Rescuing Democracy in the United Kingdom from our current Elected Dictatorship

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

 

WWW silentmajorityspeaks.com

Welfare bill up by £42billion under Blair

by Benedict Brogan - Daily Mail, September 15, 2004

Tony Blair has presided over a spectacular £42billion increase in welfare spending, figures revealed last night. A study of Government expenditure shows how much Labour has struggled to deliver on its promise to slash the 'bills of social failure'. The annual amount paid out in state benefits has risen from £94billion a year in 1997 when Labour came to power to £136.9billion a year now. By 2008 the increase is projected to hit £60billion.

The Prime Minister fought the 1997 General Election on a pledge to slash the welfare budget. He told the 1996 Labour Conference: "I vow that we will reduce the proportion we spend on the welfare bills of social failure." Savings would be ploughed into Labour's public service priorities - health and education.

But according to the figures released by the Conservatives yesterday, the £42billion increase in welfare spending is greater than the £36.7billion rise in the health budget in the same period, or the £25.8billion extra spent on education. The welfare total calculated by the Tories covers all Government support payments, including the state pension, incapacity benefit, child benefit and the jobseeker's allowance. It also includes the means-tested credits introduced by the Chancellor, which the Treasury has tried to claim are part of the tax system and should not be counted as a benefit.

"These are the figures that Gordon Brown didn't want us to see," David Willetts, the Tory welfare spokesman, said last night. He added: "They show that Labour has thrown more and more money into welfare and the Chancellor's tax credit schemes."

Mail Editorial Comment -

Without question, New Labour's boldest pledge on coming to power was to think the unthinkable on welfare. The Prime Minister made it his 'covenant with the British people' to reduce the level of national income spent on benefits.

So much for promises. In a nation healthier and wealthier than ever before, state handouts are wildly out of control. A detailed Tory analysis shows a huge increase of £42billion on welfare spending since 1997. That is more by far than the extra committed to health and education.

Yet until now it has been difficult to determine the precise volume of this cascade of cash, because it is either buried in a fiendishly complex system of means-tests or disguised as tax credits. But the truth can't forever be disguised. In the fourth largest economy of Earth, state dependency has increased to such an extent that 40% of families now claim some form of benefit. The burden will be crushing when the going gets rough, as one day it certainly will. Mr Blair's 'covenant' is in ruins.

 For the health of our democracy, we, the people of the United Kingdom, must find a way to force Mr Blair to resign

Mr Blair has lied and deceived us over Iraq. He must resign at once. Do you agree? Agree strongly Agree Disagree Disagree strongly Don't know Don't care Please click one of the links above to cast your vote Current results

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:

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:

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.