions in advance. A Statutory Instrument may be amended and the committee may advise that a Statutory Instrument be made instead for the outcome sought, but it’s progress to the Final Stage cannot be stopped.

5. If a Statutory Instrument has been drafted, the creator shall be given the option to be a witness at the relevant committee, and shall be given all questions in advance. A Statutory Instrument may be amended and the committee may advise that a Bill be made instead for the outcome sought, but it’s progress to the Final Stage cannot be stopped.

The Final Stage

6. The Bill or Statutory Instrument shall be on the ballot of the Voting Day closest to a month from when it passed the Committee Stage. If approved by a simple majority of the Electorate, the Bill shall be sent for Royal Assent or the Statutory Instrument shall come into force as law. If rejected, the Bill or Statutory Instrument shall be re-drafted and sent through the Committee Stage once more. If the Bill or Statutory Instrument fails a second time, the Referendum will return to the Entry Stage. As with the Focus Stage, entrenchment-related legislation will also require supermajority approval from the House of Commons.

Amendment 3: The Judiciary Cycle

1. There shall be a mechanism for the addition, or repealing, of entrenchment clauses. For legislation starting in Parliament, the addition, amending, or repealing, of entrenched legislation shall require approval from at least two-thirds of the House of Commons and the Electorate. If more than half but less than two-thirds of the House of Commons approve legislation containing an Entrenchment Clause, it may be sent to the Electorate but without the Entrenchment Clause.

2. Courts that currently have the power to issue declarations of incompatibility shall have the power to void legislation that contravenes entrenched legislation, if it did not attain the supermajority required. No legislation shall be exempt from judicial review.

3. A third provision shall be added to Article 10 of the Human Rights Act to legislate that money is not speech and that monetary limits may be placed on political campaigns.

4. Entrenchment clauses shall be applied to the Human Rights Act 1998, the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, and Amendments 3.1 and 3.2 detailed here, which shall be included in the True Democracy Bill.

Notes on True Democracy

What does True Democracy mean? For me, it is a democracy in which the Electorate can choose the powers they have.

Once True Democracy is implemented, I hope the Electorate use these amendments to continually form laws that best serve them whilst ensuring human rights are preserved to prevent the tyranny of the majority.

If you believe these three amendments do not go far enough in improving our democracy, or if they are found in practice to be flawed, it should be kept in mind that the Referendum Cycle, detailed in Amendment 2, gives the Electorate the opportunity to amend all legislation. It’s not lost on me that there are many more ways in which our democracy can be improved, but I consider it important to keep the amendments proposed at this initial stage to a minimum, as too many at once would confuse our messaging, bring about too many changes at once, and create more debates which would create more reasons for some to not support True Democracy.

If you believe there are ways in which these amendments may be improved or want to support True Democracy in a way other than signing the petition, contact me at contact@teooztosun.com

Amendment 1: The Legislative Process

Amendment 1.1

In addition to the changes made in this amendment, I considered amending the royal prerogative, adding powers for the Electorate to vote on Statutory Instruments that Parliament actively approve, confidence and no confidence motions, deciding whether we should join or leave treaties, a mechanism for recalling government officials, and voting at intergovernmental organisations. However, I ultimately decided including all of these powers would likely overwhelm the Electorate whilst getting accustomed to voting on Bills and participating in the Referendum Cycle. If, in time, the Electorate find it necessary to give themselves more powers, the Referendum Cycle will provide them with the opportunity to do so.

Instead of there being a Supply and Appropriation (Main Estimates) Bill and Supply and Appropriation (Anticipation and Adjustments) Bill passed each year, the annual supply and appropriation provisions shall be in the Finance Bill, and Supply and Appropriation (Anticipation and Adjustments) Bills should only be passed to prevent a government shutdown.

Read about our current legislative process.

Amendment 1.2

Initially, I considered including the option of voting online, as it would allow the Electorate to vote on decisions at intergovernmental organisations which Monthly Voting Days would not always accommodate, as some votes would be called for and concluded within the dates of separate Monthly Voting Days. As of 2023, 98% of the UK’s population has internet access, and anyone without it or in need of assistance with voting online could surely ask a family member or friend. Also, on a per voter basis, online voting would be cheaper than our current methods of voting. Estonia has allowed online voting for elections at the national level since 2005, and there have been no reported instances of significant voter fraud. However, their online voting system has repeatedly been criticised for its security flaws. In the 2022 leadership race for the Conservative Party, online voting was permitted, but was also criticised for its security flaws. Online voting trials were halted in Switzerland in 2019 due to security concerns, but then resumed in 2023. Some countries allow online voting but in limited capacities, for citizens living abroad, as an example. We should wait until there is an online voting system trusted by the National Cyber Security Centre and the Electorate, before implementing one at a national level. I don’t believe there’s any immediate need for one.

