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

October 9, 2006 (1262 days since war ended)

Death Toll: 2744 US - 119 UK - >300,000? civilians - 25 media

October 17, 2006 (1268 days since war ended)

Death Toll: 2771 US - 119 UK - >300,000? civilians - 25 media

STOP PRESS

Labour's U-turn on direct grant schools

By Laura Clark - Education Reporter - Daily Mail, October 20, 2006

A minister performed a drastic U-turn yesterday by announcing Labour was seeking to revive direct grant schools. Schools Minister Andrew Adonis wants to create a 21st century version of the privately-run schools at which the state bought places for bright children.

James Callaghan's government abolished the direct grant system in 1976, denying poorer children entry to some of the nation's best schools. Lord Adonis says he is in talks with up to 20 private schools which want to switch to the direct grant system.

Under the old system, the Government paid for poorer pupils to go to selective private schools such as the highly-rated Manchester Grammar. Lord Adonis wants leading private schools to join the city academy scheme. The schools would have to abolish fees and selection tests but would be self-governing and answerable to the Department of Education rather than local councils.

All places would be funded by the Government. The hope is that state pupils would enjoy the standard of education delivered by successful independent schools. Two private schools have already revealed they want to become academies - Belvedere School in Liverpool and William Hulme's Grammar in Manchester. Both will abolish fees and selection.

Lord Adonis said the 20 private schools he was talking to wanted to opt wholesale into the state sector through the academy scheme. Others would sponsor academies or form links with state schools. "We will reestablish a modern version of the direct grant schools," said Lord Adonis.

But Alan Smithers, professor of education at Buckingham University, said: "The key thing about direct grant schools was they had a guaranteed separate income stream. It will be interesting to see whether the special ethos of these schools can be preserved once they become academies."

Direct grant schools were introduced by the 1944 Education Act. They become either state grammars or private schools in 1976. In 1980, the Tories introduced the assisted places scheme as a substitute for direct grant schools. These gave bright pupils from modest backgrounds help with fees at public schools. Labour scrapped the scheme in 1997.

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