Sovereignty -- authority over one's own existence -- can apply to the individual, the community and the nation-state.

It is the purpose of this journal to develop the philosophy and policies related to a sovereign existence.

In this article, we lay out the seven key principles of sovereignty, which provide a guide for proper action, and from which appropriate policies can be derived.

For an organism to be considered sovereign, it must establish these principles in reality.

We are not here considering the range of internal social and constitutional matters which concern a nation, such as health, education, law and order, industry, transport, devolution and so on.

These all depend upon the establishment of the key principles of sovereignty, and flow from them

For example, it has been suggested to us that a manufacturing base is a principle of sovereignty since it creates wealth and allows the nation to sustain itself. However, the existence of a manufacturing base depends, firstly, upon the establishment of the principle of Economic Sovereignty. Without it, the manufacturing base is destroyed -- as we have witnessed in this country, over the last 40 years.

GET THE FRAMEWORK RIGHT AND EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE
When the framework of a house is badly designed, riddled and rotten, then everything goes wrong and it collapses.

So it is with a nation and its guiding principles. Get the framework right and all the other pieces will click into place.

These seven principles are the framework. They are all inter-related and complement each other. They are essential for the functioning of the nation as an organic unit. Establish them, and the other issues will tend to sort themselves out in time.

1 - POLITICAL SELF-DETERMINATION
This can be individual, communal or national.

Chambers 20th Century defines it as "the power of a population to decide its own government and political relations or of an individual to live his own life."

In a national context, therefore, self-determination means the ability of the people to govern themselves without outside interference -- the ability to make our own laws in response to our own needs, and to reject laws which are neither needed nor wanted.

This journal endorses the value of the nation state as a fundamental political unit.

We believe that national policies should be framed and debated primarily in terms of the national interest and not in terms of what is in the best interests of Europe as a whole, or what is in line with some idealistic interpretation of the interests of "the global community".

While the latter concerns can be important, they should not be given primacy in policy-making decisions.

Membership of the EU is incompatible with the principle of Political Self-Determination.

2 - ECONOMIC SOVEREIGNTY
This means the ability of the organism to control its own economy in response to its own needs.

This involves keeping its own currency, trading with whom it chooses, controlling imports and exports, and regulating its currency to protect against speculation, if necessary.

Membership of a single currency is incompatible with the principle of Economic Sovereignty.

The economic theory of "globalisation" and much "free market" theory is also incompatible with the principle.

Economic Sovereignty requires ...

3 - BORDER CONTROL
An organism which cannot control its borders -- whether economic or physical -- is not sovereign.

Elements on both the Left and the Right of politics are opposed to the control of borders.

Some left-wingers want a world without economic and physical borders because they want to see the destruction of the nation-state.

Some right-wingers want a world without economic and physical borders because their "free market" economic theories demand it. These people have elevated a means -- an economic theory -- into the end in itself and they follow it wherever it leads … even to national dissolution.

Some "Green" people, who would normally claim to support a sustainable environment, cannot bring themselves to advocate physical Border Control, even though Open Borders and Immigration-Invasion destroy both a sustainable population level, and the environment.

However, Border Control is a Green principle -- as are all Seven Principles of Sovereignty -- since it ensures the maintenance of a sustainable population level and protects the environment.

Border Control should be advocated at the same time as Economic Sovereignty, and Localisation, in order to ensure each nation is able to develop its own economy, for its own people, in response to its own needs.

4 - LOCALISATION, NOT GLOBALISATION
The economic theory of Localisation is elevated as a core principle of sovereignty because it establishes Economic Sovereignty.

The alternative -- "globalisation" -- is an economic theory which destroys the ability of individuals, communities, and nation-states to determine their own existence. It destroys their sovereignty.

Globalisation has been defined as:
The ever-increasing integration of national economies into the global economy through trade and investment rules and privatization, aided by technological advances. These reduce barriers to trade and investment and in the process reduce democratic controls by nation states and their communities over their economic affairs. The process is driven by the theory of comparative advantage, the goal of international competitiveness and the growth model. It is occurring increasingly at the expense of social, environmental and labour improvements and rising inequality for most of the world.

Globalisation means de-regulating trading conditions and taking power away from governments and peoples.

Localisation has been defined as:
A process which reverses the trend of globalisation by discriminating in favour of the local. Depending on the context, the 'local' is predominantly defined as part of the nation state, although it can on occasions be the nation state itself or even occasionally a regional grouping of nation states. The policies bringing about localisation are ones which increase control of the economy by communities and nation states. The result should be an increase in community cohesion, a reduction in poverty and inequality and an improvement in livelihoods, social infrastructure and environmental protection, and hence an increase in the all-important sense of security.

Localisation is not about restricting the flow of information, technology, trade and investment, management and legal structures which further localization, indeed these are encouraged by the new localist emphasis in global aid and trade rules. Such transfers also play a crucial role in the successful transition from globalization to localization. It is not a return to overpowering state control, merely governments' provision of a policy and economic framework which allows people, community groups and businesses to rediversify their own local economies.
(Colin Hines, Localization: A Global Manifesto , pp. 4-5.)

