[see on-line version at  http://www.simpol.org.uk/media_release060505.php for links to supporting documents]

The Simultaneous Policy (SP) campaign, aimed at addressing global problems such as climate change, unfair trade and unsustainability, has achieved cross-party support amongst MP in the Parliament. Ten of the candidates across 33 constituencies who signed a pledge to implement SP alongside other governments have been elected. These are from Conservative, Labour, LibDem and Plaid Cymru parties. Green, Party of Cornwall and UK Independence Party candidates also signed the SP pledge (see website for full list).

The Simultaneous Policy is a package of measures being developed by campaign supporters, known as SP Adopters, around the world and is to be implemented when all, or sufficient, governments have pledged to do so. Simultaneous implementation is to remove the fear governments have of becoming uncompetitive and losing investment and jobs if they take unilateral action.

While MPs are encouraged to support SP on its merits, there is also an electoral reason for doing so. Adopters undertake to vote at elections for any candidate, within reason, who has signed the pledge to implement SP alongside other governments, or to encourage their preferred party to support SP. It is free to become an Adopter.

In Australia where the SP campaign began only recently, 59 candidates signed the pledge during the election last year, bringing support for SP into the senate. East Timor’s Foreign Minister and Nobel Peace Prize winner, José
Ramos Horta, has also given his support. The campaign is coordinated by the International Simultaneous Policy Organisations (ISPO) and has Adopters in many countries who are in the process of forming national and local groups.

The Simultaneous Policy is limited to those issues where governments are hampered from taking unilateral action because of the real fear of becoming uncompetitive and losing investment and jobs. The bulk of domestic policy is outside this scope, which is why SP hasn't formed a new political party, but are working for cross-party support for SP. It is not an alternative to other campaigns, but an innovative parallel strategy.”

The campaign arises from the 2001 book The Simultaneous Policy, by John Bunzl, founder and director of ISPO. Adopters are holding policy fora to discuss and develop possible policies for inclusion in SP. These have been on themes such as: “Making all trade Fair Trade”, “Achieving sustainable energy use”, “Holding corporations accountable” and “Monetary reform”.