Silent
Majority Speaks
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 answeer 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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May
11, 2005 (741 days since war ended)
Death
Toll: 1,610 US - 88 UK - >6,164? Iraqi - >17,300 civilians
- 25 media
May
31, 2005 (761 days since war ended)
Death
Toll: 1,657 US - 89 UK - >6,164? Iraqi - >17,300 civilians
- 25 media
June
3 , 2005 (765 days since war ended)
Death
Toll: 1,670 US - 89 UK - >6,164? Iraqi - >17,300 civilians
- 25 media
June
17, 2005 (779 days since war ended)
Death
Toll: 1,716 US - 89 UK - >6,164? Iraqi - >17,300? civilians
- 25 media
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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How
the war on grammars deepened the class divide
By
Sarah Harris - Education Correspondent, Daily Mail, June 21,
2005
The
decline of grammar schools has helped deepen class divisions
in Britain, say researchers. A growing gap between rich and
poor is stopping many youngsters from fulfilling their potential.
No
way out
Comment
- Daily Mail, June 21, 2005
The
ladder of opportunity that allowed working class children
access to the best schools used to be one of the great
ideals of socialism Ironic then, that it has been kicked
awy by successive Labour governments. Their
class-war attack on grammar schools in the 1960s and
1970s, and Tony Blair's destruction of the assisted
places scheme (which gave clever children from poor
homes places at independent schools) shows Labour at
its most vindictive.
Damning
research from the London School of Economics reveals
that ending educational selection has actually reduced
opportunities for the poor and widened the class gulf.
The
LSE report shows conclusively that the 11-plus was an
escape route. Scrapping it under-mined social mobility,
and that is bad for bright but poor youngsters, and
bad for the country.
What
makes this stick in the craw is the hypocrisy of Labour
Cabinet Ministers, many of whom prospered in life because
of grammar school educations.
GORDON
BROWN, 54: Kirkcaldy High School, selective grammar;
1967-70
MARGARET
BECKETT, 62: Notre Dame High School Norwich; 1954-9:
Direct grant school - selective, fees paid by local
authority. Now comphehensive.
ALAN
JOHNSON, 55 Sloane Grammar School Chelsea.
HILARY
ARMSTRONG 59: Monkwearmouth Grammar, Sunderland; 1956-63.
Selective school then, now comprehensive.
BARONESS
AMOS, 50: Townley Grammar School for Girls, Bexleyheath.
Selective
JOHN
HUTTON, 50: Westcliff High School, Essex. Selective
grammar.
A
further 10 went to independent schools. The rest were
taught in non-selective state schools.
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The
problem is compounded because bright pupils from poor homes
are no longer able to use the 11-plus examination system as
a surefire route to get ahead. Demise of the selective system
from the mid 1960s onwards has reduced their opportunities and
increased the divide between educational 'haves' and 'have nots'.
As
a result, children from poorer homes now have far less chance
to improve their lives in Britain than in many other wealthy
countries, according to researchers from London School of Economics.
The switch from selective schooling to comprehensives was supposed
to give greater opportunity to working-class youngsters. However
the research debunks the theory that Britain has become increasingly
classless over the past 40 years.
Poorer
families are also priced out of the best comprehensives due
to soaring house prices in the schools' catchment areas. And
they cannot afford to attend expensive private schools which
have filled the academic vacuum left by grammar schools.
The
findings are an embarrassment for Labour, which has declared
war on grammars - despite the majority of the Cabinet having
benefited from a selective or private education.
It also abolished the assisted places scheme which paid the
fees for bright children from modest backgrounds to go to public
schools.
The
LSE study, published yesterday, of eight countries including
Canada, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland, found
that social mobility was lowest in Britain the the US. But the
gap in opportunities between rich and poor is getting wider
in Britain, while staying static in the US. This is due to a
growing link between family income and educational attainment.
The
study, sponsored by the Sutton Trust, providing educational
opportunities for disadvantaged youngsters, compared surveys
of children born in 1950s and 1970s Britain. It found that the
31% of youngsters who were born into the poorest families in
1958, remained in the same low income bracket by the time they
were 33. Seventeen percent managed to escape their poor roots
and join the highest earners in the country as adults.
For
children born in 1970, 38% were born into and remained in the
lowest income bracket by the age of 30. Just 16% moved out of
their low social class. However, the number of children who
were born into privileged backgrounds and remained wealthy as
adults rose from 35% among the 1958 cohort to 42% for the 1970s
group.
Sir
Peter Lampi, chairman of Sutton Trust educational charity, said
the findings were 'shocking'. Independent schools have improved
academically over the last 30 years and are now the best schools
in Britain and even the world, he said.
However,
they are not a choice for more than 90% of parents who cannot
afford them. Sir Peter, a Government adviser, said: "There's
no other country where the gap in performance between fee-paying
schools and state schools is as big as in this country."
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