Londependence (UK)

"Let's turn London back on."

**Factions:**

* Progressivism
* Conservatism
* Green Politics

**Londependence** was a regionalist political party that advocated for more devolved powers in London. Some members believed London should be recognised as a city-state separate from the United Kingdom. Most members identified as socially liberal and endorsed parties like the Green Party of England and Wales, the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives at a national scale.

Londependence has no electoral history.

## History

The party was founded on the 15th of July, 2021 before the release of the second version of McPolitics and the official release of the United Kingdom by Emboiled. Londependence was originally 'founded' by Geoff Hinkley in 2019 (IRL) and received a lot of criticism from mainstream media and was ridiculed by many on forums. The party on McPolitics was known to be big tent, similar to the Scottish National Party (SNP).

With the introduction of the new iteration, the party was disbanded and became defunct.

## Electoral performance

### **UK-wide elections**

**UK general elections**
 N/A
 N/A

Note: not all general elections will be covered.

## Manifesto

##### **Policing**

* London should elect its own Met Police Commissioner, just like the rest of the UK.
* We believe that prevention is better than cure – we want to address the complex causes of crime and invest in community and youth centres.
* We believe that policing should be equal for everyone, regardless of identity.

##### **Housing**

* London needs to build more social housing, and councils should not be forced to sell off their housing stock.
* We support the creation of service charge unions for leaseholders.
* In the aftermath of Grenfell, leaseholders should not be responsible for the costs that arise in regards to a failure of standards, through no fault of their own, including inflammable cladding.
* London should be free to decide its own housing policy without government interference, and borough councils should have the ultimate say over specific local planning proposals.

##### **TfL**

* London motorists pay £500 million in Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) every year, but none is spent on London’s roads. London should keep its VED and use it to maintain our own roads.
* We oppose a Greater London boundary charge, which would amount in effect to an extra tax on London’s businesses.
* Government should restore TfL’s operating subsidy, which they stripped from London in 2018.

##### **Financial Services**

* We will promote London's attractiveness as a global trading centre and investment hub.
* We will protect the international competitiveness of London's Stock Exchange.

##### **Businesses**

* We are in favour of London’s business rates review. London should set and retain all its business rates.
* We will provide a one-stop shop to support smaller businesses, for example in their digital transformation and moving to online trading.
* We will foster the growth of start-ups and support entrepreneurs who choose to base their businesses in London.

##### **Diversity**

* Women should feel safe on London’s streets 24/7.
* We back full LGBTQ+ rights.
* We have zero tolerance for any kind of racial hatred.

##### **Health and Environment**

* We need to encourage the switch to electric cars as quickly as possible.
* Everyone has the right to clean air, including those living near busy roads.
* London should decide its own policy on COVID passports.
* We commit to achieving net zero by 2030. London needs to play a full part in reducing carbon emissions and use of plastic.
* We propose a Workout to Helpout scheme to encourage all Londoners to improve their health and in support of London’s fitness industry.
* London’s streets and open spaces should be dog-friendly and child-friendly.

##### **Education & Training**

* London’s world-renowned Higher Education centres need to be supported and sustained.
* We oppose further cuts to London’s T-Grant.
* We would devolve the Apprenticeship Levy for maximum effectiveness for young Londoners.
* Financial literacy education should be provided in schools and colleges.

##### **Arts and culture**

* We would restore VAT relief for international tourists.