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.

December 28, 2005 (959 days since Iraq war ended)

Death Toll: 2,172 US - 98UK - >>30,000? Iraqi - 25 media

January 16, 2006 (978 days since Iraq war ended)

Death Toll: 2,219 US - 98UK - >>30,000? Iraqi - 25 media

February 16, 2006 (1011 days since war ended)

Death Toll: 2273 US - 101UK - >>6,164? Iraqi - >>17,300? 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

STOP PRESS

7 out of 10 Dentists to quit the NHS

Millions of patients will be denied free treatment

By Tom Kelly and Olinka Koster - Daily Mail, February 18, 2006

Almost seven in ten dentists are set to quit the NHS over controversial new contracts. The exodus would leave millions of families without care. The shocking figure was revealed in a Daily Mail survey as the Government prepares for the biggest overhaul of the service in 50 years.

The changes are aimed at increasing the number of Health Service patients, but look likely to have the opposite effect. More than 17.5 million children and adults could have to choose between going private - which can be three times more expensive - or risking long-term damage and problems if they try to get by without treatment.

Children are expected to be worst hit because the new contracts will largely end the popular system which let dentists treat under-18s on the NHS and offset the cost by seeing their parents as private patients. The new system will insist dentists take the whole family as NHS patients or none of them. Many are already choosing the latter option.

All 19,300 NHS dentists will have to sign new contracts with their health authority from April 1. The great majority believe they will also lose out under a greatly changed system of charges, which they say will not increase patient care in any case.

An astonishing 44% have either left the service in recent months or drastically cut back their patient list. Another 24% are actively considering quitting, the survey found. The potential disaster comes six years after Tony Blair pledged that all patients would have access to NHS dentistry by the end of 200

The new charging scheme will replace individual fees with three bands of treatment. Band 1 treatment will cost £15.50 and include check-ups and minor dental work such as cleaning, X-rays, or a polish. Band 2, costing £42.50, includes fillings and root canal work. Band 3 costs £189 and includes complex operations such as dentures, crowns and bridges. Patients will only pay once, no matter how much work is done. Critics point out that this means one filling costs the same as ten.

Tories branded the contracts 'extremely worrying' and warned that it was inevitable they would damage dental treatment. Spokesman Dr Andrew Murrison said: "It is extraordinary that the government should have persisted with this, even though it was patently clear that it will leave more people without an NHS dentist. The whole thing really has been a dog's dinner." At the moment 25 million children and adults in England and Wales receive NHS dental care.

The contract disaster could see free treatment withdrawn from 12.5 million of the 18 million adults and up to five million of 7.2 million children. Derek Watson of the Dental Practitioners' Association said: "No dentist wishes to de-register children, but in most practices the remaining NHS patients are subsidised by the private ones. The contract is a 'take-it-or-leave-it' ultimatum. Not only is this a high-risk gamble and poor judgment, it is a result of a total failure to consult with dentists."

The Mail survey of 120 dental practices also found deep resentment about the new system's massive overhaul of charges. At the moment they are paid for each treatment they carry out. They receive 80% of the cost from the patient, and claim the rest from the NHS. But the government believes this 'piecework' encourages unnecessary treatment. NHS chiefs want dentists to do more preventative work and be paid a flat rate salary.

Charges for patients would also change. Rather than paying for any one of 400 different treatments, they would face only three charges - the lowest for a check-up, the second for any number of fillings, and the highest for more complex work. Dentists say this could have a detrimental effect on health with patients waiting until they need multiple treatments to get value for money.

The British Dental Association said: "The new contract will do nothing to improve access to care or the quality of care. Dentists will still be on the treadmill which means they give patients the care and time they want to."

A dental practice manager from Staffordshire, who did not want to be named, said: "It's the beginning of the end for NHS dental treatment. Patients won't like it and dentists won't like it."

But Health Minister Rosie Winterton said: "The early signs are that the vast majority of dentists will sign. The contracts offer average earnings of £80,000 for a committed NHS dentist, plus practice expenses which can be around £80,000 - 90,000. All this for at least 5% less work. This is a good and fair offer."

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