Press Releases
Press Releases
Press Release: 27th November 2007
Simpol supporters rate climate change as top issue – and identify solutions
The Simultaneous Policy (SP), a global campaign allowing citizens to determine policy solutions to global problems such as climate change and to use their votes to drive politicians implement them, has published the results of its annual round of voting on policy suggestions put forward by campaign supporters. The top 5 issues identified by supporters, known as Adopters, are: climate change, environment, transnational corporate power, conflict resolution and the system of international trade. Adopters voted on suggestions put forward by other Adopters as part of Simpol’s global and democratic process for determining the policies governments will be required to implement.
Concerned at the inability of governments to unilaterally implement stringent environmental controls for fear of capital and jobs moving to other countries, the Simultaneous Policy is to be implemented simultaneously, only when all or sufficient governments have signed up. In this way, supporting SP is no-risk either for politicians or citizens and is helping to build international and cross-party support while opening the way to more robust measures being adopted than those presently envisaged under relatively weak agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol.
Contraction and Convergence, a comprehensive policy for dealing with climate change, received overwhelming support, but Adopters rejected a proposal to ground all aircraft. There was strong support for the monitoring of weapons leading to global disarmament and for arms production to be removed from the calculation of GDP. Other suggestions receiving strong support were the Oil Depletion Protocol for addressing reducing oil supplies and the reforming of international financial systems. Votes are indicative at this stage and guide the Simultaneous Policy Organisation in how much time and space to give to particular policy suggestions.
While many MPs support SP on its merits, Adopters provide politicians with a vital electoral incentive by undertaking to vote at future national elections for any candidate, within reason, who has signed the pledge to implement SP alongside other governments, or to encourage their preferred party to support SP. In this way, while simultaneous implementation eliminates harmful competition between nations, electoral competition between candidates is intensified so that politicians who fail to support SP risk losing their seats to those who do. With an increasing number of parliamentary seats and even entire national elections being won or lost on fine margins, only a relatively small number of Adopters may be needed to make it in the vital interests of all politicians to support SP. Citizens in all democratic countries are seeing SP as a way of seizing the political initiative and of driving even uncooperative politicians and nations, such as the U.S. administration, towards the internationally co-operative solution that SP provides.
So far, 27 MPs from all the main UK political parties have signed the SP Pledge along with a growing number of MPs from other countries. Copies of the report of the 2007 annual voting round can be viewed on the Policy Proposals page of www.simpol.org.uk For more information, contact Diana Trimble on +44 (0)20-8464 4141.
Simpol-UK 27 London Road, Bromley, BR1 1DF, UK
info@simpol.org.uk Tel +44 (0)20-8464 4141 Fax +44 (0)20-8460 2035
Press Release: 8th November 2007
Movement for global justice gains louder voice in parliament.
The Simultaneous Policy (Simpol), a global campaign which allows citizens to take a fast-track approach to solving global problems such as climate change, gained further support in Parliament today as Julie Morgan, Labour MP for Cardiff North, joined twenty-six other MPs from all the main UK political parties who have signed a pledge to implement the Simultaneous Policy alongside other governments.
The rationale for the Simpol campaign is that action to solve global problems such as climate change is currently prevented because each government fears that moving first to implement the needed measures would only harm its economy, as capital, corporations and jobs would flee to less costly countries. But the simultaneous implementation by sufficient governments of the needed measures, as Simpol advocates, eliminates this fear, so opening the way to more robust measures being adopted than relatively weak approaches such as the Kyoto Protocol.
Welcoming Ms. Morgan’s support for the campaign, its founder, John Bunzl, said “activists and politicians alike are beginning to realise that the world’s problems are not climate change, global poverty, corporate power or resource depletion as such; the problem is the abject failure of governments to co-operate. If sufficient nations acted together, the needed reforms could be implemented without any nation harming its international competitiveness. Simpol’s unique contribution is that it allows citizens to use their votes in a new way to drive even reluctant politicians and nations towards the simultaneous implementation of the needed policy solutions.”
