Broken Britain

A good article in the Telegraph this morning from Iain Martin, linked here. My comment is here: Quite so and well spotted. I have been waiting all week for somebody, indeed anybody in the media or world of blogs, to pick up on the dreadful portion of Brown's speech on his personal experiences of the NHS. Are there any left in Britain sufficiently untouched by the national obsession with the marxist NHS not able to recognise that care and concern for the patient is something possessed by almost all who take up a career in the medical professions. The NHS cares for none it is a centralised, bureaucratic monstrosity that inefficiently consumes and wastes a large proportion of the national income, trails the rest of the developed world in health care and with its flawed ideology drags the country downwards in many other areas of national life. Making adults responsible for paying for their own health provision by scrapping the NHS would probably be one of the best first steps to solving many of the nations other ills mentioned above. Will we hear this at Blackpool? You bet we wont! Posted by Martin Cole on September 30, 2007 8:18 AM

President of John Birch Society warns on Democracy in Danger

The concluding paragraphs of a report by John F. McCanus, President of the John Birch Society, linked here, are are as follows: Across Europe, many are awakening to the EU's steady, even formal, acquisition of power. In January of this year, former German President Roman Herzog suggested that his country's immersion into the EU had likely cost it the right to be labeled "a parliamentary democracy." He pointed out that in a recent five-year period, "84 percent of the legal acts in Germany stemmed from Brussels." He is one of many who now realize that the European Union, deceivingly sold to the people as a trading agreement, had transferred sovereignty to the EU bureaucrats in Brussels. Many other Europeans, who now find themselves already gripped by this historic consolidation of political and economic power, are awakening to their plight. Whether they can extricate themselves and their nations from it remains to be seen. Many hope that the Danes will be allowed to hold a referendum regarding the new treaty. The feeling is that the Danish voters might torpedo the new attempt at formal entanglement, just as French and Dutch voters did with the proposed EU Constitution in 2005.

Sun readers flocking to sign referendum demand

The best read British newspaper's campaign for a referendum is going like a rocket.

Germany scoops the cream from Rolls Royce

The FT reports here, that Rolls Royce will site its new aeronautical engine testing facility near Berlin. A blow for the midlands where hopefully this evidence of Britain's now subservient status will begin to be noticed by the electorate. What does Brown and his government expect to gain by refusing a referendum on the EU Treaty, probably the country's last ever opportunity to regain our independence?

At Labour's Conference! Independent Policing????

A spokeswoman for Dorset police ..... "They didn't know it was there. They were just returning from policing a demonstration along the beach," she says. Assistant Chief Constable Adrian Whiting adds: "There's no story in this."











































The photographs are from the EU Referendum blog, linked here.

Telegraph's Referendum Campaign passes a 100,000

The good news is that the campaign for a referendum is maintaining its momentum. The bad news that the anti-democratic Labour Party is riding high in the polls in spite of their declared aim of destroying Britain's parliamentary democracy. This has been contrived due to the past treachery of the Conservative Party and their selection of a leader who has already broken the one promise he made over dealings with the EU. There is now a Facebook Group demanding a referendum, I will give more news on this later today. Perhaps international pressure on those set to betray the 'Mother of Parliaments' will have greater effect. Soon we will need our own Burmese style monks to battle for democracy!

The Sun's EU Referendum Campaign continues

The second day of the campaign is linked here.

Sarcasm from the Wall Street Journal

Outrage would be a more appropriate reaction with almost the entire European Continent facing a real prospect of losing their representative democracies to be replace d by none know what! It cannot help but eventually affect even the largest of US corporations, rescuing Europe from tyranny cost enough American lives on two separate occasions in the past century did it not? The link to the article for subscribers is here, the opening is as follows: =============================================

Dutch Magic

How fortunate the Dutch are to have a mind reader as their leader. Two years after 63% of Dutch voters rejected the European Union's Constitutional treaty, Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende has judged that their concerns have been assuaged in the bloc's new Reform Treaty. On Friday, he announced that a second referendum will not be held.

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More storm clouds

Fed's rate cut may spark global chaos

Read the article from Australia, a still sovereign, English speaking nation, linked from here,

German Bank Shares fall as Gold surges and Brown boasts

AFP reports on the falling shares of the two largest German Banks here, while the gold price soars and Gordon Brown, Britain's Chancellor during ten years of smoke and mirror economics boasts of the country's economic strengths. The Age, an Australian paper has meantime made much of the billions poured into Northernn Rock and the earlier replacement of the regulator of that Bank within the clearly incompetent FSA, linked here. See also our link of yesterday to a Sunday Times report that the bank is still offering what are effectively unsecured loans.

