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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Failed
by state schools
Independents
send as many poor pupils to university
by
Laura Clark, Education Reporter - Daily Mail - August 14, 2004
Thousands
of bright working-class pupils are being failed by state comprehensives,
research confirmed yesterday. The findings showed that independent
schools send just as many underprivileged applicants to top universities
as state secondaries.
Such
fee-paying schools in fact educate far fewer working-class pupils
than comprehensives but do much more to raise their level of achievement,
the study revealed. Experts said the findings were evidence that
thousands of children from poor homes are being let down by the
state system, which is largely made up of comprehensive schools.
The study prompted new calls for the Government
to help meet the cost of an independent education for any child
whose parents want them to have one but cannot afford the fees.
Many
independent schools offer financial help to poorer parents, but
they are still largely the preserve of affluent middle-class families.
Cambridge University's study of its own intake shows that it gets
almost exactly the same proportion of working-class applicants
from independent schools as it does from state. The research examined
applications to the university's two largest departments, English
and natural sciences.
It
found that 3% of state school applicants to the English department
have parents who are manual workers, and so have the same proportion
of hopefuls from independent schools. In natural sciences, 7%
of state school applicants came from poor backgrounds compared
with 6% of fee-paying school applicants.
The
research also shows that applicaants' chances of being accepted
by Cambridge are not affected by their class or school background
- academic achievement is the only factor.
The
findings, which emerged in the Economist magazine, reinforcce
earlier research suggesting that half the working-class students
at Cambridge come from fee-paying schools. Alan
Smithers, professor of education at Buckingham University, said:
"The research shows that independent schools can be used
to promote social mobility. the performance of children at independent
schools isn't just about their back-grounds - they really are
good schools." Professor Smithers said his own analysis of
international studies shows that British independent schools are
the best performing schools in the world at age 15.
He
added: "We have these schools which are a national resource
and we should do more to enable talented young people to go to
them, irrespective of their income. The best way of bridging the
state-independent school divide is to enable young people who
aspire to go to independent schools to actually take up those
places."
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."
Blair's
defiance of the will of the majority of we, the people of the
UK, over the invasion of Iraq 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:
Here's
one to get Tony Blair to resign:
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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.
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.
