Rescuing
Democracy in the United Kingdom from our current Elected
Dictatorship
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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
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End
of the line
Jim
Middleton from Olney, Bucks writes to the Daily Mail -
November 12, 2004
I
hope those affected by the latest John Prescott housing
diktat will learn from the Milton Keynes - South Midlands
area. Prescott has forced the area to take at least 300,000
more houses than in current plans. The plan says it will
tackle the current overcrowding on the transport system
and encourage the development of public transport.
Yet
he has removed cirtually every rail proposal from the
original plan and will invest next to nothing. The recent
upgrade to the West Coast main line has meant years of
disruption for travellers from Milton Kenes and Northampton
to London. Lord Rooker keeps coming to Milton Keynes saying
there are large sums of money available from the Government
for transport but has yet to confirm a single rail project.
I
had hoped that local MPs and councils would be able to
stand up and say that this is all totally unacceptable,
but all they seem to do is press on with drawing up the
plans for new houses as they are told.
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Quango
plan up to 640,000 new houses
on south east greenfield sites
Quango
says YES to 500,000 homes
One
of the unelected regional bodies yesterday(Nov 5, 2004)
flexed its muscles by approving John Prescott's plans
to build almost half a million homes across eastern counties.
The
decision by the East of England Regional Assembly - which
is in fact a quango appointed under Mr Prescott's 'guidance'
- outraged rural campaigners. It voted by a large majority
for 478,000 homes to be built in a corridor between Stansted,
Essex, and Peterborough over the next 17 years.
Nearly
60,000 houses have already been built since 2001 and,
of those remaining, more than half already have planning
permission or are covered in existing development plans,
a spokesman for the quango said.
The
body meeting in Southend-on-Sea, rejected a request from
the Government for an extra 18,000 homes and for a second
runway at Stansted. Friends of the Earth spokesman Mary
Edwards said: "This appalling decision will have
a devastating effect on the region. It will cause enormous
damage to wildlife, heritage, local people's quality of
life and natural resources across sixcounties.
"The
East of England has been badly let down by national and
regional politicians but the fight to stop these ludicrous
plans will continue."
The
Campaign to Protect Rural England said the decision was
disappointing and promised to continue a campaign to have
the plans revised. The Chair-man of the East of England
Regional Assembly, Sue Sida-Lockett, stressed that the
approval was the first step in a long process, continuing
with a December public consultation.
"This
is a momentous day for the assembly," she said. "This
plan is aimed at improving the quality of life for everyone
who lives in, works in or visits the region. It is particularly
important for our young people and children as they seek
to gain access to jobs, housing recreation and services
in the region.
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CONDEMNED
Prescott's
500,000 homes plan 'will create water shortages, destroy historic
villages, harm wildlife'
By
Jane Merrick, Political Reporter - Daily Mail, October 15, 2004
John
Prescott will set off an environmental timebomb by forcing through
plans to build nearly half a million extra homes in some of our
most crowded regions,warns an independent report.
Squeezing
478,000 homes into the East will create massive water shortages
and flooding, damage wild-life and destroy the historic appearance
of towns and villages, it said. It will lead to heavier traffic
on some of Europe's busiest roads, including the M25, M1, A1 and
M11, and have a 'serious' effect on quality of life in the region.
But
the Deputy Prime Minister is to ignore the warnings and ride roughshod
over local concerns when the plans are given the green light at
a regional planning meeting today. The homes will be built at
a rate of 23,900 a year for the next 20 years.
The
areas worst affected will be the 'corridor' through Peterborough,
Cambridge, Stevenage and Harlow, parts of Essex along the Thames
and the expansion of Milton Keynes in Bedfordshire. The report,
by consultants Levett-Therivel, said the plans would have 'serious
negative impacts on water resources, bio-diversity, tranquillity,
air quality, recreational access and congestion'.
The
most serious issue is the sapping of water, with nearly four billion
extra gallons a year required for the new homes. On the other
hand, the low-lying areas of Eastern England, especially Cambridgeshire
and Esses, are vulnerable to flooding. Building more homes would
increase the risk of this by putting more pressure on drainage
systems.
The
report said the houses should be built in the north of England
where there is more room. It added: "The rate and intensity
of economic, housing and infrastructure growth envisaged for the
region, especially its southern parts, is intrinsically damaging
to many aspects of the environment and quality of life."
The character of areas around Stansted, Harlow and Stevenage would
be "significantly changed".
The
report said the flood plain around the Thames Gateway and South
Essex contained wildlife habitats of international significance,
including birds. The area around Peterborough was important for
great-crested newts, limestone grasslands and aquatic plants.
Manmade treasures also abounded.
The
Thames gateway contained 1,800 archaeological sites, while the
town centre of Ely, Cambridgeshire, is historically significant.
The report cited historic settlements in 'rolling countryside'
around Stansted, along with Waltham Abbey and 'picture postcard'
villages in the M11 corridor also being under threat.
