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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Gap grows
between state and private schools
Results
for 11-year-olds embarrass ministers
By
Laura Clark - Education Reporter, Daily Mail - September 22, 2004
A
widening gulf between state and fee-paying schools was revealed
yesterday in an analysis of test results for 11-year-olds. Prep
schools are forging ahead of state primaries in the three R's
despite Government efforts to raise maths and English standards.
Almost
every prep school pupil reached the standard expected of 11-year-olds
in national tests this year compared with only three-quarters
of children nationally. And more than half of privately-educated
11-year-olds were so far ahead they met the standards expected
of 14-year-olds.
Fifty-three
per cent (53%) of prep school pupils were three years ahead of
their contemporaries in English compared with 27% across all schools.
In maths, the gap in performance was even wider, with 58% of privately-educated
pupils achieving the 14-year-olds' standard against national average
of 31%.
In
Science, the proportions were 73% and 43%. The figures will embarrass
ministers who have spent millions trying to raise standards in
primary schools. Improvements in national test results between
1995 and 2000 fizzled out after 2001, though performance rallied
this year in English and maths.
But
the Government still missed targets for raising standards among
11-year-olds. National tests are not compulsory in the independent
sector but 60% of 11-year-olds at prep schools - around 9500 -
take them every year. Today's figures were released by the Incorporated
Association of Preparatory Schools at its annual conference in
Torquay. Prop school heads said they selected 'very few' pupils
on the basis of ability and put continuing high scores down to
small classes and specialist staff.
Teachers
in state primary schools tend to be all-rounders while prep schools
use more specialists in subjects such as maths, English, French,
history and geography. Average fees to attend IAPS schools are
£8,130-a-year for day pupils and £14,457-a-year for
boarders - £8,598-a-year overall.
But
studies have shown there is now little difference in the cost
of educating state and independent children. Much of the cash
destined for state pupils is swallowed up in Whitehall and local
Authority red tape.
Today's
analysis also reveals how the gap in performance between the brightest
pupils in prep schools and state primaries actually widened on
last year in maths and science, while staying the same in English.
Fifty
three per cent (53%) of privately-educated pupils reached the
'level five' standard expected of 14-year-olds last year, putting
them 25% ahead of the average. This year they increased their
lead to 27%. In science, the gap widened from 29% to 30%.
However,
state school pupils closed the gap among children reaching the
lower 'level four', the standard expected of 11-year-olds.
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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Download
a printable copy of the above letter here.
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.
