Rescuing
Democracy in the United Kingdom from our current Elected
Dictatorship
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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
Power
cut, please
Labour's
pollsters have Tony Blair running scared, because they have
informed him that if turnout at the next election is below
50%, the result will be a hung parliament. This would be
good news for those of us who, viewing the damage inflicted
by recent governments, would like nothing better than a
Parliament powerless to do anything. Letter from Ron
Phillips, London W14 - Daily Mail 17/2/05
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So
do it , Sedgefield. Do it for Tom Keys (by voting for his father
Reg). Do it for David Kelly. Do it, as the man said, for a government
that will restore trust in politics in this country.
Women
who shamed Blair - They are the four women who
gave the PM such a mauling on TV. Here they tell their own utterly
revealing stories - and explain why they believe Mr Blair has
so cynically betrayed Middle England - Jenny Johnston, Daily Mail,
Feb. 17, 2005
It
was a political stunt that misfired spectacularly. On the day
he met 'real people', guest after guest on Channel Five's 'A Talk
To The Prime Minister' tore into Mr Blair. Here the four women
who quizzed him so angril tell why they have become so disillusioned
with Labour, starting with Diane Granger, 52, a teacher for 30
years who lives in East sussex with her husband Bob ...
The
Tories dare to believe again - Comment,
Daily Mail, February 18, 2005
They
trail in the polls. They have a mountain to climb. They
are assailed by dirty ticks, smears and vicious personal
attacks. Yet this week Michael Howard and the Tories seized
the campaigning high ground, forcing the Government on
the defensive.
Time
was when a shell-shocked, demoralised Opposition could
hardly bring itself to proclaim core conservative values.
No longer. Today the party is confident enough to march
into the 'no go' areas of politics, the issues of deep
public concern that a patronising liberal establishment
would rather were never debated.
Take
immigration, a subject politicians are often reluctant
to address seriously for fear of being accused of 'racism'.
Mr Howard knew he would be denounced for daring to suggest
that migrants should be screened for TB, HIV and hepatitis
B before being allowed into the country, but wasn't his
proposal on Tuesday simply a matter of honest, practical
common sense?
Tuberculosis
has soared by 25% in the last decade, with two thirds
of sufferers coming from abroad, while 80% of HIV infections
originate in Africa.
The
Tory leader is absolutely right to point out that our
hard-pressed NHS will become a World Health Service, to
the detriment of taxpaying Britons, unless something is
done about it.
Even
this Government acknowledges the problem. But that didn't
prevent a rattled Tony Blair playing the 'racism' card
yesterday by claiming Tories are trying to turn the election
into vote on immigration. The one thing his 'man of the
people' doesn't want is open discussion of questions that
concern people.
And
those questions don't stop with immigration. On Wednesday,
Mr Howard ventured even deeper into 'no go' territory,
adding a moral dimension to his campaign with his call
for teenagers to say NO to underage sex, drugs and binge-drinking.
After
the fiasco of John Major's Back to Basics initiative it
takes some courage for Tory politicians to challenge Britain's
culture of 'anything goes'. But the seriousness of this
issue is beyond dispute.
Britain
has Europe's worst rate of sexual infections, teenage
pregnancies and abortions, the worst rate of drug abuse
and drink-related disease. Lives are being ruined. Crime
is being encouraged.
Liberal
indulgence of the permissive society is encouraging a
social catastrophe. Yet the trend can be reversed.
In America, a Just Say No policy has yielded spectacular
results. Why not in Britain? Once again Mr Howard has
put his finger on things that needed saying.
And
that is just as true of his campaign to eradicate the
deadly MRSA hospital superbug, which now kills 5,000 patients
a year. No longer are Tories prepared to allow Labour
a free run on the NHS - understandably so, when Mr Howard's
own mother -in-law died in an epidemic that has exploded
under this government. Nobody can doubt his passionate
commitment to ensuring clean wards by bringing back old-style
matrons to take charge.
So
does all this add up to a glimmer of hope for the Conservative
cause? The odds are not good. But with 11 weeks to go
before the likely date of the election, with Mr Blair's
campaign a shambles, with a deeply disillusioned electorate
and a low turnout likely in Labour heartlands, Mr Howard
can't be written off.
Yes,
the voters are yet to be convinced. But again and again
this week, he has shown that Emperor Blair has no clothes.
