Comments & reviews on ...
The Briton's Quest for Freedom
Our unfinished journey ...
Author: Hector W. McNeill ISBN: 978-0-907833-01-7
Pre-release reviews:
The Briton's Quest for Freedom is an important new work on constitution because it cuts through the heavyweight constitutional structures and goes straight to the heart of the matter, individual freedom. By holding up the test of whether any political decisions and actions reflect electorate preferences some 50 major constraints on individual freedom are identified. Unlike many publications on constitution the author makes very specific proposals which are remarkably practical and easy to understand.
This is a unique book because although addressing issues of reform of the British Constitution it keeps the flame of freedom of expression, social comity and securlarism burning. Although Britain is a secular state, the author points out important parallels between religious and political orientations based upon declarative and dogma-based positions. He emphasises that non-secular political bias is as destructive as non-secular religious bias where "value"-based agendas can flip over into various forms of authoritarianism and extremism. The author makes the point that democracy often veers towards a form of a religion with political parties taking up the role of chuches bent of conversion.
This book elaborates an important new constitutional principle, the Minority Principle, this intriguing device prevents politicians and clerics promoting non-secular bias. The counter-intuitive result of this is that a generalised religious tolerance becomes a reality underpinned by law. The regime of governance is forced to converge on decision-making which is evidence-based as opposed to being founded on declarative or convictions-based absolutism. This approach is of vital importance to contemporary Britain because it does not make the issues of religious minorities a special case. The all-encompasing nature of the Minority Principle as the secular foundation for an improved British Constitution upholds the individual freedom of all without partiality. This book is recommended to anyone seeking to understand of how Britian can advance towards a community which values individual freedom under a governance which reflects fully individual preferences.
"The Briton's Quest for Freedom" is a good read.... At first, the author, Hector McNeill, builds up the content folding in an increasing number of facts and the reality of our political system begins to appear as a somewhat stark and unattractive reality somewhat removed from the people of the country. But McNeill's observations are measured and as one progresses one begins to sense that there is a way out of the predicament. He does not disappoint. He spells out some essential needs, explains how these can be put in place and then reappraises a revamped political system where there is a supreme Parliament reflecting the free will of the people and a fully participative legislative system which seems to be completely feasible. A major advance, developed by the author, in the form of the Minority Principle, curtails all of the current distortions in representation under which we currently suffer at the hands of political parties. This work is so refreshing and so practical it might even be revolutionary.
The Minority Principle is an innovative constitutional concept introduced by this book. Hector McNeill shows how this can be applied to the British electoral and legislative cycles as well as to the application of law. It becomes virtually impossible for legislation not to take into account minority concerns. It also rids the British scene of the absurd state of affairs where we have minority governments with less than 20% of electorate support imposing their own preferences on the majority. McNeill, who has years of field experience in the area of minorities exposes generally unknown abuses under UK statutes of prejudicial prevarication and prejudicial enforcements of law levelled against minorities. Naturally the Minority Principle makes such abuse impossible.
It is refreshing to read a book on constitution which actually deals with things of concern to normal people and which provides such practical solutions.
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