Localisation means discriminating in favour of the local and ensuring Economic Sovereignty lies with governments and peoples.

5 - FOOD AND WATER SELF-SUFFICIENCY
Also termed Food and Water Sovereignty -- this is the ability to provide these essentials, rather than being critically dependent upon outside sources, which can be cut-off at any time.

EU and WTO rules are destroying Britain's Food Sovereignty, and increasing its dependence upon others.

6 - ENERGY INDEPENDENCE
A sovereign individual, community or nation is able to provide for its own energy needs.

It should be the goal of a nation-state aspiring to sovereignty to achieve energy independence.

A nation which is unable to achieve energy independence may become perilously reliant upon outside sources, or may even need to develop imperialistic policies which threaten other nations.

We advocate a Sustainable Energy for National Self-Reliance programme.

7 - SELF-DEFENCE FOR SELF-DETERMINATION
Sovereignty is authority over one's own existence. But the exercise of sovereignty depends upon power.

A sovereign individual, community or nation needs to be able to defend itself. If it cannot defend itself then its way of life may be destroyed by a stronger power.

If you don't believe it, or would rather not accept it, then ask yourself why the powers-who-misrule-us are threatening Iraq rather than North Korea? Simply put: North Korea's got The Bomb!

A progressive society needs to be able to defend itself from those who oppose its existence.

1- FREEDOM OF SPEECH, DEBATE, AND ENQUIRY
This is a principle of democracy because it is essential to the open debate upon which a vibrant political culture is founded and maintained.

It's been said that the strongest power is that which can forbid its own mention. Anybody who attempts to suppress political debate should be suspected of trying to defend illegitimate power.

As Robert Burns said, in his poem "Here's to them that's awa'":
Here's freedom to him who would speak.
Here's freedom to him who would write.
For there's none ever feared,
that the truth should be heard,
than he whom the truth would indict.

2- POPULAR DEMOCRACY
This is where the people, as a whole, are the government, and where the people retain and exercise their governing authority on a perpetual basis.

In a Popular Democracy -- rather than a Representative Democracy -- the people retain and exercise the policy-making and law-making initiative, rather than being subject to it.

In a Popular Democracy, the government is the servant of the people, not their master. Its job is to listen, respond and deliver to that which is demanded by the people.

These is no suggestion however, that this concept, or any political concept, should be imposed upon other peoples or cultures, or that it is in any sense a morally "superior" system.

3- OPEN, ACCOUNTABLE AND DIVERSE MASS MEDIA
The national mass media is crucial to the national democratic process.

It is the national mass media which forms and validates most people's understanding of what is "real".

It is the national mass media which holds the key to reaching the millions of voters. If you control the mass media that informs the voting choices of the people, then you can control the democratic process.

It is essential therefore that the mass media is:
Open - transparent - so we may know the people behind it and their agenda.

Accountable to the public, so we may acquire a remedy when it is inaccurate. The "freedom of the press" must be balanced with its accountability.

Diverse in the sense that media monopolies should not be allowed to develop and dominate.

The best way each of us can help build a diverse media is to support alternative media projects.

4- ECONOMIC DEMOCRACY FOR THE PEOPLE
Economic Democracy is the democratisation of economic power.

This requires decentralising economic power, and economically empowering smaller units -- whether it is the individual, or the community, or the people collectively -- through democratic mechanisms.

The present method of money creation, whereby virtually all money comes into society as an interest bearing debt owed to the private banking system is contrary to the democratic imperative that the creation of money should be a public service, under public control for the public good.

The present method of money creation gives great power to those private individuals and organisations who create the money.

Economic Democracy would empower the people with the means of creating and controlling their own money supply. It would democratise the creation and control of money.

Economic Democracy for the people complements the state's Economic Sovereignty

5- EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW
Much is made of "the rule of law". This means that judgements are made in accordance with a written law, rather than being made in an arbitrary manner.

Just as important as "the rule of law", however, is equality before the law -- meaning each citizen has an equal ability to seek and receive justice.

In our society, the ability of a person to defend himself successfully may often depend upon his ability to pay for his defence. It often seems that there is one law for the rich and one law for the poor.

A democratic society would ensure each citizen is truly "equal before the law". It would ensure that everybody has free access to the law, just as we have free access to health care.

The jury system can also help to ensure equality before the law by defending the common man against an unjust legal order.

This is because a randomly selected jury of common people act as the final arbiters of the "rule of law".

Only a jury can make Parliament's laws meaningful by convicting transgressors. There is no requirement for it to convict, even when the "rule of law" has been broken. By refusing to convict, a jury makes a stand against bad law and can force a change in legislation.

Thus the jury system, and its expansion, is an essential element of a healthy democracy.

Taken from the website of Sovereignty.org.uk