Rescuing
Democracy in the United Kingdom from our current Elected
Dictatorship
|
Come
back Gilligan, all is forgiven. Penny Young, Diss, Norfolk,
to The Guardian, February 24, 2005
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, February 17, 2005
|
Tony
Blair's pledge cards made no mention of pensioners. Perhaps
they're the jokers. Letter to the Daily Mail from Brian
Green, Daventry, Northants - February 22, 2005
The
Guardian's Polly Toynbee says 'a profoundly nasty streak'
among voters worried about poverty, crime and immigration
might cause them to vote against the Government. Isn't
it time we replaced the present electorate with one more
to Polly's liking? Ephraim Hardcastle, Daily Mail,
February 24, 2005
Back
to the future
'Forward
not Back' is quite wrong: we must go back - back to clean
hospitals with more medical staff and fewer managers;
back to education with proven standards.
Back
to police on the street and solving crime; back to increased
employment in industry, back to ministers who stand up
for this country and back to democratic government. Then,
perhaps, we can move forward. Letter from S, M. Butler,
Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex - Daily Mail, March 23, 2005
Virtues
of a secret ballot
Sir
- Concerning postal votes (report Mar 23) what is the
first principle of a democratic political vote? Answer:
THE SECRET BALLOT.
It
is obvious that a postal ballot is only as secret as the
moral strength of the voter. With the infinite propaganda
powers of today's electronic media, it is frighteningly
easy for devious politicians to promote politically correct
or "cool" or, most wickedly, "honest and
transparent" voting patterns, where someone failing
to vote "with his/her group" must "have
something to hide".
Postal
voting should, at best, be allowable only to persons who
are required to be stationed away from their constituency
on government business. A few temporary disfranchisements
may result, but nothing is perfect.
Letter from J. B. Lewis, Bognor Regis, West Sussex - The
Daily Telegraph, March 25, 2005
SIR
- Why on earth are people still insisting on voting for
the Labour Party this May 2005. It has lied and cheated
the public again and again during the Iraq war, immigration,
violent crime and hospital waiting list figures. It has
introduced stealth taxes and even been caught rigging
the postal voting system. To the Editor, Daily Telegraph,
from Philip Priestley, High Wycombe, Bucks. April 19,
2005
|
I
won't rest until Blair is punished
By
Dan Parkinson - Daily Mail, May 7, 2005
Reg
Keys, father of a Redcap murdered in Iraq, last night vowed to
continue to hound Tony Blair over the war. Mr Keys, who won an
astonishing 4,252 votes after standing against the Prime Minister
in his Sedgefield constituency said he would not rest until Mr
Blair was brought to account over the conflict.
"Fighting
this campaign has not been an easy task for me but I had
to do it for my son, Thomas Keys, killed in Iraq four
days short of his 21st birthday, sent to war under extremely
controversial circumstances ... (turning to Blair)
extremely controversial circumstances.
If
the war had been justified by international law I would
have grieved and not campaigned. If weapons of mass destruction
had been found in Iraq I would have grieved and not campaigned.
Tonight
there are lessons to be learned and I hope in my heart
that one day the prime Minister will be able to say sorry,
that one day he will say sorry to the families of the
bereaved and that one day the prime Minister might be
able to visit wounded soldiers in hospital.
Then
our campaign will not have been in vain and all the people
who have given me their votes tonight have sent a clear
resounding message about the Iraq war.
I
would like to dedicate this campaign to all the brave
88, yes 88
(a reference to Blair's admission on radio that he did
not know the exact figure) - servicemen
who gave their lives in this conflict.
But
may I just in particular mention, as they have become
know, The Six, the six Royal Military Policemen left behind
and slaughtered in a filthy police station in Majar Al-Kabir:
Thomas Keys, Russ Aston, Si Miller, Paul Long, Ben Hyde
and Simon Hamilton-Jewell. Thank you.
