The values of Democracy 15 will come from our supporters. Are these a good starting point?

The nascent political movement started by the founder of The Independent has held a series of public meetings and is now debating its core values

Andreas Whittam Smith with members of the Democracy 2015 team. The movement aims to return political power to ordinary people (Susannah Ireland)

In the three public meetings that Democracy 2015 held last week in Manchester, Birmingham and London, attended by 150 people in total, it became clear that there is an urgent need for a statement of the movement’s values. As a result, the Democracy 2015 team has drafted a set of values for discussion by supporters. Are the values properly described? Have some ‘values’ been left out? Should others be removed? Proposals for improving the document would be welcome. Please post comments here. When the consultation has run its course, a redrafted version will be published

The Values of Democracy 2015

Democracy 2015 aims to imbue politics with values. It is thus more than a grassroots reaction to the wretched state of our political system.

Honesty: Loyalty to the truth is fundamental to healthy politics and legitimate government. Politicians should also be explicit about their feelings and goals.

Listening: Politicians must listen carefully to the people they represent. Even if they disagree, they should nevertheless be genuinely receptive to electors’ concerns.

Objectivity: Democracy 2015 does not view any issue through an ideological prism, as would a political party of either the left or the right. That is why it appeals to its supporters to work together to formulate the policies that will comprise its election manifesto.

Public service: Standing for Parliament should be an offer of public service rather than a career move.

Respectful debate: Be respectful of opponents. Public debate should focus solely on the pros and cons of ideas rather than personalities.

Transparency: Democracy 2015 will answer straightforwardly all questions about its operations and its goals.