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
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
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Canada's
Healthcare
Michael
Howard is spot on with what he wants to do with the NHS.
I'm British and live in Canada, but I worked for the NHS
for 25 years and did notice that 'health tourists' were
starting to creep in. When we came here for my husband's
job, I was on a visitor's permit. After being here for six
months I needed to see a doctor for a minor ailment and
soon discovered that, unlike the UK, I couldn't just sign
on with a GP as a temporary patient.
The
procedure was to go to the nearest hospital emergency room
- despite the fact that this was not an emergency - and
there you would see a doctor, but not before paying £150.
When he gave me a prescription for six antibiotic tablets,
I had to pay a further £45 to get is dispensed.
When
my husband's job was extended, I then had to become a 'Landed
Immigrant'. The procedure for Landed Immigrants cost me
£1,500 for lawyers, £400 of which went on a
comprehensive medical. It included a chest X-ray to check
for TB, a blood test to look for Hepatitis B and C, and
HIV.
I
was also given a full eye examination. All done to make
sure that I wouldn't be a drain on the Canadian Health Service.
Luckily, I am quite healthy. Once I obtained Landed Immigrant
status I was free to see a Canadian doctor free of charge,
but then I had to join a drug plan as prescriptions are
charged at full cost if one is not a member.
One
more thing Mr Howard might like to implement if he becomes
Prime Minister; as a Landed Immigrant I had to go to court
with a sponsor who promised that he could support me financially.
This is because you cannot claim from the Canadian welfare
system for the first ten years of your residency. Letter
to the Daily Mail from Tricia Cousins, Georgetown, Ontario
- February 22, 2005.
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SCOTLAND’S
largest councils refuse to accept asylum seekers unless the Executive
stumps up £10m a year to cover the cost of looking after
them
KATE
FOSTER - HOME AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT - February
20, 2005
SCOTLAND’S
largest councils will refuse to accept asylum seekers unless the
Executive stumps up £10m a year to cover the cost of looking
after them, Scotland on Sunday can reveal.
Local
authorities are threatening to pull out of the UK’s asylum
seekers’ accommodation scheme unless First Minister Jack
McConnell solves a funding crisis over the cost of schools, police,
health and social services for refugees.
If
ministers agree to the deal, asylum seekers could be placed throughout
Scotland, ending a current arrangement where the only city they
are sent to north of the Border is Glasgow.
The
row threatens to undermine the First Minister’s flagship
Fresh Talent initiative to use immigrants to boost Scotland’s
population.
McConnell’s
initiative comes under further pressure today as a poll conducted
for Scotland on Sunday reveals widespread opposition to immigration.
The survey found that 54% of Scots believe the plan to attract
more immigrants to Scotland is a bad idea.
Around
12,000 asylum seekers have been sent to Scotland over the past
four years in a £105m contract between Glasgow City Council
and the Home Office, funded from the Westminster budget.
The
contract is due to run out next month and there have been fraught
negotiations between Glasgow and the Home Office over the costs.
Sources
say a short-term deal, thought to be worth around £7.5m,
is about to be signed that would see around 3,000 new asylum seekers
housed in Glasgow over the next 15 months.
However,
that now hinges on whether the Executive agrees to pay money over
and above the Home Office cash for their health, education and
social care costs. The local authorities have warned they will
not take asylum seekers from the summer of next year unless the
cash is found.
A
Glasgow City Council source said: "We are looking at a 15-month
extension to the current contract. The Labour group has agreed
in principle to the proposals, subject to certain conditions.
"We
have concerns about the unforeseen costs of the current contract.
We were always keen that the asylum contract should not impose
on council tax payers. A
meeting is being arranged between the council, Home Office minister
Des Browne and communities minister Malcolm Chisholm to see if
the Home Office or the Executive can assist us with those issues."
The
source added: "We would like the Executive to recognise that
there have been some unforeseen financial pressures on social
work, education and health services and the police. We
are trying to get the Executive to understand that there are related
devolved issues. If we are going to have a renewed contract we
don’t want a situation whereby a burden will be added on
to the taxpayer, so we are looking for several million pounds
from the Executive."
The
source warned: "We see this as a positive policy and we feel
we have been brave to take it on. But if the income is not there
we will have to taper the contract off after this extension."
Encouraging
more immigrants to Scotland is essential to McConnell’s Fresh
Talent initiative aimed at boosting the population to avert a
looming economic crisis. If the deal is signed, other local authorities
are likely to agree to house asylum seekers and encourage refugees
to settle in their areas.
Those
actively working on immigration issues on Cosla’s Refugee
and Asylum Seeker Consortium are Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Fife and
West Dumbartonshire and sources last night confirmed some will
"actively consider" entering into contracts later this
year. The
consortium has now written to the Scottish Executive requesting
funding for the move.
A
Cosla spokesman said: "In a bid to put Scotland on a par
with England and Wales we are currently in discussions with the
Executive about funding. Initially this is about having Glasgow’s
costs recognised. Discussions are around a funding formula for
every pupil educated, or every person that registers with a GP."
An
Executive spokeswoman confirmed: "We have received a letter
requesting funding. That request is currently being considered
by ministers."
Glasgow
has the most asylum seekers in supported accommodation of all
Britain’s local authorities with 5,665 - 14% of the UK total.
Around 2,000 have chosen to remain in the city. But although that
has boosted the population, it has not been without consequences.
A
YouGov poll commissioned by Scotland on Sunday, using a sample
of 808 people and carried out between February 10 and 12 shows
54% of Scots believe McConnell’s policy to attract more immigrants
is a bad idea and only 29% think it is a good idea. With local
services under huge pressure, many Scots will be unhappy at the
prospect that taxpayers’ money may be spread even thinner.
A
Scottish Tory spokesman said: "Labour’s asylum system
is in chaos. Applications take far too long to process and there
are thousands of people waiting in the system to find out whether
they can stay or not."
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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
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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:
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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.
