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
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Blair's
chief Europhile performs a somersault on the Euro currency Written
by Paul Eastham - Deputy Political Editor, Daily Mail, December
10, 2004
Tony
Blair's most avid single currency champion astonished his party
yesterday, declaring that entering the euro system was 'economically
irrelevant'. Europe Minister Denis MacShane massively played down
the importance of joining up and went so far as to criticise Downing
Street for 'making a fetish of this damn currency'.
His
remarks stunned Labour colleagues because he has spent most of
his four years as a Foreign Office Minister warning that the British
economy would be devastated by non-participation. He has repeatedly
warned voters that billions of pounds in foreign investment would
dry up and three million jobs would vanish.
His
dramatic U-turn came in an interview for New Statesman magazine.
Mr MacShane complained that the Government had caused a problem
itself by making too much fuss about the single currency. "Part
of the problem was we entered government making the euro a litmus-test
for being good Europeans," he said. "It was a huge cul-de-sac
because we had made no technical or economic preparations to get
any-where close to entry in 1997. I represent a steel constituency.
Under no circumstances would I have voted in the first four or
five years of the Labour Government at the rate the pound was
against the euro, to go into the currency. I kept saying to people,
'Stop going on about the euro'. I haven't met a serious European
politician who is saying to me any more, 'When are you going into
the Euro?' "
Asked
if that was because the thought Britain had given up on entry,
the Minister replied: "No, it is because economically it
is irrelevant. We've made a fetish of this damn currency in a
completely unreal way." As recently as last week Mr MacShane
was pedalling a different viewpoint.
He
told Durham University students that Gordon Brown's five tests
on entry were 'always a bit of a red herring', a remark seen as
suggesting they could be ignored and Britain could join more quickly.
The
Europe Minister is, however, noted for his devotion to Mr Blair.
Labour MPs believe he would not have performed such a somersault
without the approval of Downing Street, where it is believed the
Premier has now lost hope of euro entry. With a referendum on
the separate and prickly issue of the EU constitution due in the
spring of 2006, he may not have enough time or support among voters
to hold a vote on the currency before he leaves office.
This
is a big victory for Mr Brown, who has successfully blocked moves
to go in by arguing that the euro has torpedoes growth in Germany
and France. Senior Tories ridiculed Mr MacShane for flip-flopping
on the issue. Shadow Europe minister Graham Brady said: "Denis
MacShane is changing direction so often that he must be getting
dizzy. He seems to have gone off the whole European Project for
which he has campaigned for so long."
The
confusion within the Labour Party coincided with difficulties
for the Tories on European issues. The anti-Europe UK Independence
Party announced that it would, after all, stand against eurosceptic
Tory MPs in the next general election. UKIP leaders had suggested
they would not do this after their major donor, businessman Paul
Sykes, vowed to stop funding the party if it challenged anti-Brussels
Tories.
But
yesterday its leaders changed their minds and announced that even
figures such as arch Tory Euro-sceptic Bill Cash will be challenged.
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.
