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.

May 20, 2006 (1106 days since war ended)

Death Toll: 2455 US - 111 UK - >60,000? civilians - 25 media

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

STOP PRESS

Now Labour Think-Tank (DEMOS) wants curbs (on immigration)

Daily Mail - May 24, 2006

Labour's favourite think-tank called yesterday for curbs on immigration and revival of patriotism. There should be limits on unskilled migrants coming to Britain, rough rules to reduce arrivals of spouses of those already here, and a migration ministry to tell the truth about immigration, DEMOS said.

The Left sees sense on immigration

Comment - Daily Mail, May 24, 2006

Citizenship and asylum applications are spiralling upwards, nearly 400,000 Eastern Europeans have arrived in Britain seeking work (the Government predicted 13,000), a leading doctor describes NHS health tourism, hundreds of Romanians may have entered Britain on forged passports, and the Home Secretary says our immigration system isn't remotely up to the job. It is just another typical day.

But for the first time, there are signs that some Labour supporters are changing their minds about unlimited immigration. David Goodhart, editor of the leftish magazine Prospect, has written a starling pamphlet for Tony Blair's favourite think-tank DEMOS.

He wants the Government to tell the truth about migrant numbers, more teaching of British history in our schools, tough limits on unskilled migrants, a reduction in the number of husbands and wives being allowed to join their spouses, and temporary citizenship from which migrants could hope to graduate becoming full British citizens. Mr Goodhart will forgive us, but he could almost be writing a Daily Mail editorial.

The fact is that he, and many senior Labour politicians, have been shocked by the support which the British National Party attracted in traditional Labour constituencies at the local elections. As this paper has consistently argued, this country has lost control of its borders. The Government still has no idea how to stem the flow of new migrants, nor is it able to manage those who have already arrived.

But if the left wing of British politics is now able to have a grown up conversation abut immigration, we can only applaud. It might even encourage our new touchy-feeling Conservatives to return to the subject. Only when both main political parties are prepared to engage with robust honesty on this enormous political issue can we be confident that voters will turn their back on the extremists.

It said welfare handouts for migrants should be pegged and called for restrictions on grants of citizenship to prevent those newly arrived and with no knowledge of Britain from enjoying the benefits of British nationality.

The group criticised British Muslim leaders and asked for a ban on extreme forms of religious dress in schools and public offices. And it said British history should be taught chronologically in schools so that no child goes through the education system without learning the story of their own country.

David Goodhart, author of the essay on 'progressive nationalism' published by an organisation long regarded as a strong influence on Tony Blair, said his plans were 'defensive measures' designed to win back Labour's lost legions of working class voters from extremists.

Mr Goodhart said: "Renewing the story of Britishness is an urgent political task for the centre Left. He said migration should be welcomed only as far as it 'can be shown to improve the lives of the least well-off British citizens'

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