Day after day he has offered clear-thinking on issues
that matter. The contrast with Mr Blair's vacuous, verbless
'pledges' could hardly be more glaring.
Michael
Howard may be the underdog but he has made an impressive
start to this election. And he has realised that he has
nothing to lose by being bold.
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The
Teacher
No
one is a shocked as me that it has come to this. I am the last
person I would have imagined tackling the Prime Minister. I'm
a lifelong Labour supporter, someone from working-class roots
who believed that Tony Blair shared my vision.
Only
once did I not vote Labour - in the Seventies when I thought the
unions were being given too much power. This time, though, it
is different. I feel betrayed. Tony Blair has let me down and
he will not be getting my vote again.
Immigration
is an issue I feel passionate about. My desire to teach came from
a wonderful schooling at Gloucester Grove School in Peckham, South
London. I recently discovered, however, that there are now 23
nationalities in this school. Some people - Tony Blair included
- talk of 'diversity'. As a teacher I think it is horrific.
The
schools system is already stretched to breaking point, before
we have to get translators for pupils who do not speak English.,
And I have found that some teachers recruited from other countries
do not have a decent command of English.
It
makes me furious. Why are we recruiting from abroad when there
are newly qualified teachers here working in shops and bars because
they cannot get a school job? It does not make sense.
Most
people aren't willing to speak out about immigration because of
political correctness in this country. Yet Mr Blair's policy -
or lack of it - is fanning the problem of racism. The more immigrants
pour into this country, and the more resources are used supporting
them, the more ordinary people get angry.
And
who do ordinary people turn on? The immigrants. Blair's policy
is turning people who are not naturally racist into bigots. I
have experienced this myself when I take the children of my Arabic
friends out for the day. I see people sneering at me and it is
terrible. There is an enormous racial divide in this country,
and it is dishonest to say there is not.
That's
why I asked the Prime Minister: "Do you think there are too
many immigrants in Britain today?" And, of course he didn't
answer the question. Some might think I went over the top. I think
it's about time Mr Blair knew how furious people like me are.
I
could have tackled him on two dozen issues, though, all of which
make me as angry. I could have shouted: "Why are people afraid
to walk on our streets? what about the promised NHS funding? Why
are my husband and I struggling to put our daughter Rebecca through
University when we both have decent jobs?
I
could have asked him why every single service for which we pay
out taxes is of Third-World quality? There have been days when
I've wanted to haul Tony Blair into my life and ask him: "Is
this why I voted for you?" Like so many families, we though
Tony Blair would do something about public transport. But, if
anything, it has got worse.
I've
been worn down by my own job. I was a teacher for 30 years until
I gave up because of ill-health last year. I can't tell you how
disheartening it is to be a teacher in Britain today. Your are
undervalued, underpaid, and expected to cope with huge problems.
The
amount of paperwork since Labour came to power has gone through
the roof. Every teacher is struggling with special needs pupils
- which includes those who don't speak English and things like
autism.
These
are only little examples, but they matter, just as we matter.
Has Tony Blair forgotten about the very people who got him to
power in the first place? Where does Middle England feature in
his plans? We were important enough 7 years ago. Why has he forgotten
us now?
The
PA
Jazz
Kaur, from Wembley, London, is a 29-year-old PA in the health
sector. She tackled the Prime Minister on crime, revealing that
she herself had been a victim of mugging.
When
I saw an advert asking for people to go on television to ask the
Prime Minister a question, I laughed at the fact it had to be
summarised in 30 words. How can you summarise what I have to say
in 30 words?
I'm
still not sure that Tony Blair understands the depth of feeling
from people like me. How could he? He doesn't live in our world.
He isn't a normal man, with normal concerns. Has he ever had to
turn down going out on a Saturday night because he is too scared
to get a bus and can't afford a cab? Has he ever stopped dead
while walking home, convinced he was about to be attacked?
Mr
Blair keeps saying crime figures are going down, but that is not
my impression. Everyone I know has suffered. My mother was mugged
on her way home from work. Two of my friends were raped. My parents
had a window broken in a racist attack.
Every
week I hear of a friend who has had his or her car stolen, or
their home broken into, or has witnessed some horrible fight in
a nightclub. Three years ago I was mugged. It was in broad daylight
as I was walking home from work. A guy grabbed me from behind
and tried to pull my bag off me. I struggled - and got a bruised
arm for my trouble.
