Alexander van Terheyden

My Priorities

It's Official I have put myself forward for the 2010 UK Election.  I will be standing in Bethnal Green and Bow, an area of London I hold close to my heart, an area that over the years has gone through some dramatic change. 

I decided to stand as a Candidate because I felt the voters of Bethnal Green and Bow simply didn't have any choice when it came to them deciding on who to give their vote to.  This is the current choice:

• Rushanara Ali - Labour
• Farid Bakht - Green
• Zakir Khan - Conservative
• Ajmal Masroor - Liberal Democrat
• Abjol Miah - Respect
• Alexander van Terheyden - Pirate Party UK

Labour probably have the most highly educated Politician on the list but should she really be a shoe in when she has spent her entire career focusing on becoming a Minister for Parliament?  Does the Oxford Lady really have enough life experience?  And why should anyone vote for Gordon Browns Labour Party ever again?The Green Candidate probably has the biggest heart - but I have seen very little evidence to suggest he really does have any green credentials.  This Guy may as well represent the Grey Party!The Conservatives, Liberals and Respect can effectively be grouped into the same box (in this constituency only) - as far as I've learnt they've effectively been sponsored by the East London Mosque.  So as long as the Mosque gets a candidate elected their very happy.  But where does this leave those of us who don't give a damn for religion?  Or align ourselves with the far right or left?  Effectively you're without a vote.  Hence another reason for me to step up to the plate.   If you read my blog you will have a pretty good idea on where I come from in regards to Government Policy, Green Issues and Soceity.  But I think its' important that I list to you what I stand for as a Pirate Party Candidate:

Candidate Biography

Born in the UK, I grew up in Cambridge before embarking to live a life in London where I went to University and have lived and worked for just over 10years. Bethnal Green and Bow (Tower Hamlets) was the 1st place I lived in London and I have had a permanent base there ever since. I have been actively involved in local politics for the last 10years in the East of London - focusing on helping the more deprived areas of London as they seem to be forgotten under the Labour Government. I believe in the Right to Freedom and I will always fight oppression by those who stand to oppress mine and anyone elses freedom. I don't believe in the Big Brother state and believe we need to take a stand against it before we fall in any deeper into George Orwells 1984 - something under Gordon Browns Government we have rapidly moved towards if not already surpassed. I believe the British public should not be treated as criminals for simply enjoying Music - this the Pirate Party takes very seriously. None of the other UK parties stand for Freedom in the same way the Pirate Party does. This Government chooses to label you as a criminal for infringing copyright law and I simply won't put up with it. The only way to make a change is to get politically involved. As a Pirate I will fight for the common decent citizens who choose to celebrate life rather than oppress life. I believe in equality in Bethnal Green - I don't believe Politics should be influenced by a religious agenda. I refuse to let corporations, religious organisations and corrupt money influence me into helping out all people of Bethanl Green and Bow. Race, Religion and Class will not define my policies - If the people need help and services than as your MP I will fight for these services no matter your creed - unlike the other candidates in Bethnal Green and Bow who are fighting for your vote.

Let's Address a Few Things How did you get involved with the Pirate Party UK and why? I have been very politically active ever since my school and University days, after University I was forced to pay off the debts I had accumulated by joining the City of London working in the Financial Sector. This brought me back into the black but it also allowed me to see the world - to the extent where I took a couple of years off in my late 20's to Volunteer in Central America, the Far East as well as working on the Caribbean Island of Utila (An Original Pirate Colony) whereby I saw life isn't just about Money - its about Freedom, its about standing up aganist those that oppress this world. And what better policies can there be than:

We want to reform copyright and patent law to make it suitable for the modern age and its original purpose. We want to end the excessive surveillance, profiling, tracking and monitoring of innocent people by Government and large businesses. We want to ensure that everyone has real freedom of speech and real freedom to enjoy and participate in our shared culture.

I have moved away from the Conservatives (I represented them as a Candidate previously in Hackney - Hoxton ward) because they don't believe in these freedoms. While they have strong economic policies they simply don't give enough of damn about the common man for me to be able to allign myself with them anymore.

