If I were Prime Minister: The days of privilege and inequality would be over

Our series in the run-up to the General Election – 100 days, 100 contributors, but no politicians – continues with the musician and author

The United Kingdom is now a multicultural society. If I were Prime Minister I would build a regionally diverse, multicultural cabinet comprising 50 per cent women. Everyone would be comprehensive school educated and come from a variety of demographic backgrounds. I would appoint Russell Brand as Minister without Portfolio immediately to free up the discussion and think outside the No.10 box.

The days of privilege would be over. I would introduce an immediate bill to abolish the House of Lords and the monarchy, and thus revert our democracy to its original meaning: the rule of the people.

I would withdraw all support for faith schools. Children should be introduced to multiculturalism as soon as they begin school. Faith schools only perpetuate divisions. Why should people of a particular belief system impose it on their children when they are too young to decide for themselves? Do they not have the courage of their convictions?

Furthermore, I would scrap all tuition fees for higher education. My generation was offered free higher education and there's no reason why our youngest and fittest minds should be saddled with debt for the first decade of their working lives.

Working mothers are not getting the support they require. The credit system for child-care should be replaced by a proper system of state care fully integrated into the school system.

I would also provide proper & adequate legal representation for all people. The rich should not be able to buy justice, while the poor for lack of adequate representation remain on remand in overcrowded prisons at the mercy of an elitist and often unintelligible legal system.

It is often said that Trident should be scrapped and funds freed up to properly fund the NHS. With people living longer and receiving new treatments the workload and cost is increasing exponentially, therefore I would implement such a suggestion immediately.

I would also make sure that people who actually know something about medicine are in charge of administration at the NHS. To assist the health service with their increased burden due to the growing obesity crisis and the health problems it causes (such as diabetes, heart disease and some cancers), I would introduce stricter food quality controls and legislate to remove high fructose corn syrup from all foods. Hopefully this would put junk food operatives like Macdonalds, KFC and other burger chains out of business in this country. Stricter controls on the price of alcohol at supermarkets would also ensure a halt to the culture of cheap booze & its attendant health issues.

I'd also repeal the anti-union laws so that working people can defend themselves against the bankers and the corporations. And I'd implement a process of bringing essential services back into public ownership, starting with public transport. All buses, trains and tubes would have fair and affordable fares. This would remove many cars from the roads, to the ultimate benefit of our health, welfare & environment.

Finally, as PM I would implement a form of proportional representation so that the aims of smaller political parties are much better represented.

Pauline Black is an actress, broadcaster, and author, and lead singer in The Selecter, currently on tour - www.theselecter.net