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
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.
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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
| Tony
Blair should know that respect comes by example - from the
top. If a country's leader has no respect for the rule of
nternational 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 |
How
many sex offenders in schools? No idea
JAMES KIRKUP AND GERRI PEEV - THE SCOTSMAN - JANUARY 16, 2006
Key
points
• Ruth Kelly does not know how many sex offenders work in
schools
• Kelly, the Education Secretary, has ordered an inquiry
• Kelly conceded some sex offenders had been kept off List
99
Key
quote
"Initial inquiries indicate that there have been a small
number of cases where ministers have made the decision not to
include on List 99 an individual on the sex offenders' register,"
- Ms Kelly
RUTH
Kelly, Education Secretary, last night admitted she does not know
how many registered sex offenders her department has allowed to
work in schools.
In
a humiliating confession as she ordered an inquiry into the affair,
Ms Kelly said she was "not in full knowledge" of allegedly
low-risk cases - although reports said at least ten offenders
had been cleared for school work. And
pressure on her mounted as Michael Bichard, who headed the inquiry
into the Soham killings, said he was "disappointed"
the lessons of the tragedy had not been applied.
The
growing scandal threatens to damage the Prime Minister, Tony Blair,
who was yesterday forced into climb-downs over the Northern Ireland
peace process and plans for a smoking ban in England.
Ms
Kelly has been caught in a growing storm caused by the decision
to allow Paul Reeve, who was cautioned by police for downloading
child pornography, to work as a PE teacher in a Norwich secondary
school. He has since resigned.
Ms
Kelly conceded there might be several cases where sex offenders
had been kept off government's so-called List 99 of people not
permitted to work in the English school system. No 10 was also
forced to issue an unusual assurance that she would not be sacked
or moved in coming Cabinet reshuffle. Despite that support, Mr
Blair is concerned at the way Ms Kelly has handled the affair.
He is believed to be considering cutting her powers to approve
teaching staff.
The
Prime Minister is said to have reprimanded her at a meeting on
Monday. After she admitted to MPs that other sex offenders were
working in schools, Downing Street made clear Ms Kelly had not
done enough to resolve the crisis. That forced the secretary of
state into embarrassing impromptu statement in her office, where
she took "full personal responsibility" for any contentious
decisions.
"Initial
inquiries indicate that there have been a small number of cases
where ministers have made the decision not to include on List
99 an individual on the sex offenders' register," Ms Kelly
told MPs yesterday lunchtime. At that time, her aides were claiming
junior ministers had approved those decisions. After No10's intervention,
she said the blame lay firmly with her. Last night it emerged
a copy of the letter from the Department of Education to Reeve,
leaked to Channel 4 news, appeared to back the suggestion that
Ms Kelly was personally involved in the decision to let him work
in schools.
It
stated that "she" had given significant weight to "advice
from her senior medical officer, who did not believe you [Reeve]
presented a risk to children".
As
she ordered a review of all possible cases where sex offenders
have been cleared to work with pupils, Ms Kelly yesterday repeatedly
refused to say how many there might be: "It's important I
don't mislead the public or parliament with any figures delivered
now, not in the full knowledge of all of those cases."
The
review of List 99 rules is expected to be complete in days. When
that happens, No 10 insiders want to strip Ms Kelly of her power
over the list and hand it to an independent panel.
Conservatives
attacked Ms Kelly over her handling of the scandal, while the
National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations said the
fact that more offenders could be working in schools was "terrifying".
Yet
despite those doubts, Downing Street broadly backed Ms Kelly.
"It's right to have a fundamental review of the processes,"
said Mr Blair's official spokesman. "The Prime Minister is
fully satisfied that Ruth Kelly is taking the issue seriously
and is looking seriously at the whole question." He
added: "Reports suggesting Ruth Kelly's job was in jeopardy
are simply wrong."
The
2002 case of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, murdered by the
school caretaker Ian Huntley, highlighted the dangers. Huntley
slipped through police checks supposed to stop those who might
be a danger to children from working in schools.
Last
night, the man who headed the Soham inquiry suggested Ms Kelly's
department should have found time to close loopholes in the wake
of his findings. Sir Michael Bichard said: "I was suggesting
one barring or registration scheme. I didn't have to take account
of the sex offenders' register because Huntley wasn't on it, but
what I was saying was, 'Let's have one register'."
Suggesting
his recommendations had not been acted on because time had not
been set aside in parliament, he said: "I know there is pressure
on legislative time, but this is a priority, therefore, I'm disappointed
that it's not been possible yet to find that time." He added:
"For the sake of public confidence, we ought rapidly to try
to move to a situation where, if you're on the sex offenders'
register, you don't work with children."
In
Scotland, the final decision to approve someone to work in schools
rests with the General Teaching Council. A spokesman said: "We're
confident our checks are of the necessary depth to ensure that
something like this doesn't happen here."
Meanwhile,
there was more trouble for Mr Blair last night as his school reforms
were savaged by Neil Kinnock. The ex-Labour leader attacked the
proposals to create independent state schools in England as "at
best a distraction and at worst dangerous".
There
was also trouble for Labour with an embarrassing U-turn over amnesty
for fugitive Northern Irish paramilitaries. The plan to forgive
the "on-the-runs" and members of the army and police
for old offences was opposed by all sides.
Blair's
rising star brought back down to earth
Until
this week, the most controversial fact that had emerged on Ruth
Kelly was her membership of Opus Dei, the Catholic sect that has
been caricatured in popular culture for its practice of corporal
mortification. Yesterday,
the Education Secretary's critics called for Ms Kelly to exercise
the same degree of self-flagellation.
Born
in Northern Ireland and educated at the exclusive Westminster
School, and Queen's College, Oxford, Ms Kelly had a glittering
academic and professional career. Elected to Westminster in 1997,
she was the number three at the Treasury before being promoted
to the Cabinet by Tony Blair in 2004. At 36, she was its youngest
member.
Mother
of four children, she has been praised for juggling career and
family life, but her stock has fallen since her promotion to the
Cabinet, where she has failed to impress colleagues or teachers.
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