Rescuing Democracy in the United Kingdom from our current Elected Dictatorship

You will notice that, since New Labour came to power, not a single leading Cabinet member or party 'heavy hitter' has appeared on the programme (BBC's Question Time). Spin, not face-to-face confrontations with the voters, is the Government's chosen method of communication. Ordinary people are dangerous. Ordinary people might ask a question which throws a politician 'off message'; the Cabinet member might reveal himself or herself to be a human being like us, and not a programmed android. Worse still, he or she might tell the truth. Ann Leslie - Daily Mail, September 16, 2004

 

WWW silentmajorityspeaks.com

A top-grade farce

by Laura Clark and Sarah Harris - Daily Mail, August 18, 2004

As record numbers of sixth-formers achieve A at A-level, studies suggest papers are now easier than the old O-levels. Read this then please vote below.

Fresh doubts were raised over exam standards last night as sixth-formers broke records by scoring As in almost a quarter of A-levels. Results being posted in schools tomorrow will reveal how pass rates have risen for the 22nd successive year to the highest level in the exam's history.

Some experts claim the so-called 'gold standard' has become so devalued that some questions on A-level papers are easier than old O-levels. In a desperate pre-emptive strike, Schools Minister David Miliband rounded on critics of academic 'dumbing-down'. He claimed there was 'not a shred of evidence' that standards were being undermined.

He caused further controversy with a bizarre attack on 'elitist' critics and claimed that commentators who questioned standards were running down the achievements of thousands of children from 'Middle England'. Yet he also admitted for the first time that A-levels need to be made tougher as they fail to differentiate between the brightest students.

Mr Milliband's speech in London revealed the extent of Government sensitivity to claims that exam standards are being watered down. Former Chief Inspector of Schools Chris Woodhead, who has been a consistent thorn in the Government's side, claimed A-levels were now dumbed down so greatly that they were meaningless. He said this year's rising results were 'totally predictable' and 'utterly worthless', adding: "It's pointless because the purpose of exams is to identify the brightest candidates for a very limited number of top university places. A comparison of syllabuses over the years shows categorically, whatever Ministers want to pretend, that the exam is not as intellectually rigorous as it was ten, 20 or 30 years ago.

He spoke out as a series of reports for the Campaign for Real Education revealed a dramatic dumbing down of standards in some A-levels, including maths, physics and chemistry.

Mathematicians Dr Jonathan Ramsay and John Corner, who analysed maths papers from the 1960's to the present day, found that topics which were previously examined in the old O-levels - such as finding areas and volumes using calculus - now crop up in A-level papers. They even found that the O-level questions were harder. Their report says: "Current students are made fools of by these new, inferior A-levels because they are given syllabuses of lower quality and questions that are often easier than O-level but are reassured over and over by politicians that standards are improving annually."

The mathematician's report goes on to attack Ministers' 'blinkered obsession' with sending 50% of youngsters to university. It says: "They saw that 5% of the population received a university education and went on to enter the best, highest paid professions. How much better, they reasoned, if we multiply by ten and 50% of the population receive a university education, the 50% can go on to enter the best and highest paid professions. Do they need to multiply by ten again before they realise the illogicality of their argument?"

A leading careers official said that while standards had risen in schools, the improvement was not nearly great enough to justify soaring pass rates. David Thomas, chief executive of the Careers Research Advisory Centre, said the problem arose because examiners were marking more leniently.

Mr Milliband insisted that more pupils were reaching the required standard because teaching was better. And he accused critics of denigrating the achievements of children from 'Middle England' who he defined loosely as anyone from a family where neither parent had been to university. But he admitted: "Universities and employers do need a means to select the highest achievers. The answer to rising numbers of A grades is not to shift the goalposts so more people are down-graded, but instead to create new opportunities for the most able young people to distinguish themselves."

His remarks raise the prospect of the A grade being split four ways - from A1 to A4. Last year students passed 21.6% of A-levels at grade A but this summer that is expected to reach 23%. Since 1989, the number of A grades has risen by 90%. Last year the A to E grade pass rate rose 1.1% to 95.4% and it is expected to edge closer to 100% this summer.