The Sun launches Referendum Campaign

Not a moment too soon, as the Telegraph seems to have suddenly lost interest in the pending take-over of our parliamentary democracy. The Sun, Britain's largest selling tabloid, is mounting its own assault against the hypocritical dregs who are preparing to throw away our freedoms. The campaign is linked from here. In typical Sun style the paper likens the threat to the darkest days since World War II - AT LEAST IN 1939 THE COUNTRY'S POLITICAL LEADERS WERE ON THE NATION'S AND PEOPLES' SIDE. TODAY - TWO OF THE LARGEST PARTIES WISH TO SELL OUR DEMOCRACY DOWNSTREAM . THE TORIES, MEANWHILE,HAVE A LEADER IN WHOM NONE CAN TRUST SHAMEFULLY HAVING ALREADY BROKEN THE ONE PROMISE ON WHICH HE GAINED HIS PARTY'S LEADERSHIP - QUITTING THE FEDERALIST EPP.

Democracy has no place in the EU - Britain's FM

David Miliband , Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Secretary of State avowed the following to his party members, as reported in EU Business, linked here:

"It is the delivery deficit that matters more than anything else in the EU, not the democratic deficit. It is delivery that we need to get on with and, frankly, we have spent too long in navel-gazing." Miliband's position won backing from former Labour leader and ex-European transport commissioner Neil Kinnock. For all its multiple failings the Labour Party Conference and the Union Block voters once believed in democracy for the nation as a whole. Are the delegates really going to quietly listen to such a blatant statement of Stalinist or National Socialist intent for the body that now controls Britain. Anything delivered by anyone in power without DEMOCRATIC CONSENT is DANGEROUS!! Especially when those delivering the laws and regulations AND controlling the international gendarmerie by which they will eventually be enforced, were neither elected through the ballot box nor capable of being held accountable by a sham parliament or of ever being removed from office by democratic means!

Northern Rock Shocker- Taxpayers to be fleeced ad nauseum

Anybody watching the Governor of the Bank of England and his associates being questioned by the Commons Treasury Select Committee can hardly retain any faith in either the UK's financial system nor their elected representatives. The report in this morning's Sunday Times, linked here, nevertheless still has the ability to shock even this old cynic! I quote its opening:

Northern Rock still lending ‘recklessly’

Robert Winnett and Roger Waite

Northern Rock stands accused of “reckless” lending after it emerged this weekend that the beleaguered bank is still offering mortgages of six times salary to potential borrowers.

Despite provoking the worst banking crisis for decades, the bank last week offered a reporter posing as a first-time buyer a £180,000 mortgage even though he had a salary of only £30,000.

The loan was at least £30,000 more than other leading lenders were prepared to offer. Repayments for the loan would have accounted for more than 60% of the fictional buyer’s take-home salary.

The reporter, posing as another potential customer, was also offered a so-called “negative equity mortgage” worth 117% of the value of the property he claimed to be interested in buying. The mortgages offered by other banks to the same potential borrower were significantly lower.

Matthew Parris at his best

This morning's column in The Times by Matthew Parris, titled 'The fatal flaw of David Cameron and Kate and Gerry McCann", is the best for months and may be read from here. I must disagree with the conclusion however, for when David Cameron looks in the mirror I suspect that the inner beliefs of the man he sees depend entirely and solely on all the flaws castigated in the article which have left in this writer for one an absolute sense of abhorrence when I see either of the McCanns and of course the loathesome and slick David Cameron.

IHT - 'Dollar hits bottom then falls again'

Is this really it? The reckoning! The full article is linked from here, it all makes the worries of last weekend over Northern Rock seem rather trivial - but Brown and Darling's culpability is all part of this bigger mess!

Potential for a Dollar collapse

As if the rescue by open-ended taxpayers cheque to Northern Rock did not auger badly enough for British capitalism, the US Federal Reserve rate cut now appears likely to sink the dollar. Ambrose Evans-Pritchard's report in the Daily Telegraph is linked here.

National security now under the EU

Anne Palmer has written on the transfer of control over national security matters to the EU on a link from the Freedom Association website. The pdf format report may be read from this link, this extract from Page 6 gives a flavour of the importance of the powers now being ceded: Are we supposed to just sit here and let the EU take over anything and everything it wants in this Country? Are we supposed to ‘just let it happen? Until the EU has competence over everything? Until all sovereignty in this Country has been passed to the EU? We as a country can never be so foolish as others in this Country were in the past, to trust those that cannot take us on trust rather than intrude on national security matters. This has to remain a Sovereign Country; the duty of its Government is to ensure that its national security remains both national and secure. I would suggest that not to do so would be a violation of the Oath of Allegiance and most certainly a complete and utter betrayal of all the people that have entrusted the safe keeping of their Country to them. Good questions! But do any in England now really care?

MEP 'Reform' Treaty problems.

An interesting item on the position of the three MEP representatives at the IGC, mainly on the Charter and Justice matters is linked from here.

