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.

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

Nine years ago the British people were sold a fantasy of clean and competent government of principle and honesty. Its shiny wrappings stripped away, the product now reveals its true nature: Personal greed, arrogance, incompetence, shamelessness, rash warmongering and an inability to accept - as is clear to almost everyone else - that it is time to go. Editorial - The Mail on Sunday, May 28, 2006

April 30 2009 (1429 days since war ended)

Death Toll: 3351 US - 146 UK - >1,000,000? civilians - 25 media

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STOP PRESS

How half of dentists turn their backs on NHS patients

By Daniel Martin - Health Reporter - Daily Mail, April 30, 2007

More than half of English dentists have closed their doors to NHS patients, a survey reveals. The research found 51% of dentists were only taking on patients if they agreed to go private.

In some areas, the situation is so bad that only 15% of dentists are taking on NHS patients, the study by consumer magazine Which? showed.

The research comes a week after Tony Blair admitted for the first time that Labour had broken its pledge to ensure everyone had access to an NHS dentist.

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb said the figures showed NHS dentistry is 'becoming a thing of the past.' "What is more worrying is that many people on low incomes are effectively excluded from dental care," he added. "One 80-year-old woman who came to me needed teeth taking out and new false teeth putting in. She was told that would cost between £500 and £800 to have done privately - because she can't get an NHS dentist."

Researchers from Which? posing as potential patients contacted 466 dentists. The survey showed the worst area for access was the North West, where only 13% of dentists are taking NHS patients.

Following closely behind were Yorkshire and the Humber on 15%, and 16% in the South Central region. The best areas for NHS dentists were the West Midlands, on 63%, and London on 59%.

Those living in rural areas suffer the most - just 16% of dentists in the countryside provide NHS treatment, compared with 39% in towns and cities. The situation was even worse for NHS emergency appointments, which were offered by only 5% of dentists in the North West and South West.

Last month a survey by Citizens Advice found around two million people in England who would like access to NHS dentistry are unable to do so. Two thirds of them simply go without treatment rather than go private.

Recent surveys by Which? have also highlighted patients' dissatisfaction at the state of the rest of the health service. Only 18% were happy with the quality of hospital food, with 29% of patients - and 57% of new mothers - feeling hungry after meals. Another survey of 2,000 patients found many did not know where to turn for out-of-hours care, with only two in five calling the NHS Direct helpline.

Frances Blunden of Which? said: "The Government has ploughed enormous amounts of money into the NHS but on the ground the public are seeing cuts in services and considerable difficulties getting treatment. In dentistry we have found that where needs are not currently being met, people are either putting off having treatment or are being forced to go private."

Tory health spokesman Andrew Lansley said: "After ten years of Labour's financial mismanagement we have patients being told they can't have operations, nurses on the brink of strike action, maternity units and accident and emergency being threatened with closure, and 10,000 talented junior doctors being left without jobs."

Tony Blair and health secretary Patricia Hewitt are due to defend their record in front of the King's Fund think tank today.

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