Rescuing
Democracy in the United Kingdom from our current Elected
Dictatorship
|
Come
back Gilligan, all is forgiven. Penny Young, Diss, Norfolk,
to The Guardian, February 24, 2005
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
Power
cut, please
Labour's
pollsters have Tony Blair running scared, because they have
informed him that if turnout at the next election is below
50%, the result will be a hung parliament. This would be
good news for those of us who, viewing the damage inflicted
by recent governments, would like nothing better than a
Parliament powerless to do anything. Letter from Ron
Phillips, London W14 - Daily Mail 17/2/05
|
Tony
Blair's pledge cards made no mention of pensioners. Perhaps
they're the jokers.
Letter
to the Daily Mail from Brian Green, Daventry, Northants
- February 22, 2005
The
Guardian's Polly Toynbee says 'a profoundly nasty streak'
among voters worried about poverty, crime and immigration
might cause them to vote against the Government. Isn't
it time we replaced the present electorate with one more
to Polly's liking? Ephraim Hardcastle, Daily Mail,
February 24, 2005
|
Losers
in classroom warfare - 700,000
pupils a year play truant
Read
how Teachers' drive to improve discipline 'tied up in red tape'
How
schools are losing the war on the trouble-makers - By
Laura Clark - Education Reporter, Daily Mail, March 1, 2005
Standards
of discipline in schools are steadily declining, an inspectors'
report reveals today. It paints a disturbing picture of rowdy
and disrupted classes with physical and verbal abuse of both children
and teachers.
Gang
culture is widespread and the confiscation of knives and other
weapons is becoming more common. While the majority of schools
are well-run, the number reporting problems has increased since
Labour came to power.
WHAT
OFSTED FOUND
'Challenging
behaviour' includes biting, pinching, throwing furniture,
assault, disobedience and temper tantrums - shown by up
to half of pupils in some schools.
Gang
culture perceived as wide-spread in a fifth of secondary
schools
Children
caught carrying knives and other weapons at least once
a term in two out of five schools.
Drug-related
incidents take place at most secondaries at least once
a term.
Some
pupils take medication because of disruptive behaviour
at more than half of all schools
Pupils have harmed themselves at more
than half of secondaries and a third of primaries.
Small
proportion of pupils at more than half of secondaries
have been found in trouble with the courts.
Sexualised
behaviour by pupils reported at a third of primaries and
half of secondaries.
|
In
1996/97, 76% said they had good levels of discipline. That figure
had fallen to 68% by 2003/4. Schools where discipline is unsatisfactory
rose from 6% to 9% over the same period. Nearly one in ten secondary
schools fail to maintain discipline, says the report., That figure
has almost doubled in a year.
The
one-off study was based on visits to a random sample of nearly
80 schools and colleges. It was ordered by Ofsted in response
to growing concern about school indiscipline. Inspectors found
that about half of schools thought 'gang behaviour' among feuding
groups of pupils was a recurring issue. 20% described the problem
as widespread. Unruly behaviour was evident even among 4-year-olds,
who came to school 'ill-prepared socially and emotionally', It
found. 20% of poor behaviour in primary schools involves pupils
aged 4 to 6.
Boys
are more likely than girls to be defiant, and physically abusive,
with 8 to 9-year-olds and 12 to 15-year-olds the worst behaved
age groups. Because of this, girls inappropriate behaviour often
goes 'unnoticed or ignored' by teachers battling to control the
'loud and raucous' boys.
Pupils
misbehave in some lessons more than others, with modern languages,
religious education and citizenship plagued by worst indiscipline.
Previous studies had identified 'minor discipline problems that
involve pupils talking out of turn, avoiding work themselves,
hindering the work of others, being rowdy and making inappropriate
remarks.
The
report said: "Such problems continue to feature, to one degree
or another, in most schools. Incidents of verbal and physical
abuse aimed at peers and, less frequently, staff by a small proportion
of pupils are a problem in most schools." The report concluded
that behaviour was best in schools where rules were applied fairly
and consistently.
Chief
Inspector of schools, David Bell, called for teachers to be given
better training in how to manage poor behaviour. "Although
the large majority of schools are orderly places where children
behave well, it is worrying that unsatisfactory behaviour has
not reduced over time," said the report.
Schools
Minister Derek Twigg said: "We are supporting schools in
showing zero tolerance to any bad behaviour. As Ofsted acknowledges,
pupil behavior is good in most schools."
Tory
spokesman Tim Collins said: "In 8 years, four Labour education
secretaries have persistently turned a blind eye to deteriorating
school discipline. Now - just 8 weeks before an election - they
suddenly claim a passionate concern. Parents and teachers might
care to reflect that it was this government that gave appeals
panels the power to override head teachers on expulsion, forced
every school to take disruptive pupils and failed to protect teachers
against malicious abuse claims from pupils when they were just
doing their job."
|
Perhaps
Ann Widdecombe was right about Michael Howard, but it
should have been KNIGHT with a K, and he could have saved
us from the monsters Blair and Campbell - Letter to
the Dail Mayil from Les Fletcher, Rhos-on-Sea, Colwyn
Bay, Wales - February 18, 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. Letter from P.Cove, Aylesbury,
BUCKS.- Daily Mail, January 31, 2005
THE
TIMES slavish support for the Government worries some
members of the paper's staff, not to mention any perspicacious
readers who are left. Political editor Philip Webster
was questioned about this when he addressed colleagues
as part of an in-house 'masterclass' exercise. Small wonder.
One of his Blair-worshipping subordinates wrote a news
story yesterday poo-pooing the row over Labours anti-semitic
poster mocking Michael Howard, saying it was merely £5million
worth of 'free publicity' for the party. Ephraim Hardcastle
- Daily Mail, Febrauary 2, 2005
Hold
the front page
Further
to BBC bias (Mail), very often on BBC Breakfast and Breakfast
With Frost, coverage of the morning papers is censored.
If the front page of the Daily Mail is critical of Tony
Blair and his Soviet-style Government, it is not shown,
although the front pages of all the other newspapers are
shown. A supposedly independent broadcasting body is acting
as censor for this Government - an absolute disgrace.
Letter from Peter Fish, Chippenham, Wilts. .- Daily Mail,
February 17, 2005
|
How
Teachers' drive to improve discipline 'tied up in red tape'
Teachers
struggling to impose discipline have been 'emasculated' by mountains
of bureaucracy and fears of litigation, a leading headmaster warned
yesterday.
Joe
Peake, head of a fee-paying Catholic college, said it was impossible
to act against a naughty child without consulting detailed 'behaviour
management policies'. Teachers are increasingly wary of blaming
parents for their children's poor behaviour amid growing use of
complaints procedures.
They
could no longer react instinctively but had to 'labour over their
decisions and as a result were offering a 'poorer service', he
said. Mr Peake delivered his warning in a speech to the Society
of Headmasters and Headmistresses of Independent Schools (SHMIS),
of which he is chairman. In a wide-ranging address, he also accused
Education Secretary Ruth Kelly of 'compromising her Catholic beliefs
to fit government policy.
Miss
Kelly has insisted her religious beliefs are private and will
not affect her policies on issues such as stem-cell research,
abortion and contraception. If teachers made such 'compromises',
he said, they would lose the confidence of pupils.
The
REAL NASTY PARTY- How
Labour is the true home of spite, bigotry and contempt for the
public
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:
|
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:
|
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.