This
might not seem the most serious attack - certainly the police
didn't seem to think so. When I phoned them, terrified, they didn't
have anyone to come to see me, and said it would be best if I
went to the station to report it, Bur there didn't seem any point.
I
can say, though, that it was one of the worst experiences of my
life. What was most terrifying was that I screamed and no one
came. This is what Mr Blair needs to address. We are all so terrified
of being victims of crime, we have actually become too afraid
to stand up for what is right.
Everywhere
I go I look over my shoulder. I've stopped going out a night unless
I am sure I can get a cab home. When I am out, I'm constantly
on edge, just waiting for something bad to happen. Then I get
home and see Mr Blair on television, spouting on about how massive
resources are being poured into the police.
The
trouble with Mr Blair is that he doesn't seem to have realised
that the bubble has burst. We have trusted him for too long. I
didn't vote in the last election, though my family have always
been Labour supporters. But in the past few years I've become
very demoralised.
Crime
has increased. Politicians lie. The opportunities supposed to
be ours just haven't materialised. I'm 29 and still haven't been
able to get on the property ladder. Why is the Government bringing
more people into the country when it cannot afford the ones who
are here?
Most
of all, it is Tony Blair's arrogance that gets to me. He says
he understands us, and is one of us. Well, he doesn't and he isn't.
The posters behind Mr Blair said Britain is Working. Well, Britain
is not Working. Britain is suffering. And it's about time he realised
it.
The
Mother
Maria
Hutchings, 43, lives with her husband Stuart, a 47-year-old marketing
manager, in Benfleet, Essex. Their son John Paul, ten, has autism.
Maria interrupted the Prime Minister as he discussed school discipline,
accusing him of talking 'rubbish'.
Forgive
me if I'm laying many of my son's problems at Tony Blair's door,
but as far as I am concerned, the two are inextricably linked.
Mr
Blair came to power seven years ago - at exactly the time my son's
autism was diagnosed. I remember watching those scenes outside
Downing Street with some-thing approaching elation. I was die-hard
Labour then, and thought I would be for the rest of my life. I'd
been campaigning for the Labour Party since I was 14 years old.
I even used to play in a string quartet to raise money for the
miners.
Even
though things had been terribly stressful for me in the time leading
up to the election - I'd had months of watching my son rocking
back and forth, and didn't have a clue what was wrong with him
- I felt this great sense of relief that things were finally getting
better.
I
trusted Mr Blair to do his best for me and my family. I thought
that as a father himself - and as a keen supporter of education
- we were in good hands. How wrong I was. In the past three months,
not a day has gone by that I haven't been in tears. This time,
it is fighting over speech therapy. Over the years it's been different
things. Fighting for an assessment. Fighting for a school place.
Fighting for the right to give my son a decent life. It seems
as if I've been fighting the system - a system Tony Blair has
put in place =- for most of my son's life.
I'm
not blaming Mr Blair for John Paul's condition. Many parents do,
believing the MMR vaccine is to blame for the autism. I didn't
ask Mr Blair whether his son Leo had the vaccine because I don't
want to make an issue of that, but I did tell him that it's up
to him as Prime Minister to find out what is causing autism.
What
I do blame him for is the anguish I go through every time I have
to get the most basic care for my son. When John Paul was little,
the authorities told me he would never walk, or talk.
I've
defied them all, and my little by now walks, and talks to some
extent. I hope he will grow up and get a job, but for that he
needs speech therapy. The government says he should have this,
but makes it so difficult that I end up in tears.
I
go from the NHS to the Department of Education, and back again,
then to his school. Every time I am told different things and
the red tape is phenomenal. I used to work in PR. I am educated
and eloquent. I talk to my MP, write countless letters. I can't
help thinking that if I am feeling this abandoned by the system,
how must other people feel?
My
gripes with Mr Blair aren't just about my own situation. I feel
the entire education system is in disarray and the NHS isn't far
behind. People like me - ordinary, decent people - feel helpless.
It
is the minority groups that have benefited from Labour's time
in office - the immigrants, the gays, the bloody foxes. In fact,
it's ironic that special needs children seem to be the only minority
group that haven't got something out of this administration.
If
I sound angry, it is because I am. I am beside myself with rage.