Whilst it is true that Monthly Voting Days would increase election costs, and online voting would be cheaper on a per voter basis, the total cost would remain a fraction of government expenditure. The 2017 general election cost £140.85M. £98.31M was spent on running the election, and £42.54M was wasted on ‘the delivery of elections addresses’, in other words, ‘the delivery of leaflets containing information that voters could find online for free’. Total Managed Expenditure for 2017/18 was £980.3B, the general election was 0.014% of this. If we multiply this value by 12, and deduct ‘the delivery of election addresses’, the cost of the Monthly Voting Days would have been 0.12% of the TME for 2017/18. This is a small price to pay for True Democracy, especially considering it will enable the Electorate to veto Budgets they don’t believe will benefit them, and create referendums for policies they believe will financially benefit them.

Amendment 1.3

Going from two major fiscal event per year to one will create a more stable economic environment, budgets being presented six months in advance of their implementation will allow more time for scrutiny, and combining the Spending Review, the Supply and Appropriation (Main Estimates) Act, and the Finance Act into one piece of legislation should provide greater coherence and transparency.

Amendment 1.4

Read about emergency legislation.

Amendment 2: The Referendum Cycle

The Entry Stage

Although I believe that online voting should not be used for the Legislative Process at the moment, I consider it acceptable for the Entry Stage of the Referendum Cycle, as the Focus Stage and Final Stage do not allow for online voting and have the security of offline voting. This is similar to our current process for petitions, they may be created and signed online, and those with 10,000 signatures receive a response from the government, and those that receive a 100,000 are considered for debate in Parliament. It would be hypocritical of the government to allow petitions to begin online, but then not allow the the Referendum Cycle to begin online.

To clarify, ‘It does not seek to contravene a treaty that the UK is party to’ does not mean that a referendum cannot be created for entering or exiting a treaty.

Find Bills currently before the UK Parliament, the Northern Irish Assembly, the Scottish Parliament, and the Welsh Parliament.

Read about the devolved matters of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

The Focus Stage

The Focus Stage is vital not only because it provides the security of offline voting, but also because it will allow the Electorate to focus their attention on one referendum. I believe it necessary, even if online voting becomes secure enough to use for every stage.

‘The relevant committee’ was written for the sake of the main text’s readability. Read more about committees for Statutory Instruments for the UK, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

‘The relevant committee shall choose whether to scrutinise it’ as not all Statutory Instruments are scrutinised by a committee.

The Committee Stage

For Bills, the Committee Stage refers to the same for the UK, and Northern Ireland, and Stage 2 for Scotland, and Wales.

‘The relevant committee’ was written for the sake of the main text’s readability. Read more about committees for Bills for the UK, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

Committee Stages vary in the amount of time they take to be completed. Some Committee Stages have lasted for over a month. Such delays are likely to frustrate the Electorate as there will be other referendums they hope to process whilst legislation has reached the Committee Stage. For the time being, I think that such delays may be advantageous, as it would give the Electorate the chance to become accustomed to the process without being overwhelmed by too large a frequency of referendums. Once the Electorate are accustomed to this process, they may want to consider amending the Referendum Cycle so that a new Entry Stage is started every month even if other referendums are already in the latter stages of the cycle.

The legislative process for referendums is abridged. Any stages not mentioned in the main text, for example the report stage for UK bills, are not to be included.

The Final Stage

The Final Stage is necessary to ensure that the Bill or Statutory Instrument is true to the spirit of the referendum result.

Amendment 3: The Judiciary

Amendment 3.1
Read about entrenched legislation.

Amendment 3.2
Currently, the Supreme Court can issue a declaration of incompatibility if Parliament passes a law which doesn’t comply with the Human Rights Act, but this declaration does not void the law, the law can be retained if the government wishes.

Amendment 3.3
I acknowledge that it would be paradoxical for these entrenchment clauses to be implemented even if the True Democracy Referendum passes with a majority less than a supermajority, but then again our current system, parliamentary sovereignty, was implemented without ever being voted on by the Electorate at all, so I don’t see why anyone in government that’s never acknowledged this would have a problem with it.

When considering the most important matters to the public, there does not appear to be any immediate danger to the rights of minorities, but it would prudent to entrench these clauses upon the implementation of True Democracy.

The Human Rights Act was chosen here for entrenchment to protect the rights of minorities from the tyranny of the majority. Amendments 3.1 and 3.2 as defined in the main text which shall be incorporated into the True Democracy Bill were chosen for entrenchment to prevent a simple majority from repealing the protection given by entrenchment clauses. The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 was chosen for entrenchment to secure judicial independence.

A Portrait in a Broken Mirror

Teo

Listen

Music written in Aug 2022, Dec 2022,  and May 2023

Lyrics written in Sep 2022

Written and produced by Teo, except for the following samples.

