(CORE – Concluding Part)

Foreign Affairs

A CORE government would actively oppose any efforts to take Britain back into the European Union.  Joining it was the worst foreign policy decision Britain ever made.  The vast majority of the people forming that union have submitted to dictatorial government in the past, some very recently.  During their periods of tutelage, they inevitably acquired habits of obedience towards central authority.  It is therefore vital for the future freedom of these islands that we never saddle ourselves again with treaty obligations over which we have little or no control.

Nor should we have been expected to abide by a treaty signed by a non-elected Prime Minister, whose signature never had any legal validity.  ‘Brexit’ was the only option.  We must be eternally grateful to the people who campaigned across the years in the Anti-Federation League, Referendum Party and UKIP, led by men like Alan Sked, Lord Rothschild and Nigel Farage.  A heartfelt thanks to them all!

An Omnibus Bill would eliminate any law or regulation derived from dictatorial European ‘directives.’

Although Britain is no longer in the EU, a CORE government would nonetheless seek free trade agreements with all European countries and do everything in its power to steer the EU away from its bureaucratic, protectionist, regulatory, tariff-focussed mind-set.

A CORE government would withdraw diplomatic recognition and close embassies in all countries in the hands of dictators, or where elections have been ‘fixed,’ arranging with neutral countries such as Switzerland to look after any British citizens foolish enough to travel to places like Belarus, Iran, Cuba, etc., etc.

An agreement to do away with passports will be sought with all countries with which Britain has full diplomatic relations.  The passport agency would be privatised.

A CORE government would initiate legal proceedings in the International Court against the government of Sri Lanka on charges of genocide against the Tamil population in the north of that country.  All sporting contacts with Sri Lanka would be discouraged until those responsible were brought to justice, right down to the individual squaddies, artillerymen and pilots who murdered so many prisoners, women, children and old people in cold blood.

Diplomatic relations would be suspended with Russia until those suspected of murdering Alexander Litvinenko were handed over for trial in London.

A suit would be launched in the International Court for compensation from Russia for the shooting down of a Malaysian civilian airliner by Russian troops in Eastern Ukraine.

Diplomatic relations would stay suspended until Russia agreed to compensate Ukraine for all damage inflicted during its unprovoked attack on Ukraine in 2022, the most despicable act by a European country since Hitler’s invasion of Poland in 1939.

Diplomatic relations with China would be suspended until those responsible for the Tienanmen Square massacre were brought to trial.  If necessary, a case would be lodged on behalf of Chinese refugees in the International Court.

A similar case would be brought on behalf of the people of Tibet, so long oppressed by the Chinese invaders of their country.

Diplomatic relations would stay suspended until all Uighurs were released from captivity and the persecution of Falun Gong had ceased.

Business enterprises or other institutions, owned, set up, or controlled by foreign governments would be forbidden from owning property or businesses in Britain.  They would be free to pursue their activities but only in rented property owned by British subjects or through British agents or agencies and would be required to divest themselves of any property currently owned.

A CORE government would recommend that Britain withdraw from the United Nations which organisation has granted too much recognition and influence to dictatorial regimes.  A referendum would be held to decide the issue.

The possibility/advisability of establishing an alternative organisation, The League of Free Nations, would be explored.

The current extradition treaty with the United States would be amended to make clear that it cannot be used for alleged offences of an ordinary civilian nature, or for alleged offences which occurred in Britain.

Foreign governments seeking the arrest of a British subject or resident would be required to prove their case in a British court prior to any extradition and, should extradition be granted, to confirm that the accused would be tried immediately, not held in detention pending trial.

Visitors to Britain would be required to demonstrate that they had valid travellers’ insurance covering all adverse eventualities for the full length of their stay.

British State aid to foreign countries would cease.  Those wishing to help the less fortunate overseas would be free to do so, but they would have to implement their generosity through private charities.  As already stated, for an act to be good it must be voluntary.  Politicians attempting to gain kudos by giving away taxpayers’ money destroys the whole concept of benevolence.

