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

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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 3, 2006 (1000 days since war ended)

Death Toll: 2248 US - 100UK - >>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

Brown 'hiding the truth over £180bn pensions shortfall'

By Benedict Brogan, Political Editor - Daily Mail, January 31, 2006

Gordon Brown has been accused of disguising a pensions 'iceberg' which is threatening to leave a £180billion hole in public finances. A report published yesterday suggests the Government has seriously underestimated its retirement liabilities for the three million public sector workers.

Instead of the official estimate of £440bn in current and future obligations to nurses, teachers and others, the true burden has been calculated at £620billion - £180billion more. The assessment from actuaries Hymans Robertson is the latest in a succession of expert analyses suggesting Government liabilities are far higher than Ministers admit.

Public sector pensions are not funded - which means that, unlike private sector schemes, there is no pot of money invested to pay for them when they become due. Instead, future governments will have to pay the pensions from future budgets. Although the Treasury will never have to pay out its full liability - calculated as the amount due if all public sector workers retired tomorrow - the scale of the amount owed represents a continuing burden on public resources and the taxpayer.

It also adds pressure on the Chancellor to reform pensions in the wake of last year's Turner report, which recommended men and women work until 67 in order to tackle the pensions crisis and counter the effects of living longer. Mr Brown came in for criticism for dropping plans to raise the retirement age of existing public sector workers from 60 to 65 under pressure from trade unions. Instead, the raised figure applies only to new employees.

Douglas Anderson, head of public sector consulting at Hymans Robertson, said the gap in liabilities was because the Government used a preferential means of calculating them which disguised the scale of the problem. Shadow Chancellor George Osborne said the figures showed 'there is a bidden iceberg lurking off the bows of Gordon Brown's public finances.'

He added: "This latest analysis is another indication that the public finances are far from healthy, which will hit the UK's ability to compete in an increasingly competitive world." The Treasury is due to publish updated figures for its pension scheme this week. Another recent estimate by business leaders suggested the public sector liability is even higher - at a staggering £800billion.

Private pension schemes are heading for a crisis as workers find other ways to save for their old age, research showed yesterday. A collapse in income from premiums means firms are now paying out billions of pounds more than they receive.

Millions took out private pensions in the 1980's and 1990's, often opting out of company or public sector schemes. But amid anger about misselling scandals and slow growth in their nest eggs, many have turned their backs on the plans. Some have invested in property while others have switched to the Government's new stakeholder pensions.

The loss of trust in private schemes means the annual income received by the major life assurance and pension firms has fallen from £95billion in 2001 to £80billion in 2004. Once claims being paid out are taken into account, these firms have had a negative cashflow since 2001.

A report by insurance specialist Cazalet Consulting estimates firms paid out £5billion more in 2003 and 2004 than received in premiums. The report warned the situation was 'financially disastrous'. It said the break-even point for the typical pension plan was over halfway into its term - 16 years for a 25-year policy for instance. But it found that after just four years, only 50% of policies still had contributions being paid into them.

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