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
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We'll send
bullies to reform school, promises Howard
By
James Chapman, Political Correspondent, Daily Mail - November
29, 2004
A war on school trouble-makers will be promised
today by Tory leader Michael Howard. He plans to tear up Labour's
policy of forcing successful schools to admit violent and disruptive
pupils. Instead he would send the bullies to 'turnaround schools'
which would get them back on track.
The £200million scheme, providing 24,000
places, would be funded by axing hundreds of bureaucrats at the
Department of Education. Under a Tory government, head-teachers
and governors would also be handed stronger powers to exclude
violent and disruptive pupils.
Mr Howard believes a breakdown in school discipline
is one of the education system's biggest problems and the issue
will be central to the Tories' General Election campaign.
"How can the majority of pupils, who want
to learn and get on, do so if they are disrupted by one or two
unruly yobs their teachers are powerless to discipline or expel?"
Mr Howard will say. He will highlight evidence that a teacher
is now being assaulted - either verbally or physically - every
seven minutes of the school day.
According to the Government's own figures more
than ten children are expelled every school day for assaulting
a teacher or classmate. A further 280 a day are suspended temporarily
for acts of violence. But heads complain that the bullies are
often returned to class by independent appeals panels.
Earlier this year, teachers at a Nottingham school
refused to teach one pupil who was expelled for violence only
to be reinstated on appeal. Fourteen-year-old Ta'Lisha Edwards
was permanently excluded from the Becket School in Wilford, Nottingham,
for slapping a teacher on the arm and being abusive. But an independent
appeals panel overturned the decision.
Last week, parents threatened legal action after
a head-mistress suspended 40 girls over a bullying incident. Pam
Orchard, head at Glenmoor School, Bournemouth, says the gang confronted
a pupil of 15 at the school gates and began shouting, pushing
and abusing her. Mr Howard, in a keynote speech at Conservative
Party headquarters, will argue that a growing lack of respect
is undermining teachers' ability to impart 'that most precious
gift to children - knowledge'.
Under Tory proposals for 'turnaround' schools,
the number of places for excluded children will be increased from
4,000 to 24,000. The institutions will be full-time schools with
a focus on behavioural improvement and basic learning. Children
will only be readmitted to a mainstream school when they are judged
to have improved their behaviour sufficiently to merit it.
The Government's plan to force schools to admit
pupils expelled elsewhere - which teachers have warned could have
a disastrous effect on discipline - will be scrapped. Mr Howard
will also attack Labour's 'prizes for all' culture, arguing that
bright pupils are not being intellectually challenged.
Instead, he will argue, they become bored and
likely to cause trouble.
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.
