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

May 11, 2005 (741 days since war ended)

Death Toll: 1,610 US - 88 UK - >6,164? Iraqi - >17,300 civilians - 25 media 

May 31, 2005 (761 days since war ended)

Death Toll: 1,657 US - 89 UK - >6,164? Iraqi - >17,300 civilians - 25 media

June 3 , 2005 (765 days since war ended)

Death Toll: 1,670 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

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.

STOP PRESS

Hopping mad (with the NHS)

I became acutely aware of how nonsensical NHS targets are after my GP referred me to my local hospital for removal of an in-growing toenail. I have so fare been on three different waiting lists and am waiting to go onto a fourth.

The first list was to wait for an appointment expected within six weeks. The second was for an appointment to see a consultant. This appointments was cancelled and re-scheduled three times before I was finally told I could see the consultant's registrar.

I am now on another list - waiting for a pre-operative assessment, which must take place four to six weeks before the operation. I have been told my operation will take place about six months after seeing the registrar.

I know my operation is only a minor one, but it is farcical that anyone should have to wait ten months, further cancellations or 're-scheduling' notwithstanding, simply to have an in-growing toenail removed. Clearly shifting patients from one list to another is a ploy to massage the statistics to demonstrate that targets are being met. The Government is too concerned with looking good rather than doing good. Letter to the Editor from Jon O'Hagan, address supplied - Daily Mail, June 30, 2005

Are our hospitals being over-administrated? When hospital consultants dictate letters to be sent to fellow doctors for referrals etc. these go to India to be typed on a computer and are send back within days. It then takes five weeks for the NHS to copy and paste these letters and send them out to the relevant people.

This was outlined to us by a consultant at King's College Hospital who was as disgusted as we were by the fact. What an absolute shambles this lousy Government and its management of the NHS is. Letter from P. J. Thomas, Rochester, Kent - Daily Mail, June 30, 2005

Three-tier NHS

I'm sad that the NHS Trust for which I work as a theatre staff nurse is among the worst three in the country for hospital-acquired infections. Trauma patients get a raw deal - they're practically third class citizens. Many fail to get the treatment they're promised because we run out of time. Such frequent delays in treatment are unsatisfactory, particularly for the elderly and frail who, while they wait, get increasingly dehydrated, confused and are prone to complications, pressure sores, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism etc., as well as the MRSA superbug.

Patients who are asked to come in for surgery during the week are the second class. They're lucky if a bed is found for them, and it won't necessarily be on a ward specialising in the surgery they need. I've known orphopaedic patients ending up in an antenatal ward.

First class is for those with a condition subject to a 'waiting list initiative'. Their operations take place on Saturdays and Sundays and beds are found for every one of them. Nothing is cancelled, which is remarkable given how many cancellations happen during the week.

I admit I volunteer to take part in waiting list initiatives: they make my take-home pay a bit more respectable. Taxpayers' money goes on schemes such as this rather than on treating patients who should be dealt with within 48 hours. Letter(name & address supplied)- Daily Mail, June 30, 2005.

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