John Morris, National Organiser of The Peace Party, was challenged by a third year politics student at the University of Surrey to say what motivated him, along with other activists, to found the Party.

He replied, “I have come to realise that I value equally every human life – without exception.  Unfortunately, all major political parties (and possibly all minor ones too – but I’ve not had the time, or energy, to check manifestos of the remaining hundreds registered with the Electoral Commission) openly or tacitly support having a UK military organisation to ‘defend’ the nation.  Such militarism inevitably involves the killing, or the threatening to kill, other human beings in the name of the defence of the realm and the protection of its people.”

“Like the Peace Pledge Union statement, to which every member signs up when they join, I regard war as ‘a crime against humanity’ and so ‘renounce war’ as government policy and ‘can never support any kind of war’. (See https://www.ppu.org.uk/)”

“But being against war as policy is only a tiny part for which the Peace Party stands.  For me, and for the Party, it is essential to put forward the case for, what the Institute for Economics and Peace describes as, “Positive Peace”.  Over the years the Party has developed its manifesto for just this – people and our communities (some say ‘societies’) need to learn to “treat others as we wish to be treated ourselves”.  We need to build up and ever strengthen what the IEP calls the eight Pillars of Peace: Well-Functioning Government,  Sound Business Environment,  Acceptance Of The Rights Of Others, Good Relations With Neighbours, Free Flow Of Information, High Levels Of Skilled Human Capital Base, Low Levels Of Corruption and Equitable Distribution Of Resources.” (See http://economicsandpeace.org/)

“In recent years, the Party has been exploring the use of human “Values” (sometimes described as “Virtues” or “Qualities of character”) as the underpinning of its principles and policies.  We have also noted that there is quite a strong school-based learning scheme called “Values-based Education”, using around 20 of the many dozens of values we have identified and described.  I guess these were there when we set up the Party but only later were we led to define them more closely.”