Do you want schools drop GCSE for O-level style exams? Agree strongly Agree Disagree Disagree strongly Don't know Don't care Plesde click one of the links above to cast your vote Current results

 For the health of our democracy, we, the people of the United Kingdom, must find a way to force Mr Blair to resign

Mr Blair has lied and deceived us over Iraq. He must resign at once. Do you agree? Agree strongly Agree Disagree Disagree strongly Don't know Don't care Please click one of the links above to cast your vote Current results

Such defiance of the democratic process and the will of the majority of we people of the UK, must be exposed by voters as a matter or urgency, and not just in the two by-elections we have had this July and the European elections in June 2004. But how can this be done?

The most effective way of getting our deceitful PM to resign would be to mobilise the army of Labour MPs currently in the House of Commons and get them to demand it, the loss of their seat to be a penalty if they did not. All voters in Labour-held constituencies need to write a letter along these lines to their local Labour MPs:

Dear Despite his absolute and unequivocal assurances over the past year of the serious risk to our security of Saddam Hussein's 'weapons of mass destruction', Prime Minister Blair has admitted, that the threat was non-existent. For that critical error of judgement and for his gross incompetence in handling this very important issue, I ask you to take immediate steps to ensure that Tony Blair does the honourable thing and resign without delay.. I would therefore be much obliged if you would propose and help mobilise a Parliamentary vote of 'No Confidence' in Mr Blair which, despite Labour's huge majority, would leave the PM with no option but to resign. If I get no reply to this letter, I shall assume you will continue to support Mr Blair as our Prime Minister. In such circumstances I shall not vote for you in the forthcoming General Election. Signed:

Simple, non-violent, protest letters along these lines on a variety of issues could be the basis for re-vitalising our democracy and increasing voters' interest and participation in politics. Download a printable copy of the above letter here.

There is another way for the voice of the silent majority to be heard, a voice that made sure broken promises would not only be revealed, but punished in subsequent elections.

In the year available before the General Election expected in 2005, many topics are available as ammunition, each one asking questions.  A weapon for our purpose will be the results of Opinion Polls in individual  constituencies using ICM, NOP, Gallop, Mori  or YouGov.

Questions suggested for this purpose are listed here.

CAST YOUR VOTE ON A VARIETY OF OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES HERE.

Current and prospective Parliamentary candidates of all Parties running for election could share a platform at public forums in every constituency. They would be presented with  the results of polls on this issue expressed by the majority of voters in that constituency.

The candidates could be asked if their own views and that of their Party manifesto corresponded with the polls, and if not, how they intended to represent the will of the majority of local voters.  Local and National Press, Radio and TV coverage would be arranged and the results published on this web site.

Here is another powerful strategy for using your vote effectively in the forthcoming General Election. Send your sitting and prospective MPs a letter defining your requirements if they want your vote. This example deals with the proposed EU Constitutional Treaty.

Your letters would end: "If you do not answer this letter, I shall take it that you intend to follow the Government line. I shall act accordingly in the forthcoming General Election.

Or why not create a questionnaire that you send to all the candidates in your constituency, getting them to give yes/no answers to questions of your choice, and ending it with the same paragraph(above).

Download a printable example of the questionnaire.

It is high time for the people of this United Kingdom to stop allowing themselves to be manipulated by politicians. We need our representatives in Parliament to genuinely reflect the view of the majority in their own constituency, even if this means going against their personal and/or their party's policy. While they may argue their case, hoping to change the minds of the majority in their constituency, they should ultimately be obliged to reflect the majority view of those who elect them. 

It will be argued by politicians of all parties that most voters don't have the knowledge necessary to express an opinion on important subjects at issue, and that our vote is a form of delegated democracy. We should argue that it is their duty to ensure that we voters do have ready access to such information as is necessary to form an intelligent opinion. That, after all, is one main purpose of Opposition Parties in our Parliamentary Democracy.

Most important of all, such proceedings would rekindle in voters their latent interest and obligation to cast their vote, knowing that the candidate of their choice would be more likely to act in accordance with their wishes. A much higher turnout in elections would be the result.

Contact your local Party Chairman. Gain his support for setting up public forums in your constituency on these, as well as any other relevant topics, well before the next General Election expected in 2005. You should then, depending on the integrity of the candidate of your choice, feel fairly certain that your view on any subject being debated in Parliament will more accurately be reflected by your representative in that assembly.