I'm standing as an Independent because improving the quality of democracy is vital.

Full statement

Voters are let down by Politicians, who rank as one of the least trusted professions in the UK. Even unelected professions such as judges, doctors and lawyers are trusted to a much greater degree.

The truth is that democracy is one of the most poorly regulated economic markets in the UK. A vote is a restricted currency that can only be used to buy political representation and democracy simply replaced the profit motive with a power motive. Just as with competition in economic markets, there is no guarantee that political parties competing with each other for power will yield excellency. We need to create a system that is able to ensure effective use of power rather than focusing on the allocation of power.

Consumer protection and regulatory bodies have been substantially developed over recent decades. However the equivalent practice, consumer protection for voters, hardly exists. There are many possibilities that could be explored to support voters and address the imbalance of power between them and political parties, and direct political parties to focus on acting in the best interests of the nation instead of their own interests and objectives.

Providing voters with professional negotiation advice, professionalising political journalism (similar to lawyers and doctors) and allowing unelected professionals and leaders in our institutions to voice suggestions and insights are just some examples of change. Proportional representation is a distraction because voters are most upset by the lack of quality policy, people and their conduct in politics, and PR won't change that. Just because it will be a challenge to improve democracy, doesn't mean we should not try to.

Lastly, voters should be wary that their high sense of duty and responsibility to cast their vote in General Elections undermines their negotiation power and makes it easier for voters to be taken for granted. Professional negotiators for the UK threatened to leave the EU even after years of time and effort only because the agreement was not good enough; yet voters on the other hand seem to vote even if they are disappointed or have doubts about who they vote for. We were repeatedly told "no deal is better than a bad deal", and this argument applies to voting too.