To secure sufficient international support for the implementation of the Simultaneous Policy, citizens around the world who support it, known as Adopters, not only decide the far-reaching global measures to be implemented, they tell all the politicians in their constituency area that they will be voting for any parliamentary candidate, within reason, who has signed the pledge to implement the policy alongside other governments. Or they encourage their preferred party to support it. In this way, citizens are placing politicians who fail to support Simpol at risk of losing their seats to those who do. With more parliamentary seats and even entire national elections being won or lost on fine margins, only a relatively small number of Adopters can make it in the vital interests of the main competing politicians and parties to support it. Adopters in countries, such as the USA, are seeing Simpol as a powerful way of driving hitherto uncooperative governments to co-operate with the wider international community.
As support amongst democratic nations gains strength, non-democratic nations such as China, which are increasingly feeling the negative effects of global warming and other global problems, are expected to join the process. Apart from the UK, support for SP already extends to the EU, Australian and Argentine parliaments and progress is being made in many other countries.
For further information, contact Diana Trimble at dtrimble@simpol.org or on the numbers below.
Simpol-UK 27 London Road, Bromley, BR1 1DF, UK
www.simpol.org.uk Tel +44 (0)20-8464 4141 Fax +44 (0)20-8460 2035
Press Release: 30th October 2007
Need for global climate action builds parliamentary support for Simpol
The Simultaneous Policy (Simpol), a global campaign which allows citizens around the world to take a fast-track approach to addressing global problems such as climate change, gained further support in Parliament today as Lembit Opik, Liberal Democrat MP for Montgomeryshire, joined twenty-six other MPs from all the main UK political parties who have signed a pledge to implement the Simultaneous Policy alongside other governments.
In 2005, Tony Blair said “The blunt truth about the politics of climate change is that no country will want to sacrifice its economy in order to meet this challenge.” But the basis of Simpol is that all or sufficient nations implement the needed stringent measures simultaneously, so avoiding the fear that first-mover nations would lose investment and jobs to other countries. By posing no-risk to any nation’s international competitiveness, simultaneous action removes the excuses for inaction and delay and opens the way to far more robust policies being adopted than relatively weak agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol. Welcoming the Simpol approach, Mr. Opik said, “We live together at once, on the same small planet. There are some things we should do together, at once, on this same small planet. The compelling logic of Simultaneous Policy is really collective common sense – it’s a campaign to find out how common sense really is!”
But what about nations that refuse? To secure sufficient international political will for the implementation of the Simultaneous Policy, citizens around the world who support it, known as Adopters, not only decide the global policies to be implemented, they tell all the politicians in their constituency area that they will be voting in future national elections for any candidate, within reason, who has signed the pledge to implement the policy alongside other governments. Or they encourage their preferred party to support it. In this way, citizens are seizing the political initiative by intensifying competition between candidates so that politicians who fail to support Simpol risk losing their seats to those who do. With more parliamentary seats and even entire national elections being won or lost on fine margins, only a relatively small number of Adopters may be needed to make it in the vital interests of the main politicians and parties to support it.
The Simpol campaign is driven by local Adopter groups which meet regularly around the UK and in other countries to recruit new Adopters, so building the pressure on politicians in all democratic nations to sign the Simultaneous Policy Pledge. As support amongst democratic nations gains strength, non-democratic nations that are increasingly feeling the negative effects of global warming and other global problems, such as China, are expected to come on board. Apart from the UK, support for SP already extends to the EU and Australian parliaments and progress is being made in many other countries. SP is also supported by the president of East Timor, Dr. José Ramos-Horta, by Eva Quistorp, co-founder of the German Green Party, and by many ecologists, activists and economists.