All British registered ships will be authorised to carry armed men, or to have sailors trained in the use of appropriate weaponry.  ‘Shoot first and ask questions afterwards’ should be adopted as the official policy for ships passing through waters where pirates operate.  Britain will ask other maritime countries to join us in taking offensive action against pirate bases.

Punitive fees for registering ships as British, and excessive regulation of shipping, would end.

Negotiations would begin immediately to bring about some form of reunion of Ireland with the rest of the British Isles, and a reunion of Northern Ireland and Eire. A prerequisite of any such reunion, however, would be the elimination of certain features of the Irish constitution, such as the ban on divorce.  Obviously, these moves would depend on agreement of those involved.

As an inducement to reunion, and as proof that any historical conflicts or wrongdoings by either country had been laid aside, it would be proposed that the national debt of the Irish State be amalgamated with that of Great Britain and paid off jointly.

Great Britain would cooperate fully with other free countries, and help fund, any and all initiatives to combat international terrorism, cyber crime, jihadism, etc.

Defence

War is the end of reason.  Even though it is often the occasion for great ingenuity, courageous stoicism, astonishing daring and admirable heroism, it is the most anti-human of all activities.  Sometimes, alas, it is necessary for self-defence, but it should always be absolutely the last resort.

The main purpose of Parliament in future would be deciding the level of threat to the British Isles and hence the amount necessary to spend on defence.

All men between the ages of sixteen and sixty, and such women as chose to be involved, would be regarded as members of the Territorial Army.  However, conscription would be permanently outlawed.  Military training would be entirely voluntary and would be encouraged according to the perceived level of threat.

GCHQ would become a purely military establishment run by the three services jointly.  It would be broken down into its component parts and distributed around Great Britain.  Surely no country ever set up a more tempting target for potential enemies than the present GCHQ.  The existing site would be sold for redevelopment, the proceeds paying for the relocations.

A portion of the monies saved from scrapping the Welfare State would be devoted to expanding and improving the defences of the British Isles.  Eire would be invited to join in a programme of common defence.

Private security companies would be free to establish defence industries and cadres of armed men, perhaps with a view to selling their services to Parliament, or to countries overseas.

Old-established regiments with long histories of expertise in arms, such as the SAS or SBS, would be ideal candidates for transformation into security companies offering high quality services on long-term contracts.  An outfit called Black Watch Security, say, would surely command immediate respect, although it could only retain its reputation by being superlative in its field.

Finis

Concluding Notes

The draft manifesto of The Confederation & Reform Party has been prepared by one person.  Were CORE to be launched, its members would of course decide which policies to concentrate on, which to add, and which to postpone or drop.  All involved should bear in mind that:  “The best way to show that these things can be done is to do them.” (David Friedman)

Fed Up With Government? was published in 1991.  However, I began to suffer from a disabling and incurable back condition shortly afterwards and perforce had to abandon the Reform Party project – whatever its merit or feasibility might have been, and whether or not it was entirely unrealistic from start to finish.

A comprehensive elaboration of the ideas behind CORE can be found in Old Nick’s Guide to Happiness: A Philosophical Novel, which I published in  2008.  It can be bought from Amazon in two volumes as a Kindle reader or as a quality paperback.

Though naturally now quite dated, a few copies of Fed Up With Government? are still available – should anybody be curious or interested – priced at £2.95 plus £1.50 postage.  They can be obtained by contacting me directly.  To order a copy, or to write to me about anything else, I can be reached by email via my website.  The address is:  nick@nicholasdykes.com

In conclusion, I hope readers have enjoyed my fantasy, and may I wish all of you the very best for the future.  Myself, I veer from pessimism to optimism like a pendulum.  Putin’s invasion of Ukraine plunged me into depression, Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter raised me back up.

However, we must never succumb to ‘che sera, sera’.  “The secret of success is to manufacture your own destiny” (Ayn Rand).  The future is ours to make, we should never just wait and see.

Nicholas Dykes, May, 2022.