I sat in that television studio with Tony Blair just six feet
away from me and this red mist came down. I hope my outburst will
achieve something. Some day, maybe, my son will be proud of me
for what I have done. I think the signs are good. First thing
this morning I got a phone call from the Prime Minister's private
secretary, asking me to put my issues down in writing. Now, I'll
just wait to see if he gets around to reading them.
The
Nurse
Marion
Brown, 40, is single and lives in Brighton. She tackled Mr Blair
about the number of nurses being recruited from overseas, and
asked him: "Would you wipe someone's backside for £5
an hour?
Tony
Blair got himself in this mess. He wanted women like me in the
NHS. He supported initiatives to make nurses more educated. He
said nurses should have degrees, and that having degrees was a
good thing because it led to higher salaries.
Well,
I am studying for my degree. Most of colleagues have them now.
Yet we are still paid peanuts. The only difference now is we aren't
prepared to stand for it.
I
welcomed the chance to speak out directly to Tony Blair. I canvassed
opinions beforehand, to make sure I wasn't speaking out of turn,
and every person I spoke to said the same thing. We love the NHS.
But we think it is in a mess, and we are in the middle of it.
Before
I went on the programme, I looked around my ward. Three quarters
of the nurses are from abroad. Doesn't that shock anyone else?
The fact is nursing is in crisis. The NHS simply can't retain
staff.
Tony
Blair might be right in saving that there have been huge initiatives
to attract nurses, but they are simply leaving when they discover
how difficult it is to do this job. Every shift is a nightmare.
Perhaps Mr Blair thinks that problems on his us weekly, or monthly.
I can tell him that after I do the ward rounds, washes and giving
out medication, there will be some crisis to sort out.
And
it is the curses who end up having to solve all the other NHS
problems. There's a big shortage of social workers, for instance,
which means I can have three elderly patients who are fit to go
home, but cannot until they are assessed.
I
let nursing myself, in the mid-eighties, not long after I qualified
for a job in the 'real world'. Then my father got ill and I gave
it all up to care for him. After he died something changed inside
me and I realised that I wanted to go back into nursing. I signed
up again in 1996 - the year before Labour got into power. I voted
for Tony Blair, largely on his promises for the NHS.
I
still believe in the NHS, but I think Labour has reneged on its
share of the deal. I can't see any evidence of great improvements
on the wards. Although my Filipino colleagues are wonderful -
and thank God for them - we shouldn't need them. There are enough
dedicated, trained nurses in this country to make a difference.
We just have to make sure they are in the wards.
If
it wasn't for overtime I wouldn't be able to manage. Every week
I do overtime - I have to make ends meet - but I worry about how
I am performing when I am that tired. I went back to nursing because
I wanted to matter. And to the patients, I do. They always thank
me for what I do. I think it's about time Mr Blair thanked us,
too.
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After
a clear vote against them, we still got eight non-elected
Regional Assemblies. When we vote against the EU Constitution,
we'll get them anyway. Letter from P.Cove, Aylesbury,
BUCKS.- Daily Mail, January 31, 2005
THE
TIMES slavish support for the Government worries some
members of the paper's staff, not to mention any perspicacious
readers who are left. Political editor Philip Webster
was questioned about this when he addressed colleagues
as part of an in-house 'masterclass' exercise. Small wonder.
One of his Blair-worshipping subordinates wrote a news
story yesterday poo-pooing the row over Labours anti-semitic
poster mocking Michael Howard, saying it was merely £5million
worth of 'free publicity' for the party. Ephraim Hardcastle
- Daily Mail, Febrauary 2, 2005
Hold
the front page
Further
to BBC bias (Mail), very often on BBC Breakfast and Breakfast
With Frost, coverage of the morning papers is censored.
If the front page of the Daily Mail is critical of Tony
Blair and his Soviet-style Government, it is not shown,
although the front pages of all the other newspapers are
shown. A supposedly independent broadcasting body is acting
as censor for this Government - an absolute disgrace.
Letter from Peter Fish, Chippenham, Wilts. .- Daily Mail,
February 17, 2005
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The
REAL NASTY PARTY- How
Labour is the true home of spite, bigotry and contempt for the
public
For
the health of our democracy, we, the people of the United Kingdom,
must find a way to force Mr Blair to resign
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:
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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:
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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.