Press Release: 12th October 2007
Citizens use their votes to drive international support for global justice
Citizens have found a new and powerful way of voting which drives politicians and nations to cooperate in solving global problems such as climate change, unfair trade and unsustainability. By supporting the Simultaneous Policy (SP), a global campaign aimed at getting governments to act together, citizens in the UK parliamentary constituency of Birmingham Sparkbrook and Small Heath today prompted Roger Godsiff, the constituency’s Labour MP, to sign a pledge to implement SP alongside other governments. He joins twenty-four other MPs from all the main UK political parties who have signed the Pledge so far. MPs in other countries are also signing on.
Press Release: 27th September 2007
Climate urgency builds parliamentary support for Simultaneous Policy
The Simultaneous Policy (SP), a global grassroots campaign aimed at addressing global problems such as climate change, unfair trade and global poverty, gained further support in Parliament today as Celia Barlow, Labour MP for Hove, joined twenty-three other MPs from all the main UK political parties who have signed a pledge to implement SP alongside other governments. “Co-operation between different nations is paramount in terms of tackling the world’s greatest problems such as climate change and poverty. Unilateral action, though important, cannot solve these international problems,” Ms. Barlow said.
The fear of all governments that the unilateral implementation of stringent environmental controls would increase business costs resulting in a loss of investment and jobs is rapidly being recognised as the key barrier to solving global warming and other global problems. Despite the Stern report which urged governments to act decisively to curb carbon emissions, the Financial Times (6th Dec. 06) noted that “…governments remain reluctant to address this threat because any country acting alone to curb its greenhouse gas emissions, without similar commitments by other governments, risks damaging the competitiveness of its industries.”
To eliminate the fear of first-mover disadvantage, SP’s range of global measures is to be implemented simultaneously, only when all or sufficient governments have signed up. By posing no-risk to any nation’s international competitiveness, simultaneous action removes excuses for inaction and delay and opens the way to far more robust policies being adopted than relatively weak agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol. Contraction & Convergence, a powerful international framework designed to combat global warming, is one measure that has been put forward for potential inclusion in SP’s package of global problem-solving measures.
To secure sufficient international political will for the implementation of SP, citizens around the world who support it, known as Adopters, tell politicians that they will be voting in all future national elections for any candidate, within reason, who has signed the pledge to implement SP alongside other governments, or they encourage their preferred party to support SP. In this way, competition between candidates is intensified to a point where politicians who fail to support SP risk losing their seats to those who do. With more parliamentary seats and even entire national elections being won or lost on fine margins, only a relatively small number of Adopters may be needed to make it in the vital interests of the main politicians and parties to support SP.
Celia Barlow’s pledge to implement SP follows vigorous local campaigning by Brighton and Hove’s SP Adopters Group, chaired by Barnaby Flynn. Local Adopter groups meet regularly around the UK and recruit new Adopters, so building the pressure on politicians to sign the SP Pledge. Caroline Lucas, the Green Party MEP who will stand at the next election in the neighbouring Brighton Pavilion constituency, has already signed the SP Pledge and competing candidates from other parties are expected to follow.
For further information visit www.simpol.org.uk or contact Diana Trimble. For Barnaby Flynn, contact 07799 603042.
Press Release - 10 April 2007
Global cooperation inspires 1000 mile ‘end-to-end’ cycle ride
The Simultaneous Policy (SP) campaign, aimed at addressing global problems such as climate change, unfair trade, global poverty and unsustainability, has prompted carpenter, musician and cycling enthusiast, Adam Jacobs, to cycle from Land’s End to John O’Groats this summer.
“I have wanted to ride 'end-to-end' for years,” said Jacobs. “I have always been an avid cyclist though whole years have elapsed during which I hardly rode a bicycle. I have not yet ridden as far as from Land's End to John O'Groats in such a short time and am planning to make the journey (nearly 1000 miles) in ten days. If I train adequately this should be ample.”
SP is a range of global problem-solving policies which is being designed, not by political parties, but by thousands of citizens around the world who support SP, known as Adopters. To avoid the fear all governments have that the unilateral implementation of stringent environmental controls, for example, would see capital and jobs moving elsewhere, SP is to be implemented co-operatively and simultaneously, only when all or sufficient governments have signed up. In this way, supporting SP poses no-risk to any nation’s international competitiveness and is helping to build international and cross-party support while opening the way to far more robust measures being adopted than those presently envisaged under agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol.
