Rescuing
Democracy in the United Kingdom from our current Elected Dictatorship
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You will
notice that, since New Labour came to power, not a single
leading Cabinet member or party 'heavy hitter' has appeared
on the programme (BBC's Question Time). 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
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Wrong
answers - Mail Comment - 17/9/2004
It
was one of New Labour's 'eye-catching initiatives': a campaign
to slash truancy by fully a third. To achieve that ambition, a
torrent of well-publicised schemes has poured from Whitehall.
Police truancy 'sweeps' round every school ... fines on errant
parents ...jail for the worst offenders ... swipe-cards in 500
schools ...all this has cost £650million.
The
result? Things go on getting worse. According to official statistics,
truancy is up again this year - as it has been going up ever since
this initiative was launched. Should we really be surprised?
Gimmicks
and 'crackdowns' won't persuade truants to mend their ways. That
can only be done through proper discipline at school, interesting
vocational lessons for the academically less able and above all
by encouraging the family stability that is so important in encouraging
children to want to do well.
Sadly,
such solutions find little favour with the gurus of educational
fashion. We are left with a policy that addresses symptoms rather
than causes, a crisis of wasted opportunities and blighted lives
and another example of the chasm between new Labour rhetoric and
the miserable reality.
Teenage
truancy rises 10% in a year
(So much
for Labour's election pledge to cut classroom absenses by a third)
by
Sarah Harris - Education Correspondent, Daily Mail, September
17, 2004
Thousands
more pupils are skippng lessons each year despite the Government's
'get tough' approach to truancy, official statistics show. More
are playing truant now than in 1997 when Labour came to power
promising to slash absenteeism by a third. Almost 700,000 secondary
school pupils are missing some classes throughout the year compared
to just over 630,000 in 2002-2003 - a rise of 10%. Back in 1997,
the figure was 452,900.
On
any given day, 48,900 primary and secondary school pupils are
out of school. Back in 1996-97, there were 47,000 faces missing
on any day. That means that since Labour trumpeted its solution
to truancy, an additional 2000 students a day are cutting classes
in England. The figures make a mockery of Labour's constant promises
to crack down on truants.
As
far back as 1999, the then Education Secretary David Blunkett
was declaring: "When children truant regularly and miss out
on vital lessons, we must not hesitate to act." Earlier this
month, Schools Minister Stephen Twigg insisted the might of the
Government would support 'schools and local education authorities
that use sanctions such as prosecuting and penalty fines for those
parents who are simply unwilling to get their children to school'.
But
as the numbers of truants continue to soar, those words ring hollow.
The latest figures, from the Department for Education and Skills,
show almost one in five students are dodging at least half a day
during the school year. The average truant clocks up seven days
off school every year. But a 'hardcore' of around 60,000 pupils
- 2% of the secondary school population - are absent for at least
five weeks.
These
serial truants are responsible for almost half of all unauthorised
absences in schools. The increase in such absences will dismay
ministers who have introduced tougher powers to punish the parents
of persistent truants, with around 7,500 being prosecuted each
year. Most are fined, although the worst offenders have been jailed.
Despite
its poor results, the Government has poured at least £650million
into improving behaviour and attendance since 1997. About £16million
has been earmarked since 2002 on measures, including installing
swipe-card electronic registration systems in 500 schools. These
alert teachers when pupils fail to turn up. In primary schools,
564,248 pupils missed at least half a day in 2003-4 - a rise of
around 400 pupils on the year before.
Unauthorised
absence, which includes lateness and holidays during term time
not agreed with the heat-teacher, rose by 0.03% to 0.73% for schools
in England. This compares to 0.7% in 1996/7. The figures refer
to the percentage of school registration sessions pupils have
missed during the year. The total number of authorised absences
in all schools - which includes illness, medical appointments
and agreed term-time holidays - has fallen by 0.29% to 6.57%.
But
the Government has missed its target to reduce unauthorised absence
by 10% between 2002 and 2004. Tory Education spokesman Tim Collins
said: "These figures show that despite a buge amount of public
money and a great deal of hot air from ministers, truancy in British
schools has sharply increased year on year."
Yesterday
the Schools Minister suggested authorised absences could have
fallen because chools were becoming stricter about holidays in
term time Mr Twigg admitted the rise in unauthorised absence was
'clearly disappointing' but denied the Government's approach had
failed. "A stubborn minority of pupils, often with parental
collusion, remained determined to jeopardise their education and
their futures through persistent truancy," he said. "While
the causes of ttruancy are complex and challenging, we will focus
on this hardcore 2% who are responsible for much of unauthorised
absence."
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.
