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
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Not in
HIS backyard!
How our
'green' PM helps block plan for wind farm near his home
by Adam Powell - Daily Mail, December 17, 2004
Tony
Blair was accused of hypocrisy and nimbyism yesterday for helping
block plans to build a wind farm near his Sedgefield constituency
home. More than 3,100 houses would have been supplied with green
electricity if EDF Energy had been allowed to erect four 25ft
turbines a mile from Mr Blair's £400,000 house in Trimdon
Colliery, country Durham.
But
when the plans emerged, the Prime Minister - who frequently boasts
of his environmental credential - backed the local opposition
group. The Government's policy is to raise use of environmentally
friendly power from 3% to 10% of the total by 2010. Yet Mr Blair
indicated his objections to the scheme in a letter written to
protesters by his agent. The letter found its way to Durham City
Council and this week its planning committee rejected the proposal
despite a recommendation from officers that it be approved.
Yesterday
Mr Blair, who as chairman of the G8 groups of countries next year
will urge the world to embrace green energy to tackle climate
change, was accused of being a hypocrite. "He is committed
to driving up wind power and will not stop till half the country
is covered in turbines - as long as they are not in Sedgefield,"
said Martin Callanan, Tory MEP for the North East. "This
is the grossest form of hypocrisy and a classic example of nimbysism."
Opponents
of the wind farm say they were worried about subsidence at the
proposed site. "Our group is not against renewable energy.
We are against where this is located," said leader Margaret
Flynn. Mr Blair's agent, John Burton, sent the letter to Mrs Flynn,
who made sure a copy was sent to Durham planners. He wrote: "I
agree with many of the points you raise. While both Tony and I
support the development of alternative sources of energy, they
need to be situated in the correct place. Large turbines shouldn't
be sited near housing developments and, in the case of Trimdon
Grange, built on land that is liable to subsidence."
The
planning committee has 22 members, split equally between the Liberal
Democrats and Labour. On Wednesday, five Labour councillors and
nine Lib Dems attended the meeting. All five Labour members and
five Lib Dems voted against the turbines. The other four Lib Dems
were in favour.
A
Durham Council spokesman said a copy of the letter had been sent
as private correspondence to the authority by the turbine protest
group but it was not entered as an official protest or shown to
councillors.
"The
councillors voted agsinst the wind farm after an open debate where
both sides got the chance to put their view." he said. "The
councillors asked the planning officers questions on a variety
of things, then made their minds up."
However,
a council source claimed: "The decision to reject the application
was a politicial one. There were no planning reasons to object
to it." And although Labour councillor Maurice Crathorne
said nobody had mentioned Mr Burton's lettter, it had been widely
publicised in the local newspaper.
Mr
Burton last night rejected suggestions that he and Mr Blair were
guilty of 'not in my backyard' politics. "I explained to
Tony that there was a sizeable protest group, the site was 5000
yards from homes and has a history of subsidence and he supported
me in opposing it," he said.
An
EDF spokesman said the comnpany was disappointed by the committee's
decision - "particularly as it goes against the strong professional
recommendations in support of the project."
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.
