Rescuing
Democracy in the United Kingdom from our current Elected
Dictatorship
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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 17/2/05
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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
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Health
crisis: 1,000 Scots desert NHS every week
Scots
MPs are worried the NHS findings may affect poll results.
MURDO
MACLEOD - Political Correspondent - Scotsman on Sunday - March
2005
MIDDLE
class Scots are deserting the NHS in unprecedented numbers and
taking out private health cover, Scotland on Sunday can reveal.
Fears
over lengthy waiting lists and the poor state of some hospitals
have fuelled a 60% increase over three years in Scots paying for
private medical insurance, and the number is expected to pass
the half million mark within months.
Industry
figures obtained by this newspaper show that more than 1,000 Scots
a week are quitting the NHS, and the rate is accelerating despite
billions of pounds of extra investment.
Health
experts and opposition politicians said the figures amounted to
a damning vote of no confidence in the system by affluent Scots
who were not prepared to wait months to see a consultant.
Ministers
are already under fire over the lack of progress in reforming
the Scottish NHS and bringing down waiting times. Last week, Scotland
on Sunday revealed that chronic mismanagement of the service had
resulted in English treatment rates overtaking Scotland for the
first time. Today we reveal Scots are twice as likely to be stuck
on an outpatient waiting list as people in England.
As
a result, soaring numbers of Scots who would once have been loyal
to the NHS are voting with their feet. The growth of private health
care in Scotland is shown in figures by Laing and Buisson - regarded
as the Britain’s leading private health analysts.
At
the end of 2000, 253,147 Scots were signed up for private health
cover - only 6% of the Scottish population. But by the end of
2003 - the latest date for which figures are available - an extra
151,000 had private cover, taking the total to 405,000 or 8.2%
of the population.
Private
health insurance companies say take-up north of the Border has
continued to grow since then, meaning that by the end of this
year the total number will have exceeded 500,000, to approach
11% of the population. Although the figure for the rest of the
UK is 13%, that has increased by only 0.1% since 2001.
Private
insurance typically costs £40 per month for an individual.
Rates rise for the elderly, with a fully comprehensive package
for a 65-year old costing in the region of £130. About 40%
of the total receive private care as part of their employment
packages. Analysis
of last month’s figures at the online health care broker
Essential Healthcare, showed that 14% of new clients came from
north of the Border.
If
the sign-ups had been according to Scotland’s share of the
UK population, then just 8.5% would have been Scottish. Brian
Mulreany, marketing director of Essential Healthcare, said: "Anecdotally
it seemed to be the case that more Scots were getting private
healthcare. But when I analysed our figures for last month they
were quite startling.
"There
is also a big change in the profile of people seeking cover. Before
now the typical person getting private care was a wealthy professional
in their 40s. Now there are far more young couples in their 20s
or 30s, and couples with children."
Mulreany
cited a recent example of a professional who had signed up for
private care. He said: "He was shocked. He needed diagnosis
for a heart-related condition and he was told that it was an emergency
situation and it had to happen as soon as possible. He
was then kept waiting and waiting for days for the test, which
he had been told was an urgent case."
Dr
Matthew Dunnigan, a senior research fellow in health policy at
Glasgow University, said: "These figures represent a relative
vote of no confidence in the health service in Scotland and confirm
anecdotal experience. People are reacting to the failure of the
NHS in Scotland."
Nanette
Milne, the Scottish Tory spokeswoman, said: "These figures
are an indictment of the way the health service is being run.
It is a clear vindication of our policy that the NHS should not
be from the top down, with centrally imposed targets."
Andy
Kerr, the Scottish Executive health minister, said many of the
people receiving private health cover would have it as a result
of an employment package. He said: "It’s complete nonsense
to suggest that the private insurance people receive as part of
their employment implies a lack of confidence in Scotland’s
national health service."
But
Shona Robison, the SNP’s health spokeswoman, said: "This
is nothing but a desperate excuse from Labour. If
it’s corporate packages, then why such an increase in Scotland
compared to the rest of the UK?"
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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
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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.