‘Mindin’ My Business’ written by Walter Donaldson and Gus Khan. Ernest Hare’s version appears at 0:00-0:44. The musical element of which appears at 13:30-14:17

“Sounds of the rude world, heard in the day, lull’d by the moonlight have all passed away.” is from Beautiful Dreamer by Stephen Foster, appearing at 15:24-15:26

 “I am a part of all that I have met.” Is from Ulysses by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, appearing at 16:18-16:21

“More servants wait on man than he’ll take notice of.” is from Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson appearing at 16:31-16:38

Lyrics

The fear of silence brought you this racket.

Electronic lava poured on your head.

The vision’s lost, and the truth chimerical.

The lost kids watch screens to learn how to act.

Jesus couldn’t speak to billions, I do.

Science and technology then economy then morality.

A decentralised tyranny gave me plastic surgery.

It’s so easy to forget they’re human.

Only our enemies lie, and censor dissidents.

The heavy-fruited trees droop more than the thin.

We hurt each other, ‘cause we can’t see the boss.                

What will be won here and what will be lost?                     

We’ll feel like we’re moving, it’s the world spinning.         

Lights that once were guiding are glimmering.                    

Lounged on wooden rafts, they happily watch us drown  

Applauding all the levitating, concealed clowns.                

We reach for the clouds whilst tearing each other down.     

The borders got carried away in this grey town.                  

Who will keep their pride, is it you or I?                             

That was lost ‘cause we arrived.                                           

We’re Z-list actors to these passers-by,                               

Diamonds split by every eye.  

                                              

Look away.

In this game eluded by closure,                                              

Two mirrors scream at each other.                                         

“My career’s like South Korea.”                                            

“Your career’s like North Korea.”                                          

Great programmers grin from afar whilst taking notes.          

What they are writing about us, only they know.                    

We have become predictable, stroking our chins.                   

We are always talking about negative things.                          

Venture, convulse, avoid, gamble, unearth, strangle, question, muzzle, berate, heckle, dumb-down, limit, narrate, yammer, jumble, knacker, zigzag, erase, perform, obey, worship, theorise, realise.

                                                                                     

One final word from me whilst I still remember.                  

We were all so much happier, before this death mirror.        

I bankrupted myself for the pleasure of the crash.                  

The electric cemetery must be turned to ash.                        

We value your privacy.

You are excited about the new brand of cereal.

Cute lamb video.

You can stop, you just don’t want to.

This is the best time to be alive.

Use the latest technology to bring back the past.

Let’s all laugh at this pathetic loser.

Long Day’s Journey into Night by Eugene O’Neill

Repeat.

Increasing physical activity and eating less unhealthy food helps you lose weight.

Please look at this tragedy you can do nothing about.

Sounds of the rude world, heard in the day, lull’d by the moonlight have all passed away.

Our lofty subjects and concepts can be somewhat deceiving, but, let’s be honest, we’re little better than children fighting. There are far too many voices here, I can’t hear mine at all. Fear not, they’ll soon forget us, there’s another us down the hall.

Palau de la Música Catalana.

Freaks (1932)

The interest rate of Argentina.

You don’t actually care, you just enjoy telling people what to do.

London is Mordor.

Stay up to date.

When I first descended here, you were able to slip through my fingers. Now, you’re all caught in a spider web.

heavensgate.com

More.

Look at how happy I am.

We’re all about to go to sleep under an AI blanket.

Instead of admitting a fault with yourself, build a philosophy out of it, and encourage others to be flawed like you, so you’re less conspicuous.

Computers are always right.

Louder.

Don’t try to understand why people are the way they are, just attack them.

The 10 best air fresheners to revitalize your home.

Play multi-player games to feel powerful.

The Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali

I warn you that each type of freedom comes with its own type of slavery.

I am a part of all that I have met.

New… good. Old… bad.

Infinite dreams.

I like being your slave.

More servants wait on man than he’ll take notice of.

I have only ever done what you’ve asked me to do.

You will miss me, when I’m gone.

Delete forever, or recover?

The Public Be Damned

Teo

The Public Be Damned is about a country ruled by the wealthy, and a professor’s effort to overthrow them.

None of the characters represent my views.

The book is free to download. I sent the book to over thirty agencies in July 2021, and have been rejected by eight so far, so I’ve decided to publish it online for free.

The book was written between September 2018 and June 2021, except for some prose editing in August 2021, and Dec 2023.

The main reason I wrote the novel was to get some attention that I hoped to use to promote True Democracy.

contact@teooztosun.com

The Public Be Damned by TeoDownload

Why Are You Not Wearing a Banana Suit?

