Silent Majority Speaks

Rescuing Democracy in the United Kingdom from our current Elected Dictatorship

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

Blair wants to leave his mark on history - looks more like a stain to me.

Peter Thorndyke, Diss, Norfolk - Daily Mail, May 23, 2005

I know I'm me - why do I need an ID card?

"Sorry, officers, I don't have an ID card. I never applied for one. It seemed a bit steep at 300 quid. I do have my free passport, my driving licence and my London freedom travel pass, each with my photograph. I have my NHS medical card, with its lengthy number, given me at birth, my RAF service book with my Armed Forces number, and a chit authorising me to wear a few gongs -including a General Service Medal with Malaya bar, for fighting communist terrorists on behalf of my country, or so they told me.

"I've also got various credit cards and store cards, all with my signature on the back, generally good for buying the everyday requrements for life as well as the odd luxury. If you decide to arrest me, I suppose I'll have to be photographed and given another number, besides my PINs.

"I'm afraid I haven't got a pension book; it was taken away."

"By thieves, sir?"

"No ... well, not exactly. By the Government. By the way, may I see your warrant cards please, gentlemen?"

Oh dear, they've disappeared. E. Harry Gumer, Romford, ESSEX - Daily Mail, June 1, 2005

NO means NO

When does NO mean MAYBE? When it's not the answer the EU wants. With the courageous French NON resounding in their ears, shabby, undemocratic self-interested leaders of Europe propose ignoring the part of their precious constitution that requires ratification by all members and continuing without one of the biggest founder members to prevent derailing the gravy train.

As in Ireland, they refuse to accept any NO votes, ignoring the will of the people, and re-stage votes until they can engineer the 'correct' answer. Sadly, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw dances to their tune like a puppet on a string. With tactics such as these, how can anyone really believe the EU has our interests at heart. Letter from Steve Penny, Kingsnorth, Kent - Daily Mail, June1, 2005

Surely the French result makes the £1million the EU recently spent on a treaty signing ceremony seem a trifle premature and extravagant. Letter from Keith Wiseman, Bury, Lancs. - Daily Mail, June1, 2005

WWW silentmajorityspeaks.com

Britain has traditionally been one of the biggest net contributors to the EU because we do not get as much money back from Brussels in farm and regional subsidies as our rivals.

According to Treasury figures, between 1995-2002, Britain's average contribution taking the rebate into account, was £2.6billion, or £43.55 per head of population.

The French - the biggest recipient of farm subsidies - contributed £1billion a year or £16.08 per head of their population.

Tony Blair should know that respect comes by example - from the top. If a country's leader has no respect for the rule of international law and no respect for the truth, how can he expect anyone to have respect. Letter from P.J.Atkinson, Ashford, Kent - Daily Mail, January 12, 2006

The Chancellor's single greatest act of vandalism in almost nine years in office has been his wanton destruction of Britain's private retirement industry. By slapping a massive tax on pension funds, now worth £7.3billion a year, he has helped to turn the best private retirement industry in Europe into a basket-case in perpetual crisis. Together with the adoption of European accounting rules - which make it much riskier to operate a company pension scheme - hundreds of firms have shut their final salary plans to new employees and slashed benefits to existing staff. From Allister Heath: "I've seen the future and its grey" in THE SPECTATOR - April 15, 2006

Nine years ago the British people were sold a fantasy of clean and competent government of principle and honesty. Its shiny wrappings stripped away, the product now reveals its true nature: Personal greed, arrogance, incompetence, shamelessness, rash warmongering and an inability to accept - as is clear to almost everyone else - that it is time to go. Editorial - The Mail on Sunday, May 28, 2006

March 15, 2007 (1385 days since war ended)

Death Toll: 3197 US - 134 UK - >650,000? civilians - 25 media

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STOP PRESS

24-hour drinking 'has doubled vandalism bill'

By James Slack - Home Affairs Editor - Daily Mail, March 12, 2007

The cost of vandalism on business has doubled since 24-hour drinking began, according to research yesterday. In the year before Labour relaxed licensing laws, the average bill for companies plagued by loutish behaviour was £2,300 a year.

But a survey has found that since November 2005, it has risen to £5,000. A quarter of shop-keepers polled by insurer Royal and SunAlliance felt longer drinking hours were directly responsible for the increase in late-night vandalism and graffiti. Theft is also on the rise.

Tesh Patel, who works for the insurer, said: "This is a huge burden on UK businesses, especially on smaller companies that will struggle to cope with the financial loss."

Tory culture spokesman Hugo Swire said: "Tessa Jowell claimed that the Licensing Act was supposed to reduce binge drinking and anti-social behaviour, but this research shows that for many firms, the exact opposite has happened. In many places yob behaviour has got worse. It has cost businesses more than twice as much to deal with, and communities are paying the price."

More than 500 firms were interviewed for the poll. Of these, 100 had been affected by yobbish behaviour. The average loss was £5,000. In the retail and consumer sector - including shops and pubs - the average loss was £9,100.

It has also emerged that the number of teenagers receiving medical treatment after drinking binges increased by nearly 15% in the year the new licensing laws were introduced. Official figures show that from April 2005 to April 2006, teenagers were admitted to hospital for treatment 8,582 times - almost 1,000 more than in the previous year - and the biggest rise in a decade.

Dr Christopher Record, consultant in liver disease at Newcastle NHS Trust, said: "I'm sure the rise has been caused by 24-hour drinking legislation."

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said there were tough penalties for those selling alcohol to under-18s.

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