Robert
Ellis, the leader of Hertfordshire council, said: "It is
just ludicrous to suggest building that many houses here. This
part of the country is the driest part of England. People would
not be able to have a shower every day. The Government is forcing
growth on our countryside."
Tory
planning spokesman John Hayes said: "Local people have been
left out in the cold, with planning decisions transferred to distant
and unaccountable regional planning bodies, and Labour's pledge
to defend our green spaces from over-development now seems to
have been another one of their empty promises."
A
spokesman for Mr Prescott's office said: "Growth is essential
if the region is to thrive and provide homes, affordable homes,
for young families." Asked why the homes could not be built
in the north, the spokesman said: "We cannot determine where
people want to live. The South East is a region of housing demand
and is going to grow over the next 20 years."
For
the health of our democracy, we, the people of the United Kingdom,
must find a way to force Mr Blair to resign
Such
defiance of the democratic process and the will of the majority
of we people of the UK, must be exposed by voters as a matter
or urgency, and not just in the two by-elections we have had this
July and the European elections in June 2004. But how can this
be done?
The
most effective way of getting our deceitful PM to resign would
be to mobilise the army of Labour MPs currently in the House of
Commons and get them to demand it, the loss of their seat to be
a penalty if they did not. All voters in Labour-held constituencies
need to write a letter along these lines to their local Labour
MPs:
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Dear
Despite
his absolute and unequivocal assurances over the past year
of the serious risk to our security of Saddam Hussein's
'weapons of mass destruction', Prime Minister Blair
has admitted, that the threat was non-existent. For that
critical error of judgement and for his gross incompetence
in handling this very important issue, I ask you to take
immediate steps to ensure that Tony Blair does the honourable
thing and resign without delay..
I
would therefore be much obliged if you would propose and
help mobilise a Parliamentary vote of 'No Confidence' in
Mr Blair which, despite Labour's huge majority, would leave
the PM with no option but to resign.
If
I get no reply to this letter, I shall assume you will continue
to support Mr Blair as our Prime Minister. In such circumstances
I shall not vote for you in the forthcoming General Election.
Signed:
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Simple,
non-violent, protest letters along these lines on a variety of
issues could be the basis for re-vitalising our democracy and
increasing voters' interest and participation in politics. Download
a printable copy of the above letter here.
There
is another way for the voice of the silent majority to be heard,
a voice that made sure broken promises would not only be revealed,
but punished in subsequent elections.
In
the year available before the General Election expected in 2005,
many topics are available as ammunition, each one asking questions.
A weapon for our purpose will be the results of Opinion Polls
in individual constituencies using ICM, NOP, Gallop, Mori
or YouGov.
Questions
suggested for this purpose are listed here.
CAST
YOUR VOTE ON A VARIETY OF OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES HERE.
Current
and prospective Parliamentary candidates of all Parties running
for election could share a platform at public forums in every
constituency. They would be presented with the results of
polls on this issue expressed by the majority of voters in that
constituency.
The candidates could be asked if their own views and that of their
Party manifesto corresponded with the polls, and if not, how they
intended to represent the will of the majority of local voters.
Local and National Press, Radio and TV coverage would be arranged
and the results published on this web site.
Here
is another powerful strategy for using your vote effectively in
the forthcoming General Election. Send your sitting and prospective
MPs a letter defining your requirements if they want your vote.
This example deals with the proposed
EU Constitutional Treaty.
Your
letters would end: "If you do not answer
this letter, I shall take it that you intend to follow the Government
line. I shall act accordingly in the forthcoming General Election.
Or
why not create a questionnaire that you send to all the candidates
in your constituency, getting them to give yes/no answers to questions
of your choice, and ending it with the same paragraph(above).
Download
a printable example of the questionnaire.
It
is high time for the people of this United Kingdom to stop allowing
themselves to be manipulated by politicians. We need our representatives
in Parliament to genuinely reflect the view of the majority in
their own constituency, even if this means going against their
personal and/or their party's policy. While they may argue their
case, hoping to change the minds of the majority in their constituency,
they should ultimately be obliged to reflect the majority view
of those who elect them.
It
will be argued by politicians of all parties that most voters
don't have the knowledge necessary to express an opinion on important
subjects at issue, and that our vote is a form of delegated democracy.
We should argue that it is their duty to ensure that we voters
do have ready access to such information as is necessary to form
an intelligent opinion. That, after all, is one main purpose of
Opposition Parties in our Parliamentary Democracy.
Most
important of all, such proceedings would rekindle in voters their
latent interest and obligation to cast their vote, knowing that
the candidate of their choice would be more likely to act in accordance
with their wishes. A much higher turnout in elections would be
the result.
Contact
your local Party Chairman. Gain his support for setting up public
forums in your constituency on these, as well as any other relevant
topics, well before the next General Election expected in 2005.
You should then, depending on the integrity of the candidate of
your choice, feel fairly certain that your view on any subject
being debated in Parliament will more accurately be reflected
by your representative in that assembly.