SP does not rely on the voluntary support of politicians. Instead, by adopting SP, Adopters undertake to vote in their respective national elections for any candidate, within reason, who has signed the pledge to implement SP alongside other governments, or to encourage their preferred party to support SP. In this way, politicians who fail to support SP risk losing their seats to those who do. With more parliamentary seats and even entire national elections being won or lost on fine margins, only a relatively small number of Adopters may be needed to make it in the vital interests of the main politicians and parties to support SP. So far, more than twenty UK MPs from all the main political parties have signed the SP Pledge and Adam hopes his ride will help raise further awareness and support for the campaign amongst both the public and politicians.
“As an Adopter of SP, riding for SP is for me an honour, enabling me to raise awareness and funds for the campaign”, said Jacobs. “SP has humanity’s best interests at heart and cuts through the abhorrent cloudiness of our current global political system by providing a practical political framework through which all peoples and their leaders can harness their latent power and create a truly democratic, sustainable and just world”.
Support for SP extends to the EU and Australian parliaments and progress is being made in many other countries. SP is also supported by the prime minister of East Timor, Nobel prize winner Dr. José Ramos-Horta, and by many ecologists, activists and economists.
Press Release - 2 April 2007
Cross-party support grows for citizens’ global governance campaign
The Simultaneous Policy (SP) campaign, aimed at addressing global problems such as climate change, unfair trade, global poverty and unsustainability, gained further support in Parliament today with two MPs joining the campaign. Tom Brake, Liberal Democrat MP for Carshalton & Wallington, and Martin Linton, Labour MP for Battersea, joined twenty-one other MPs from all the main UK political parties who have signed a pledge to implement SP alongside other governments. (See website for full list).
Press Release - 3 March 2007
Climate urgency results in more parliamentary support for Simpol
The Simultaneous Policy (SP) campaign, aimed at addressing global problems such as climate change, unfair trade and unsustainability, has gained the support of Martin Horwood, Liberal Democrat MP for Cheltenham. Mr. Horwood signed the pledge to implement SP alongside other governments after attending a Simpol Policy Forum on climate change at the House of Commons. He is the latest of twenty-one MPs from all the main UK political parties to sign the SP pledge. (See website for full list).
Press Release - 15 December 2006
20 UK MPs lead drive for simultaneous action on climate change
The Simultaneous Policy (SP) campaign, aimed at addressing global problems such as climate change, unfair trade and unsustainability, has gained further support in Parliament. Malcolm Bruce, Liberal Democrat MP for Gordon and Vice-chair of Globe UK, became the twentieth MP from all the main UK political parties to sign a pledge to implement SP alongside other governments. (See website for full list). “I strongly support action by governments working together to tackle climate change,” Mr. Bruce said.
Press Release - 12 December 2006
Cross-party support grows for simultaneous action on climate change
The Simultaneous Policy (SP) campaign, aimed at addressing global problems such as climate change, unfair trade and unsustainability, has gained further support in Parliament. Philip Hollobone, Conservative MP for Kettering, joins eighteen other MPs from all the main UK political parties who have signed a pledge to implement SP alongside other governments. (See website for full list). “If the world can act together to tackle global issues, then the greater the chance of success,” Mr. Hollobone said.
Press Release - 26th November 2006
Further UK MP supports Simultaneous Policy campaign for global justice
The Simultaneous Policy (SP) campaign, aimed at addressing global problems such as climate change, unfair trade and unsustainability, has gained further support in Parliament. Lorely Jane Burt, Liberal Democrat MP for Solihull, joined seventeen other MPs from all the main UK political parties who have signed a pledge to implement SP alongside other governments. (See website for full list).
