The Simultaneous Policy: Using Our Votes to Take Back the World

PRESS RELEASE: 6^th December 2004

Mike Hancock CBE, the Liberal Democrat MP for Portsmouth South has pledged to implement the Simultaneous Policy. He joins fellow Lib Dem Andrew George, the MP for St Ives and Labour’s Anne Campbell, MP for Cambridge, in his support for SP – a rapidly growing global movement designed to solve problems that nations cannot tackle alone. Other prominent political activists who have pledged their support for SP include Caroline Lucas MEP, the Australian Senator Rachel Siewert, the American savant Noam Chomsky and Nobel Laureate and Foreign Minister of East Timor Jose Ramos Horta. Also, 59 candidates in the recent Australian Federal elections pledged to implement SP.

Recognising the potential of SP to encourage nations to co-operate Mike Hancock said:

"Anything that helps break down the bunker mentality of nationalists, wherever they are in the world, is very welcome." 

Simpol-UK, the UK branch of the International Simultaneous Policy Organisation (ISPO), is not a political party. Instead it offers voters a powerful way to use their votes to drive politicians of all parties to implement Simultaneous Policy. The aim is to address global issues like climate change, sustainability and fair trade through simultaneous trans-national legislation. In this way the problem of competitive disadvantage would be eliminated. 

SP is global direct democracy in action. Hundreds of citizens in over sixty countries around the world have adopted SP and the numbers grow every day. At election time they will vote only for candidates who have signed the SP pledge. 

SP was founded in 2000 by the British businessman John Bunzl. He expressed his delight at Mike Hancock’s support and added:

"Politicians and global justice campaigners are recognising the value of SP. We call on candidates from all parties to sign the SP pledge. It is in their electoral interests to do so."

Simpol-UK is now gearing up for the general election expected in spring 2005. It aims to make SP a key vote-winning issue. 

For further information visit www.simpol.org (global site) and/or www.simpol.org.uk (UK site), or contact Mike Brady on 07986 736179