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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Filling
pensions black hole 'may put 4p on income tax' - Shortfall
in public sector schemes soars to £690bn - Darren
Behar and Paul Eastham - Daily Mail, February 18, 2005
Taxes
may have to rise by 4p in the pound to fill a massive black hole
in providing the pensions of public sector workers, it was revealed
yesterday. Experts say there is a shortfall of £690 billion
needed for the retirement nest eggs promised to 5 million state
employees over the next 50 years.
The
deficit, higher than the national debt, is equivalent to £11,500
for every person in Britain, according to leading actuary firm
Watson Wyatt. The shortfall is growing extremely fast. The last
official Government estimate, published in October 2004, put the
public sector pension deficit at £425 billion.
The
debt is accelerating mainly because New Labour has presided over
a rapid increase in the number of public employees. Labour inherited
a public workforce of 4.7 million in 1997, now expected to reach
5.37 million next year. The Government also pays its employees
more - an average of £11.32 an hour compared with £9.79
for private sector workers.
This
has a direct effect on the cost of their pensions because they
are still based on final salaries - and index-linked to inflation.
Many private employers abandoned such schemes and replaced them
with stock market-based policies. Workers are also living longer
and changes in the way the Government calculates its liabilities
and interest rates have further boosted the figure.
Another
major problem is that state pensions are 'unfunded'. This means
that , unlike pension schemes in the private sector, no body of
stocks and shares has been invested to pay them. Instead, the
money is paid straight out of taxes. Experts said this means state
pensions are a timebomb ticking under the nation's economy. Gordon
Brown must either raise taxes or cut public spending to plug the
hole.
The
experts calculated there would have to be an increase of 4p on
income tax just to stop the £690 billion deficit getting
larger relative to the size of the economy. The national debt
stands at around £400 billion.
If
the Chancellor wanted to pay the deficit off altogether, taxes
would have to rise even further. The Government is battling to
ease the burden by raising retirement age from 60 to 65 for recruits
to the public sector. Tory pensions spokesman David Willetts blamed
the situation firmly on Mr Brown.
"He
has been living in a fool's paradise," he said. "He
has not properly accounted for the cost of the pension promises
he has made and they are now coming back to haunt him."
LibDem
pensions spokesman, Steve Webb agreed. He said: "Mr Brown
has made promises to public sector workers always hoping that
the tomorrow taxpayers will keep paying." He
said a hefty tax rise and a later retirement age would be needed
to close the gap. LibDem
spokesman in the Lords, Lord Oakeshott, said there was a widening
chasm between the 'two nations' of pension provision. He said
research showed that the public sector employed 18% of the population
but had 36% of the nation's pension rights.
Bill
Midgley, president of the British Chamber of Commerce, said it
was essential that public sector retirement ages were increased
in line with the private sector. "This is a massive weight
on the shoulders of existing and future taxpayers," he added.
However,
a Treasury source dismissed the Watson Wyatt study as a 'theoretical
accounting sheet exercise' and said it would not have any impact
on taxpayers or workers.
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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.
