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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Letter from P.Cove, Aylesbury, BUCKS.-
Daily Mail, January 31, 2005
After a
clear vote against them, we still got eight non-elected
Regional Assemblies. When we vote against the EU Constitution,
we'll get them anyway.
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Council
Tax Target: The South Millions will be hit in
council tax sting
By
Graeme Wilson - Political Correspondent, Daily Mail, February
1, 2005
Council
Tax bills could rocket in four out of five towns in the South
under plans to overhaul the system later this year. Millions of
families could pay hundreds of pounds more bacause their homes
have been moved up to more expensive council tax bands.
Squeezed
dry Comment - Daily Mail, February
1, 2005
From
a Government that has taxed, taxed and taxed again until
Middle Britain is buckling under the burden, comes another
surreptitious scheme to squeeze hardworking families till
the pips squeak.
Having
already presided over a 70% increase in council tax, Ministers
now intend to saddle homeowners in Southern England and
Wales with 22% extra on their bills. Conveniently, most
of those living in the Labour-voting North will escape
the new rises.
The
reason? Existing council tax bands are based on 1991 house
prices, though property values have since risen sharply.
So the government plans a revaluation later this year,
while promising that those whose homes have risen by the
national average - 160% since 1991 - will stay within
the same band as now.
That
may be handy for Labour's Northern heartland's, where
the housing market hasn't been buoyant. But the consequences
are devastating for areas where prices have rocketed.
In Cardiff, for example, most families will pay hundreds
of pounds extra. And the same is true across swathes of
the English shires.
No
wonder New Labour is desperate to keep all this under
wraps. It has already imposed 157 stealth taxes. There
is still such a black hold in the public finances that
further rises are inevitable. John Prescott has just slipped
out plans for more neighbourhood taxes. Now this.
Just
months before the general election, this spendthrift government
is interested only in grabbing and getting. Don't say
you haven't been warned.
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But
the majority of households in Labour's heartlands in the North
and Midlands will escape the rises. The impact of the Government's
proposed changes would be devastating for hard-workjing families.
Households
in Band D currently pay an average of £1,167 a year. If
they moved up to Bank E, their bill would soar to £1,426
- a 32% rise. The huge increases will be triggered by a revaluation
of homes in England to decide which council tax band each should
be in. With existing bands based on house prices in 1991, the
revaluation this year will take account of spiralling price rises.
Bills reflecting it would be issued in 2007.
Ministers
have tried to keep their plans under wraps until after the General
Election. The average bill has already risen by 70% under Labour
since 1997. But Local Government Minister Nick Raynsford revealed
which hourseholds will be hit hardest in a litte-noticed speech
at the end of last year. Homes whose value had risen in line with
the national average, a 160% increase since 1991, would not move
bands. But he added: "Only where the change in a property's
value is significantly above or below the average is it likely
to change bands."
His
formula will trigger huge increases across the South of England,
according to research by the Liberal Democrats based on house
price staatistics from the Halifax. Their calculations show 81%
of towns in the South West, 78% in the South East and around 60%
in East Anglia have seen house prices rise above the national
average. But in the Labour heartland of the North East, where
Tony Blair has his constituency, no towns have seen pries rise
faster than the average.
Current
average annual payments for council tax reveal the cost of a move
into the next band. Band A is £778; Band B: £907;
Band C: £1,037; Band D: £1,167; Band E: £1,426;
Band F: £1,685; Band G: £1945; Band H: £2,334.
In
Wales, where a revaluation has already been carried out, the number
of households in Cardiff paying Band D or above will soar by nearly
50%. Liberal Democrat spokesman Ed Davey said: ":anpit os
set to turn the warm glow of house price rises into a post-election
tax timebomb.
Revaluation
is a typical Labour Stealth Tax.
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.
