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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Early-release
prisoners 'send crime rate soaring' - Matthew
Hickley - Home Affairs Correspondent, Daily Mail, February 16,
2005
Letting
thousands of prisoners out of jail early has led to soaring levels
of reoffending and huge numbers of avoidable crimes, it was claimed
last night. Almost six out of ten adults released from prison
are convicted of another offence within two years - significantly
more then when Labour took office in 1997, figures show.
The
Tories blamed the Government's wholesale expansion of early release
schemes. More use of early release on probation or electronic
tagging schemes means thousands of offenders now spend less time
behind bars Critics claim the strategy is simply a way of easing
severe jail overcrowding.
Home
Office statistics paint a bleak picture of the so-called 'revolving
door' to prisons, with reconviction rates running at almost 80%
for those jailed for theft and just under 75% for all young male
offenders. The figures are likely to understate the real level
of reoffending, as only those who get caught are included.
With
law-and-order set to play a central role in the forthcoming election,
Blair has place crime at the heart of Labour's campaign, making
'Your community safer' one of his six key pledges. Ministers pledge
to cut reconviction rates by 5% by next year, based on the 2000
figures, but results point to a worsening trend.
Official
figures show that out of some 60,000 prisoners released from jail
in 2001, just under 36,000 were reconvicted within two years -
a rate of 61%, three percent higher than in 1997. For adult prisoners,
the reconviction rate was 58%, rising steadily from 54% when Labour
came to power.
The
worst figures are for young male offenders, with 73% reconvicted.
But even the lowest rate - 56% of adult females - represented
well over half of those released.
Shadow
Home Secretary David Davies said: "This is a direct consequence
of the Government's failure on prison policy, which has resulted
in thousands of unnecessary victims. Labour's answer to prison
overcrowding is to release prisoners early - denying them adequate
rehabilitation."
Mr
Davies said the Tories would build more prison capacity and fund
20,000 more treatment places for hard drug addicts 'to ensure
prisoners serve the sentence they deserve but also receive the
rehabilitation they need'. The Home Office last night insisted
reconviction statistics highlighted by the Conservatives were
misleading, as they ignored shifting patterns of crime.
When
the data was adjusted using complex calculations - designed to
even out variations in the type of criminals punished from year
to year - officials claim the real trend is improving. A spokesman
said the strategy of jailing more offenders for minor crimes meant
those released were statistically more likely to commit another
offence within two years. On that basis, the 4% rise in adult
convictions from 1997 to 2001 in the 'raw ' data was actually
a 3% fall when the figures were adjusted.
David
Davis dismissed that explanation as 'Home Office spin'.
Former
Home Secretary David Blunkett ordered a major expansion of the
Home Detention Curfew scheme, under which prisoners are released
early wearing electronic tags designed to ensure they stay at
home at night. A criminal sentenced to six months in jail
can now be released with a tag after just six weeks. At any one
time more than 3,000 prisoners are free to walk the streets thanks
to the scheme.
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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.
