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
|
|
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
|
Steam-rollered
by the Euro juggernaut
Commentary
by Edward Heathcoat Amory - Daily Mail, January 26, 2005
Only
three months ago, the Prime Minister solemnly assured the nation
that Britain still had 'complete control' over its immigration
policies. Indeed, we enjoyed 'the best of both worlds' because
'unless we opt in ( to European rules) we are not affected by
them.
This
was total rubbish. When the Tories announced their immigration
plans this week, within hours Eurocrats in Brussels had made it
clear that what Michael Howard had proposed was illegal under
European Law.
What
the Prime Minister had neglected to mention, while praising Britain's
opt-in option, was that he had chosen to opt into everything that
Brussels had come up with and that, once in, there was no opting
out again. So when Mr Blair chose to sign up to the so-called
Qualifications Directive setting out a common European definition
of a refugee, he committed all future British Governments to it,
unless they chose to either leave the European Union, or managed
by some miracle to persuade our EU partners to allow us to renegotiate
our membership.
Thus
Britain has taken another short step down the long one-way road
that is leading us inexorably to a European Superstate, each milestone
along the way marked by further surrender of British sovereignty.
For
30 years, a combination of tricky, determined Eurocrats in Brussels,
and stupid, naive and deceitful politicians in Britain, have marched
the British people along this track. The result is that today
Britain is principally governed from Brussels by a political and
administrative structure over which us people have no control
at all.
The
rot set in at the very beginning. At the time of the referendum
on entering the Common Market in 1976, every household was sent
a Government pamphlet which promised that 'no important new policy
can be decided in Brussels or anywhere else without the consent
of a British minister'.
All
lies, of course, and they've continued every since, under Labour
and Tory Governments. Bit by bit, our precious veto - the ability
to say no - has been conceded, with 80% of all decisions in Brussels
now made by 'Qualified Majority Voting'. In other words, even
if Britain disagrees with a policy, we are easily steamrollered
by the leviathan Euro-juggernaut.
What
Britain has not surrendered voluntarily, the European Union has
taken by stealth, using a number of well-practised tricks. The
first is to move the goal posts. No doubt Margaret Thatcher thought
that giving Brussels control over health and safety was relatively
innocuous, but Eurocrats - backed by the resolutely federalist
European Court - later concluded that the 48-hour week, a long
cherished goal of European socialists, was a health and safety
issue, and so Britain had no veto over its implementation. Another
method is the 'salami slice - the implementation of a controversial
measure, slice by thin slice. The establishment of a Euro-army
is a good example of this.
This
proposal started with a very small technical measure allowing
military cooperation between member states. Then came the promise
that there would be no joint EU military planning staff to rival
NATO. A little later, that promise was broken. A 'Rapid Reaction
Force' was set up. And gradually that Rapid Reaction Force will
become a European army.
Meanwhile,
British politicians have used a number of techniques to lull their
electorate into a false sense of security. One is the big lie.
Remember subsidiarity, a Munich-style piece of paper which John
Major waved on his return from Maastrich? This was supposed to
guarantee nothing was done at European level if it could more
efficiently be undertaken nationally. Sadly, Brussels has not
yet found anything at all that fits into this category.
So
what is the result of all this? At present, nearly 55% of the
laws going onto the British statute books originated in Brussels.
They are given only the most cursory examination by the Commons,
since any complaint is met by the explanation that the Government
has already committed Britain to their implementation, so Parliament
might as well shut up and wield the rubber stamp.
You
might think that in the face of all this, Mr Blair would be slightly
wary about a further surrender to the EU. But instead he has signed
on our behalf the European Constitution, which gives up some or
all of Westminster's control over virtually every other area of
policy, including foreign and defence policy and criminal justice.
Thankfully,
we will have the opportunity to vote in a referendum on this constitution
and opinion polls currently indicate that 70% of the British people
will vote against it. But while that may stop the rot for a time,
history shows us Brussels never gives up.
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.
