Survey Questions
November 10, 2009 - 12:31 — shinier
Which policy areas do you really care about that would benefit from an evidence-based approach? Would you be interested in tracking your MP's (or potential MP's) views on the importance of evidence in drug policy, healthcare, crime, education for example? Please add your comments below.
Assuming that there will be 646 seats in the House of Commons up for grabs at the next election (http://bit.ly/13hSoU) then, even if we only track the main three parties, that's 1,938 candidates whose opinions on evidence-based policy that we wish to track and perhaps 1,292 candidates with no recent voting record to examine. This means that we will have to settle for gathering survey data from potential candidates so we could really use some help in showing politicians that it is worth their while to respond. The more constituents who show an interest, the easier it will be to get a useful response so please register your interest on our Pledge Support contact page.
Thank you!
©Skeptical Voter
Comments
Build the wall between church and state...
Excuse the wording, but these are the ones that annoy me most (in no order)
1. Do you support religious leaders in the House of Lords?
2. Should the NHS fund unproven or "alternative" therapies, which are proven as effective as placebos?
3. Will the selection of schools be driven by the religion (real or pretend) of the child's parents?
4. Will sharia law be allowed as part of our legal framework?
5. which sky-fairy (if any) do you believe in?
What about MEPs
Do you intend at a future date to increase the wiki to cover MEPs too?
I just happened across a letter from an MP in a local paper, and rushed over here to add the detail, only to find he wasn't listed. Confused I double checked and realised he was actually an MEP.
If you do include MEPs in the future, here's a small starter for you. He seems to think that religion and climate change share an equal footing as far as proof is concerned.
http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/letters/Wrong-climate-religion/article...
Faith Schools
As Faith schools are allowed to specify that staff should believe in or agree to follow the ethos of a religion, should the rest of the state sector be allowed to specify that have no religious affiliation?
Suggested questions
1. Do you think abortion time limits should be set by the current scientific and medical consensus which is currently 24 weeks?
2. (maybe one just for Northern Ireland) Should women in Northern Ireland have the same access to healthcare as other women in the rest of the United Kingdom including safe and legal abortion?
3. Should schools be allowed to teach creationism as an equivalent theory to evolution? (or some wording along those lines)
4. Do you agree that testing on animals (within strict criteria) is a necessary part of the development of medicines and treatment? (sorry this is very badly worded, someone else have a go!)
Four issues that spring to mind:
1 - Because it's topical: will you accept the findings of credible scientific advisers, regardless of how those findings compliment or clash with party policy?
2 - Do you believe that religious belief should be legally protected from criticism and ridicule?
3 - Will you oppose the use of public funds to provide omplimentary and alternative "treatments" such as homeopathy?
4 - Would you be in favour of discontinuing religious observance from non faith based schools, making public education purely secular?