What are the Pirates Key Policies? Which one would you class as most important?Core Policies - I support all of them.1 Copyright and Patent Policies 1.1 Copyright to apply to commercial exploitation only. 1.2 We want all copyright durations to be reduced to a fairer length. 1.3 We want a 'government health warning' on products containing DRM technology. 1.4 There should be no additional period of copyright protection for format changes 1.5 We think there should be no blank media taxes. 1.6 Where patents don't promote innovation, or actively prevent it, we'll scrap them 1.7 We feel that everything funded by the taxpayer should be made available to the public under a Creative Commons or similar licence, or public domain 1.8 All the BBC's output will be available online under a Creative Commons or similar licence. 1.9 We feel that large, national events shall continue to be accessible via terrestrial broadcast services. 1.10 We want the Government to switch to open source software where practical. 2 Privacy Policies 2.1 We believe privacy of the individual should be sought at all times 2.2 We feel citizens should have the right to private and confidential communication; 2.3 We strongly oppose compulsory ID cards 2.4 The proposed National Identity Register 2.5 We want stronger data protection laws 2.6 We want a full review of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 2.7 We want clear laws on acceptable use of CCTV 2.8 We want clearer guidelines and restrictions on the use of DNA records by authorities 2.9 We want increased government transparency and accountability 3 Freedom of Speech Policies 3.1 We believe that the Internet is instrumental to freedom of speech 3.2 We will encourage citizens of all nations to communicate freely, share their culture, and maintain their right to privacy 3.3 Whistleblowers 3.4 Photography in public places 3.5 We will encourage libraries and museums to digitise their content 3.6 We want better computing education in schools 3.7 UK libel law should not be used to smother free speech 3.8 We want to promote the inclusion of accessibility features, subtitles, audio descriptions etc for the disabled

Its hard to pick a favourite out of all those policies but the Photography in public spaces is very close to my heart having been witness to unruly establishment figures trying to stop photographers in central London. I am very much against the ID Cards - having previously been involved in campaigning against them.I believe in freedom of speech especially on the internet - hence I have been involved in supporting WikiLeaks through its crisis. However 1.1 - is the most important - as prosecuting a family because their son or daughter is downloading a few music tracks for non commercial exploitation is unacceptable. I DJ in Shoreditch from time to time and I know how important it is to have music freely available - however I also know that it is important to support an artist should you use his/her work for commercial reasons - if its for pure enjoyment and pleasure then that copyright should be flexible.Non-Pirate PoliciesThe Pirate Party UK encourages its Candidates to talk to their constituents and make up their own mind on any policies that are not part of the PPUK's core policies and/or manifesto.Please read my blog - everything I stand for on this blog I will stand for in parliament. 

However to note:

• I believe in the right to free Education for Life
• I believe in a fair Tax System
• I believe in reducing the Budget Deficit
• I believe our borders should be controlled more effectively through a points based system of immigration and I believe our society can one day leave Racism behind.
• I believe we should be spending money on fighting Poverty
• I believe we should withdraw our troops and stop aiding the American War Machine
• I believe we need to act to Save the Planet
• I believe in Green Energy and not Coal, Oil or Nuclear

Please follow me on www.twitter.com/vanterheyden

Where I stand on:

Crime - Knife Crime and Gangs are out of control in Bethnal Green and Bow. We need to be tough on crime and stamp out the trouble makers before they turn to gangs. This should be done through support at Schools, Community Support and then later on with no cuddly penalities - if you commit an offence you should go down. and life should mean life - no exceptions.

Public Services - facilities should be there for families where they can take part in activities without worrying about safety and costs.

Faith Schools - Religion needs to take a back seat when it comes to education. I believe in smaller class sizes and free education for all (including University).

Community Cohesion - we need to stop the isolation parties like Respect are causing. No matter what your race, religion or background we should be all be working together to get along and make the world a better place.

National Views:

The Economy:  Effectively Labour inherited an Economy that was on the up in 1997, Brown was falsely praised as Chancellor for the amazing economy that took hold, but due to lax legislation, overspending, poor planning and general incompetence, Brown's Government has taken us from Global Leader to almost Bankrupt. We need to reduce our deficit and get spending under a manageable level quickly and without hesitation - otherwise Inflation and Job Losses will wash over all of us. 

