Silent Majority Speaks
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
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
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May 31, 2005 (761 days since war
ended)
Death Toll: 1,657 US - 89 UK - >6,164?
Iraqi - >17,300 civilians - 25 media
June 17, 2005 (779 days since war
ended)
Death Toll: 1,716 US - 89 UK -
>6,164? Iraqi - >17,300? civilians - 25 media
June 26, 2005 (788 days since war
ended)
Death Toll: 1,737 US - 89 UK -
>6,164? Iraqi - >17,300? civilians - 25 media
July 6, 2005 (798 days since war
ended)
Death Toll: 1,751 US - 90 UK -
>6,164? Iraqi - >17,300? civilians - 25 media
August 24, 2005 (847 days since
war ended)
Death Toll: 1,869 US - 93 UK - >>6,164?
Iraqi - >>17,300? civilians - 25 media
September
29, 2005 (883 days since war ended)
Death Toll: 1,928 US - 96 UK - >>6,164?
Iraqi - >>17,300? civilians - 25 media
October
11, 2005 (895 days since war ended)
Death Toll: 1,956 US - 96UK - >>6,164?
Iraqi - >>17,300? civilians - 25 media
October
20, 2005 (904 days since war ended)
Death Toll: 1,986 US - 97UK - >>6,164?
Iraqi - >>17,300? civilians - 25 media
October
25, 2005 (909 days since war ended)
Death Toll: 2,001 US - 97UK - >>6,164?
Iraqi - >>17,300? civilians - 25 media
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.
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November
17, 2005 (932 days since Iraq war ended)
Death Toll: 2,080 US - 97UK - >>6,164?
Iraqi - >>17,300? civilians - 25 media
"You're
wrong about 24-hour drinking, Mr Blair - and I should
know!" writes Tony Booth, reformed
alcoholic, who just happens to be the Prime Minister's
father-in-law.
His
article in the Daily Mail, November 19, 2005, ends:
I
was lucky - alcohol could so easily have destroyed me,
but it didn't. Others, by the simple law of averages,
will not be so luck once round-the-clock drinking becomes
the norm.
Marriages
will be wrecked, children will be neglected and family
bank accounts will be drained - all by the Demon Booze.
Some will succumb to disease, others to violent injury.
A tragic few will even die, either directly or indirectly
because of the increased availability of booze. I wouldn't
want that on my conscience and I don't want it on my son-in-law's
either.
I
still hope he'll do the right thing and call time on these
ridiculous and dangerous licensing laws before it's too
late. Take it from someone who really has supped in that
last chance saloon, Tony: with these new laws, only misery
lies ahead.
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Drinks
crime: It WILL go up
As
Labour MPs vote through 24-hour licences, a breathtaking admission
from Minister in charge
By
James Slack and Matthew Hickley - Daily Mail, November 16, 2005
As
24-hour drinking got its final go-ahead yesterday, Labour at last
admitted round-the-clock opening is likely to lead to more crimes
of violence. Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell came clean - confirming
the worst fears of doctors, police, judges and the public - as
Labour pushed the plans through the Commons. She said:
"Yes, you may see a rise in violent alcohol-related crime."
The
open-all-hours culture will become law in just eight days after
a last-ditch Conservative motion to delay the new Licensing Act
was defeated by 302 votes to 228 last night, a Government majority
of 74. Earlier Mrs. Jowell came under fire for implying chief
constables back 24-hour drinking. Senior officers, who have warned
of their manpower being stretched to breaking point, made clear
their views 'remain the same'.
At
the same time, Home Secretary Charles Clarke admitted it will
take years to change Britain's binge-drink culture. Making her
admission that crime is likely to rise, Mrs. Jowell chose her
words carefully, claiming the increase would be in recorded violent
crime - number of offences logged by police - rather than the
overall disorder level on the streets. She insisted the rise in
violent crime would be short-term. "Sometimes you get what
appears to be a perverse effect, which is that, by having a focus
on a particular type of crime, more people as a result of the
scale of the enforcement who might otherwise have got away with
it get caught," she said. "But we do not expect new
provisions of the Licensing Act to see an increase in the rate
of violent crime."
But
critics accused her of getting her excuses in early in preparation
for statistics showing an alarming leap in assaults once the licensing
laws are relaxed on November 24. Shadow Culture Secretary Theresa
May said: "At last, the minister has admitted what we all
know, that if you allow people to drink for 24 hours a day, we
will see more alcohol-related crime and disorder. I hope she will
also admit that to press ahead with these plans would have direr
consequences, and should be abandoned now."
Judges
have warned that a substantial rise in 'rape, grievous bodily
harm and worse,' will be an 'inevitable' consequence of relaxing
the licensing laws. Yesterday, the Government announced a £2.5million
crackdown on drunken offenders, billed as the 'biggest ever' blitz.
But it emerged that it was little more than a repeat of two previous
crackdowns, which took place in summer and Christmas 2004.
Mrs.
Jowell claimed the Act gives police more powers to tackle alcohol-related
crime and disorder. But the powers will be almost identical to
those used before - handing out £80 fixed-penalty notices
to drunks and carrying out 'sting' operations to trap under-age
drinkers and licensees who flout the law.
Ms.
May said it was the Ministerial equivalent of 'King Canute trying
to hold back the tide'. She added: "This type of initiative
has been done before, and was rushed out in order to grab a few
headlines."
In
the Commons last night, former Labour ministers Frank Field and
Kate Hoey voted against the Government and in favour of the motion
to delay bringing in the Licensing Act. Tony Blair did not vote,
unlike Gordon Brown, who backed the move to 24-hour drinking.
Mr Blair is understood to have 'paired' with a Tory MP, an agreement
which allows both to miss the vote and effectively cancel each
other out.
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