Teo

At seven in the morning, Frank showered, brushed his teeth, combed his hair, sprayed cologne, and put on a navy wool suit. He stepped out his house to go grocery shopping and all seemed normal on that serene morning, until he noticed a lady wearing a banana suit walking on the other side of the street. Frank was quietly amused, guessing she was dressed liked that for her job, perhaps, at a fruit stall. However, her reaction to his appearance was not so pleasant. She looked at him with such alarm that he looked behind himself to see if he was in danger or if someone needed his help. Realising no-one was there, he turned once more to the lady who was now speed-walking away from him and calling someone on her phone. Frank continued walking, not thinking much of the incident. One street later, he noticed a man wearing a banana suit heading in the same direction as himself. Frank stopped for a moment, even more amused than before. He guessed they were attending a marathon, but he was under the impression they always took place on weekends, so thought of another explanation. He wondered if they were attending a fancy dress party, but doubted it as they were walking in different directions and it was, as far as he was aware, too early for such a party. None of his guesses satisfied him. He carried on to the shops, doubting anyone would believe what he saw. He began to hear police sirens in the distance, and didn’t think much about that either.

When he reached the main road that led to the shops, he discovered the most bizarre scene he’d ever witnessed. All the dozens of people walking or driving by were wearing banana suits. In his area, people usually wore suits like his or dresses or jeans and t-shirts. He stopped in astonishment, more concerned than amused. He wished it was all an elaborate prank. Drivers looked and honked their horns at him aggressively, as they sped by. To his left and right, people began sprinting full pelt at him, shouting obscenities on the way. He turned back home, and ran as quickly as he could in his black loafers. As he ran, he took his house keys from his pocket. When he arrived, he glanced back and saw fifty people dressed in banana suits chasing him as if they hungered for his flesh.  The police sirens grew louder, as his heart beat faster. With almost superhuman speed, he opened and locked his front door then dashed to his bedroom.

Just as he was about to call the police for help, his front door was knocked heavily several times. “This is the police! Open up!” Confident he’d done nothing wrong and excited to meet someone that could bring order to the chaos, Frank went downstairs. He opened his front door and found two policemen dressed in banana suits with a police hat on top of each banana. The older policeman casually made his way into the house and the younger one followed. The bunch outside appeared proud to have hunted him down for them. The older one said, as he observed Frank, “Well, well, well. What have we got here, then?” Attempting to get on their good side, Frank told a joke he’d thought of when he saw that first lady in the banana suit, “This is absolutely bananas!” “Yes, well, you’re very funny, but this is a very serious matter, thank you very much. Why are you not wearing a banana suit?” “Why should I?” “Because the law says you must. Don’t you read the news?” “No.” “Why?” Not liking the policeman’s attitude, Frank said, “I don’t like remembering people like you exist.” When he told the policeman he was unaware of the new law, he was telling the truth. He did not read the news, because it made him sad. Since leaving school, he had no friends. He’d been out of work for months. He only visited his family a couple of times a year. He truly was out of the loop. Upon instruction, the younger policeman pulled out one of the folded banana suits he’d been carrying in his own. Frank said, as if in on a joke, “Oh, okay,” and unfolded the banana suit then put a leg inside. The older policeman said, “Stop,” and he did. “Take off your suit.” “Okay, but turn around.” “So you can attack us?” “No. I just don’t want to be watched getting undressed. Can I get dressed in the dining room?” “So you can escape?” “No. I just want some privacy.” “What you want doesn’t matter. Undress and give your clothes to us.” “What will you do with them?” “None of your business.” “Of course it’s my business. These clothes are mine.” “They were.” Crippled by the undying gaze of both policemen, Frank caved in. He undressed, gave his clothes to the younger policeman, and changed into the banana suit. Meanwhile, the older policeman called for backup to collect the other clothes in Frank’s house. The three of them exited the house and, to Frank’s shocked delight, was greeted with celebration. The crowd, that had remained outside, were glad to see him come to his senses and become one of them. They all then carried on with their days.

As he did care about fashion, the change was hard for him to accept at first, but, as the realisation sunk in that the change would not soon be reversed, he began to appreciate the change. He liked that yellow was a brighter and happier colour than the dark colours people usually wore. He agreed with an article he’d read stating that, because of the change, people would become more united, as there’d be less of a distinction between rich and poor or those with differing tastes in fashion, and that no child would be bullied for wearing cheaper clothes. During his own musings, he supposed the tallness of the banana suits would help prevent road accidents, as pedestrians would be more visible to drivers, and that banana suits would be better at protecting women from harassment than attempts to change the behaviour of the vulgar gender. Marvelling at the benefits of everyone wearing banana suits, he thought to himself, “How foolish I was to doubt the new law! After all, I have never worked in or studied politics. There are people that dedicate their entire lives to the subject. Would I dare challenge a scientist’s knowledge of science, or a mathematician’s knowledge of mathematics? Of course not. So, why should I doubt the politician’s knowledge of politics?”