Health: I believe in the NHS, everyone in my close family has worked for the NHS either as Doctors or Nurses and I believe in giving more power to the Doctors so they can do their jobs properly with less red tape and paper work. The NHS undoubtedly needs more investment, especially as the UK population ages, but it must be allowed the authority to fight those that abuse the system - I don't believe the British Public should stand back and watch Non UK residents using the NHS for expensive operations when effectively this would be impossible for a Brit to do in their country free of charge (of course Tourists should be allowed access to A&E and hospital for Emergencies and for free).ID Cards :We strongly oppose compulsory ID cards, and pledge that we will never introduce them. The proposed National Identity Register will be regulated so that it can only contain trivial information, and data required by a particular government department must be held by that department only. We will introduce a new right to compensation for people affected by government data loss.

Education: Gordon Brown Lied to us before Labour were elected in 1997 - he stated that his government would not introduce Tuition fees. Well in 1998 he broke that promise and University Tuition fees were introduced. Since then University has become more and more expensive - effectively excluding those that can't afford to go to University from moving up higher in life. I believe in Free Education for all.

Crime: Labours Message of being Tough on Crime is all very well - but they've been saying this for 13years+ and yet crime just seems to be just as rife. We need tougher prisons where criminals are reformed and not entertained by TVs in every cell. At the same time Life should mean Life and not 5-6years! Police should not be burdened with paperwork when they should be out on the streets fighting crime. I believe in a tougher judicial system whereby violent offenders are locked up and not simply given a warning. However, I also believe you should not be labeled a criminal for sharing music with your peers - We need to stop wasting time penalising those of us who work hard for simple legalities but if you cause others grief then the state should come down upon you like a ton of bricks.

Public Safety: As a Pirate I stand against ID Cards I simply don't believe we are going to be made safer by being forced to carry ID. CCTV isn't creating safer streets it is just making the state and the police lazier - do we really want too fall deeper into this Orwellian CCTV Nightmare? Lets get the communities working together with the police to create a sense of Public Safety whereby we work hard to look out for one another.

Immigration: Immigration is out of control - I'm in favour of a points based system where those seeking to enter the UK may only do so if they have enough points (similar to the Australian system). Those seeking Asylum who have already come through at least 1 safe country must be rejected as they can't pick and choose which country they wish to claim asylum in. I am in favour of rewarding hard working Immigrants with Citizenship but not if they sponge off the state or have commited 1 minor crime.

Identity & Multi-culturalism: We are a planet of 6 billion people and we are all individuals - I am in favour of an individuals identity but I do not believe your identity is your religion. Your religion is simply your belief (and it is also a belief that can not be proved), so your belief should not get in the way of anyone elses right to life and enjoyment. I embrace Multi-culturalism, having traveled round the globe many times I love the diversity of culture. However I do believe that when in Rome you should do as the Romans do.

Religious Dress: Dress as you like - but you can't expect walk into a public location with your face hidden do we question why Motorcycle Helmets are banned in Banks? No!

International Views:

Threat of Terrorism: Unfortunately due to our foreign policy of aligning ourselves with the American war machine (which I completely disagree with) we are at risk from religious fanatics who are hell bent on Terrorism. Hence we do need to protect ourselves with stop and check policing and a more efficient security service. In the long run the risk of terrorism can be reduced if we stem the flow of religious fanatics into the country who offer no skills and we also offer the world education rather than destruction.

Climate Change: I am a fully paid up member of Greenpeace and I believe it is crucial for us all to be acting on Climate change not in 10years or 20years but immediately. Individuals, Businesses and Governments need to be held to account for the destruction that is taking place on our precious small planet.

Developing World Debt:  I believe we should end the exploitation of the developing world and where possible lifting there debt if they choose to move forward without corruption.

Palestine/Israel Conflict:  I'm sick and tired of Israel being the bully - Palestine needs a chance to be its own country. International Policing needs to be set up in the region with the power and authority taken away from Israel. They have gotten away with violent polcing for too long. Neither Palestine or Israel is in the right but strangling Palestine from Education and prosperity is only going to cause them to lash out. The zone needs education and peace not hate and war.Afghanistan: We need to withdraw from Afghanistan - being there is just allowing the Arms trade to prosper. We achieve nothing but a continuous and never ending Jihad.

Human Rights: All Human Beings no matter where you come from should have the same human rights as stated by the European Court of Human Rights.

VOTE PIRATE PARTY - MAY 6th 2010