Press Release - 3 October 2006
Global justice campaign builds further support in UK Parliament
The Simultaneous Policy (SP) campaign, aimed at addressing global problems such as climate change, unfair trade and unsustainability, has gained further support in Parliament. Lynne Featherstone, Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, added her name to sixteen other MPs from all the main UK political parties who have signed a pledge to implement SP alongside other governments. (See website for full list).
Press Release - 29th September 2006
Global justice campaign builds further support in UK Parliament
The Simultaneous Policy (SP) campaign, aimed at addressing global problems such as climate change, unfair trade and unsustainability, has gained further support in Parliament. Richard Younger-Ross, Liberal Democrat MP for Teignbridge, added his name to fifteen other MPs from all the main UK political parties who have signed a pledge to implement SP alongside other governments.
Press Release - 7 September 2006
Global Environmental Policy Gathers Further Parliamentary Support
Getting politicians from opposing parties and different countries to co-operate meaningfully to solve problems like global warming has long been the desire of world citizens of all political persuasions. Now, the Simultaneous Policy (SP) campaign appears to be making that happen. Aimed at addressing problems such as climate change, unfair trade, global injustice and unsustainability, support for SP has again taken a further step forward with Liberal Democrat MP for Bath, Don Foster, being the latest MP to declare his support.
Foster added his name to fourteen other UK MPs from all the main parties who have signed a pledge to implement SP simultaneously alongside other governments. Simultaneous implementation removes the key fear that routinely prevents progress on solving many global problems: that governments fear their nation will become uncompetitive, losing investment and jobs, if they try to take unilateral action. Prime Minister, Tony Blair, expressed this fear (in The Guardian, 3.11.05) saying, “The blunt truth about the politics of climate change is that no country will want to sacrifice its economy in order to meet this challenge”. But implementing policies simultaneously removes this fear, so helping to build both international cross-party support for SP and opening the way to far more robust measures being adopted than those presently envisaged under agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol.
Some MPs support SP on its merits, but there is an important electoral incentive. Citizens around the world who support SP undertake to vote at all future elections for any candidate, within reason, who has signed the pledge to implement SP alongside other governments, or to encourage their preferred party to support SP. Adopting SP is free and allows citizens to place politicians who fail to sign up to SP at risk of losing their seats to those who do. In some constituencies at the last UK general election, citizen voting pressure of this kind caused various competing candidates to sign the SP Pledge, virtually ensuring SP gained support in Parliament regardless of who won the seat. With little to distinguish one party from another, and with politicians manifestly failing to take substantive action on these urgent issues, citizens in all democratic countries are seeing SP as a way to seize the initiative and to drive even uncooperative politicians and governments, such as the Bush administration, towards the internationally co-operative solution that SP provides.
SP has also gained support in the Australian and European parliaments and is supported by East Timor’s Prime Minister and Nobel Peace Prize winner, José Ramos-Horta. The campaign is coordinated by the International Simultaneous Policy Organisation (ISPO) and has Adopters in many countries who are in the process of forming national and local campaign groups.
Press release - 24th August 2006
Cross-party support grows for simultaneous solution to global problems
The Simultaneous Policy (SP) campaign, aimed at addressing global problems such as climate change, unfair trade, global injustice and unsustainability, continues to bring together politicians from opposing political factions behind its global problem-solving agenda.
Adding his name to thirteen other UK MPs from all the main political parties who have signed a pledge to implement SP alongside other governments, Mark Williams, Liberal Democrat MP for Ceredigion, said, “the best way to achieve security and to tackle global problems including global warming is through international action”. (See website for full list of pledged MPs).
Press release - 7 August 2006
Conservative MP adds further support to Simultaneous Policy campaign
The Simultaneous Policy (SP) campaign, aimed at addressing global problems such as climate change, unfair trade and unsustainability, has added a further Member of Parliament to its ranks.
Adding his name to twelve other UK MPs from all the main political parties who have signed a pledge to implement SP alongside other governments, Andrew Pelling, Conservative MP for Croydon Central, said, “Civic society movements are important, especially in the context of global trends overwhelming the powers of national governments”. (See website for full list of pledged MPs).