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

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

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

February 9, 2006 (1002 days since war ended)

Death Toll: 2264 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

Children will lose free dental care in NHS shake-up

By Emily Cook - Health Reporter, Daily Mail, February 11, 2006

Thousands of children will lose free NHS dental treatment under contracts Labour wants to force on dentists, it emerged yesterday. Hundreds of dentists are planning to stop treating children and adults exempt from paying NHS charges. Local health chiefs are telling dentists who give children free NHS care they must also give it to adults.

But the move has backfired. Instead of agreeing to carry out more NHS work, dentists are turning to private practice. Experts fear this may be the thin end of the wedge and many more will follow. This leaves hundreds of families facing the choice of having no NHS dentist or paying to go private.

The move is the latest blow to the dental service which has been decaying for years. An estimated two million people are currently unable to find an NHS dentist, leading to massive queues outside the very few new practices that set up.

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Steve Webb, MP, said: "The government has made a complete mess of NHS dentistry, and it is likely to get worse. It is deeply worrying that there is a possibility children will not be treated on the NHS when their parents are going private. We already have a serious problem with children's tooth decay in this country. It is vitally important that we protect the provision of free dental care to children. This is a critical moment for dentistry. Government must make plans to ensure dentists are happy with the new contract and will stay in the NHS, so that everyone can register with an NHS dentist."

But many practices which hope to switch adult patients to private care after the deal is signed in February will not be able to continue treating children free. Maxine Fairclough, who runs a practice in Leeds, said her practice would be going completely private, which will mean cutting the list of patients down from about 5,000 to 2,000. She said: "It is frustrating and it is unfair on dentists that have stayed loyal to the NHS."

There are currently more than 20,000 dentists who offer some kind of NHS treatment. Many of these charge adults privately but provide free treatment to children under 18, pregnant mothers and those on Income or Family Support. Yesterday, a spokesman for the British Dental Association said: " We are concerned that priority groups could be at risk of losing access where primary care trusts are not prepared to offer dentists contracts to treat children and adults who are exempt from charges. In areas where this does happen, it will do nothing to ease health inequalities that exist."

Tory health spokesman Andrew Lansley said: "This highlights the fact that the Government's new contract is totally unworkable. The new business is suicide for many dentists who would like to keep NHS patients, so it is hardly surprising they are finding ways around it."

Barry Cockcroft, acting chief dental officer for England, said decisions about new contracts would be made at the discretion of local PCTs. He said: "The aim of these reforms is to provide better NHS services to both adults and children. However, we do recognise that some practices currently provide NHS treatment for children while also taking on private patients and we have made clear that PCTs can agree that this can continue where it meets local needs. However, dentists cannot provide services on condition of a parent signing up for private treatment."

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