Reg
Keys delivered this speech moments after his defeat by
Mr Blair in Sedgefield, early in the morning of Friday,
May 6, 2005
|
His
son Thomas, 20, a Royal Military Policeman, died two years ago
when he and five colleagues were set on and massacred by a 400-strong
mob. It later emerged that they were poorly equipped to defend
themselves. Mr Key's sorrow turned to anger when no weapons of
mass destruction were found in Iraq and he began to believe his
son had died in an unnecessary and illegal war.
He
will now throw his weight behind High Court legal action by the
Military Families Against the War campaign group, which are challenging
the legal status of the 2003 invasion with the aim of toppling
Mr Blair.
After
the Sedgefield result was announced in the early hours of yesterday,
Mr Keys gave an electrifying speech, standing in front of the
Prime Minister and his wife Cherie. The former ambulance driver
paid tribute to British soldiers who had lost their lives in Iraq
and chastised Blair for admitting on a radio phone-in on Sunday
that he did not know how many British personnel had been lost.
Turning
to Mr Blair he said: "I would like to dedicate this campaign
to all the brave 88, yes 88, British servicemen - because some
people do not know how many have been killed - servicemen who
gave their young lives in this conflict."
Yesterday,
Mr Keys, who has a second son, Richard, 20, said he had wanted
to make the Prime Minister feel as uncomfortable as possible.
He said: "I looked into his eyes when I said it and he was
blank, he just stared right through me. But I think I made my
point. I hope he was squirming inside."
Despite
his poll defeat, Mr Keys, who finished fourth behind the major
parties, said: "I'm not going anywhere. I will continue to
fight tooth and nail in my son's name, as I have for the past
six weeks in the election. I will not let Blair get away with
this. I believe the war was illegal and Blair should be punished.
I hope the legal bide leads to his impeachment. I am going to
rest for a few days. I shall visit Tom's grave and have some quiet
time and then I will begin again."
Mr
Keys said he is also pressuring the Government to make sure that
an inquest into the deaths of the Redcaps, which is due to be
held in Britain later this year, is fair. He wants Army officers
whom he accuses of negligence to give evidence.
In
a final dig at Mr Blair, Mr Keys said the prime Minister's victory
speech was 'not exactly Churchillian in its nature' and warned
that he would be back in Sedgefield at the next General Election
if Mr Blair reneged on his pledge to stand down as Labour leader.
His campaign had several high profile backers including former
BBC war correspondent and independent MP Martin Bell.
Thomas,
a lance-corporal, died in Majar Al-Kabir, 120 miles north of Basra,
only four days short of his 21st birthday. On the day he had been
due to fly home, his parents - Reg, 53, and Sally, who are from
the Midlands but now live in North Wales, buried their son. It
emerged that shortly before their deaths in June 2003 the six
military policemen had had their ammunition reduced and their
morphine taken away 'for auditing reasons'.
Although
Majar Al-Kabir was a known troublespot, the Redcap patrol was
only lightly armed that fateful day and travelling in unarmoured
vehicles to help engender trust with the locals.
|
Tactical
Voting
As
UKIP member for several years, I believe the greatest
threat facing the British is the potential loss of our
independence to govern ourselves. Once Brussels gains
complete control, everything else we are voting for in
the coming election is academic. The real decisions will
be made in Brussels by people we can't vote out.
Much
as I support UKIP's aims, I now believe the single most
important goal for British voters is to remove Blair and
his rotten Government before they complete the process
of removing our sovereignty. Only a vote for Michael Howard
will do this - Letter to the Daily Mail from Tony Beverley,
London SW10 - April 7, 2005
Perhaps
Ann Widdecombe was right about Michael Howard, but it
should have been KNIGHT with a K, and he could have saved
us from the monsters Blair and Campbell - Letter to
the Dail Mayil from Les Fletcher, Rhos-on-Sea, Colwyn
Bay, Wales - February 18, 2005
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
SIR
- Why on earth are people still insisting on voting for
the Labour Party this May 2005. It has lied and cheated
the public again and again during the Iraq war, immigration,
violent crime and hospital waiting list figures. It has
introduced stealth taxes and even been caught rigging
the postal voting system. To the Editor, Daily Telegraph,
from Philip Priestley, High Wycombe, Bucks. April 19,
2005
|
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:
|
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.
