Principles

LIFE’s policies and positions stem directly from our principles. Below you will find an introduction to those principles, along with links to more detailed descriptions and to the two foundational papers on which much of the policies stand.

This single page summary, and the following articles also provide good introductions to our principles:

• Perfectly understandable and Promises on recent human history
• Introduction to WellFair
• Synthesis, the role of money

Brief History
Starting in the thick of the Thatcher period the idea for the LIFE party was born. The principle idea was to prioritise the “standard of life” over the “standard of living”.

Recognising the craziness of the “benefit trap“, and stimulated by the Charter 88 movement, the early development of LIFE’s policies encompassed the welfare and benefits system, as well as the notion of greater freedom for the individual. The next logical step was incorporating improvements to how democracy is practiced, because how we make decisions is at the root of poor outcomes and the possibilities for change.

In 2007 the development of the Standards of LIFE was restarted to provide a template for proper change, and launched as a wiki that allows for public contribution and comment. The template that was built up from principles without specific reference to any country or culture – an abstract set of standards that could be used as guidance for the development of policies appropriate to any place or time.

“The Path to a Future” was published in 2009, as a prosaic introduction to the Standards of LIFE for those who prefer their information on paper instead of a screen.

The “Sustainable Economics” paper, published in 2011, was the result of research into the root causes of the failures of late 20th Century capitalism, and laid out the economic mechanics that are activated when the policies of LIFE are introduced. The paper demonstrates how it is that LIFE polices lead inexorably to more a sustainable society and economy.

In 2013 the LIFE party was established in the UK, adopting and adapting the Standards of LIFE to the specific needs of the UK now. LIFE has come back home to begin where it started 30 years ago.

Foundational Papers

Sustainable Economics
The endeavour to develop that new, sustainable model is at the heart of the project for LIFE; and in this paper we analyse the failings of the current economic model and propose a new model that provides a concrete and practical path to a future of sustainable prosperity.

Download the paper as PDF from here.

Conscious Democracy
What does it mean to be “human”? What makes us tick? What are our strengths and weaknesses?

Answering these questions is the first step on the path to sustainability. To propose solutions based on how we should be or ought to be is a fools errand. To develop solutions that work they must be aligned with what is naturally human, and then build on that to emphasise our strengths and guard against our weaknesses.

This paper, “Conscious Democracy“, takes us on a journey through evolution to determine what the basic building blocks of human intellect are. Having determined that we are a group species, and that we are committed to cooperative specialisation, we can see what the keys to our survival and success are.

The conclusions provide guiding lights that reinforce LIFE’s policies for democracy and our organisation into large and small groups.