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 answer 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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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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Tony
Blair should know that respect comes by example - from the
top. If a country's leader has no respect for the rule of
international law and no respect for the truth, how can
he expect anyone to have respect. Letter
from P.J.Atkinson, Ashford, Kent - Daily Mail, January 12,
2006
The
Chancellor's single greatest act of vandalism in almost
nine years in office has been his wanton destruction of
Britain's private retirement industry. By slapping a massive
tax on pension funds, now worth
£7.3billion a year, he has helped to turn
the best private retirement industry in Europe into a basket-case
in perpetual crisis. Together with the adoption of European
accounting rules - which make it much riskier to operate
a company pension scheme - hundreds of firms have shut their
final salary plans to new employees and slashed benefits
to existing staff. From
Allister Heath: "I've seen the future and its grey"
in THE SPECTATOR - April 15, 2006
Nine
years ago the British people were sold a fantasy of clean
and competent government of principle and honesty. Its shiny
wrappings stripped away, the product now reveals its true
nature: Personal greed, arrogance, incompetence, shamelessness,
rash warmongering and an inability to accept - as is clear
to almost everyone else - that it is time to go. Editorial
- The Mail on Sunday, May 28, 2006
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October
4, 2006 (1257 days since war ended)
Death
Toll: 2736 US - 119 UK - >300,000? civilians - 25 media
October
9, 2006 (1262 days since war ended)
Death
Toll: 2744 US - 119 UK - >300,000? civilians - 25 media
Only
a year ago they created 24-hour licensing. Now, with binge drinking
out of control, ministers are giving tips to the young on how
to stay sober
By
Tim Shipman - Political Correspondent - Daily Mail, October 14,
2006
A
major campaign to stamp out teenage binge drinking will begin
next week offering apparently obvious advice about the perils
of alcohol. But it makes no mention of Labour's move to round-the-clock
drinking following the biggest liberalisation of the licensing
laws in half a century.
Opposition
MPs said the 'nanny state' campaign fundamentally failed to address
the irresponsible attitude towards alcohol fostered by the Government.
Doctors,
meanwhile, warned that the only sure way of cutting consumption
would be to raise the price of drinks. A guide on how not to get
drunk advises eating before going out, drinking lighter beers,
having 'strategic soft drinks' and using more mixers with spirits.
A
leaflet for young men warns that drinking to excess could lead
to unfortunate romantic encounters. It says: 'That person you're
pulling might look gorgeous after you've had a few drinks. But
what about in the morning. And can you be sure you'll use a condom.'
The
campaign, called Know Your Limits, begins on Monday by The Department
of Health and the Home Office. In a rare admission of failure,
Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker said: "We don't underestimate
the challenge of changing the drinking culture. I want people
to continue enjoying their nights out but urge them to drink sensibly
to avoid situations that could result in police involvement, injury
or worse."
Know
Your Limits also features a £4million advertising blitz
warning young people of the dangers of alcohol - with shocking
images warning that they can die if they get too drunk. The first
advert, which will run on television and in cinemas, features
a young drinker in a Batman-style outfit who thinks he is a super-hero
because he as been drinking. He is shown falling from some scaffolding
and left twitching in a pool of blood.
Other
posters due to hit the streets feature a girl who has been sexually
assaulted, someone who has been mugged and another late-night
reveller being carted away by the police in handcuffs. The adverts
are targeted at the 18 to 24 age group, but the ministers admit
they hope that under-age drinkers will also take notice.
Public
Health minister Caroline Flint said that the campaign was designed
to combat research which found that among young people 'throwing
up or embarrassing yourself and getting hurt was a badge of honour.
She added: "This is about encouraging young people ... to
know their limits and to take responsibility for how much they
drink."
The
Government was forced to act after a catalogue of evidence revealed
the growing epidemic of binge drinking among children as young
as 16, The latest figures show that seven out of ten patients
admitted to hospital casualty wards have drink-related injuries.
Half of all violent crime and one in three raps is also linked
to excessive consumption.
The
figures also show that 80% of pedestrian deaths on Friday and
Saturday nights are drink related, alcohol misuse costs the NHS
around £1.8billion every year and 39% of females aged 16
to 24 drink about the daily recommendations.
Miss
Flint said that the Government is close to a deal with the drinks
industry on labelling cans and bottles telling consumers how many
units of alcohol they contain. The first will appear in January.
Professor
Chris Day, a member of the Royal Society of Physicians alcohol
committee, said: "The experience around the world is that
the best way to reduce alcohol consumption is to make it
more expensive and less available. He admitted
such a measure would be politically unpopular.
Shadow
Home Secretary David Davis said: "It is all very well for
the Government to launch an awareness campaign but their own statistics
betray their utter failure on alcohol abuse. They rightly warn
against the dangers of alcohol now but were happy to unleash 24-hour
drinking on our communities."
Mr
Coaker denied the Government was wrong to liberate drinking hours.
"I don't think we're sending mixed messages," he insisted.
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