Britain's Chancellor further undermines faith

Alistair Darling, another of Brown's scotty-poodle crosses, appeared on the Sky News, Sunday with Boulton programme and blamed international events for the run on Northern Rock BUT when pressed, refused to condemn the bank's mortgage lending practices of loans of 125 per cent of house values and allowing mortgage repayments equalling five times earnings. Is it possible this has really been maintained during the recent period of rising interest rates? Worse he then did not criticise similar lending policies from Abbey and HSBC thus tending to undermine confidence in two other very large financial institutions. If the private banks are to be forced to bail out Northern Rock, as reported in this morning's Sunday Telegraph, how long before another bank will fall victim to individuals scrambling to protect their savings from this bunch of incompetent politicians led by the man who created such a fiasco. It was after all only a few weeks ago that Barclays sought relief from the Bank of England. Ironically the Northern Rock might now possibly be the safest place for your savings at present, sitting as they are on an open-ended commitment from the British taxpayers via the Bank of England, how many more such promises can be made AND honoured?

Spanish socialist MEP laments lost Constitutional elements

An article in New Europe by one of the three MEP observers at the IGC on the disgraceful EU Reform Treaty is upset about the few tiny irrelevant items lost from the Constitutional Treaty. It may be read in full from this link. The more opposition the better!

Democracy's fightback making steady progress

In spite of the Scots leader of the Lib/Dems joining his Scottish compatriot the Prime Minister in breaking his party's manifesto pledge to support a referendum, farewell Lib/Dems , things elsewhere are progressing steadily towards an awakening of the larger public to the emerging tyranny they now face. The following comes from the latest Open Europe press summary:

Unions demand referendum on revived EU Constitution

The Trades Union Congress has voted in favour of a referendum on the revised EU Constitution, increasing pressure on Gordon Brown to hold a vote. Colin Moses, from the Prison Officers Association, said: "We have had a belly full of broken promises and what we have here is another broken promise. Promises should not be made in the heat of an election, they should be kept and they should be brave enough to go to the people of this country and ask them. And if they say 'no', that should be the answer." Bob Crow, General Secretary of the RMT, added: "If it is good enough for the Irish to have a vote in a referendum, then it should be good enough for British workers. We should have the arguments and a full debate. People should be able to decide their own destiny."

The Mail quotes I Want a Referendum Chairman Derek Scott saying: "The Government are going to come under increasing pressure to keep their promise to hold a referendum. Trade unions are in tune with their members and the overwhelming majority of voters. The Government should listen to them." The Guardian website reports that the vote "follows on the heels of the launch of the cross-party 'I want a referendum' campaign, which was endorsed by several Labour MPs... whatever the outcome of the campaign for a referendum, it is clear that Europe is not just a rightwing preoccupation." A leader in the Mail describes Brown's refusal to hold a referendum as "an embarrassing stain on his otherwise impressive record at No. 10".

Kent's lickspittle Labour MPs

The report on how the entire Labour party in Kent lacks one single independently minded or honourable Member of Parliament, may be read from this link to Kent News. The varying excuses for their refusal to honour their collective manifesto pledges to offer a referendum, on which basis they were all elected are variously as follows: Jonathan Shaw, Minister for the South East, is Labour’s most senior representative in Kent. “The Government has made clear its position and we don't anticipate the need for one.” Dr Stephen Ladyman, MP for South Thanet and vice-chairman of the Labour Party, said there would need to be a referendum every year if one was granted, because the treaty is being reviewed and changed regularly. This is a particular gem, what he is effectively saying is that 'we are handing over the power for the EU to change the treaty from now on as and when the Commission wishes so why bother having a say now!!!!!!' Dr Howard Stoate, "This is a very technical document - extremely difficult to understand - and I think the chances of making it into a format that ordinary people can understand will be exceptionally difficult.” Nick Raynsford, “If we were to join the Euro, then I think that is an issue of such constitutional importance, then there should be a referendum. They should only be held on things which have a major constitutional importance.” Clive Efford, said there should not be a referendum, as he said there was nothing important enough in the reform treaty to put to the country. Gwyn Prosser, and Paul Clark, both said there was no need for a referendum. Derek Wyatt, and Bob Marshall-Andrews, did not respond to calls for comment. There are no polite words to describe people capable of such collective calumny. Only the electorate of Kent can remove such dregs from their MP salaries, perks and expenses which they clearly value above all else. If the country were ever to regain its independence a removal of their heads from their shoulders would have been the historic precedent for such clear treasonous scheming and deceit, Guy Fawkes suffered worse for similar plots against our Parliament. Brown as a Scot could possibly be forgiven for his schemes as a patriot to Scotland, but Kentish Men or Men of Kent or those elected to represent them cannot possibly be allowed get away with this Scot Free!

Brok's bullying tone is back!

The Foreign Ministers meeting (or should I say, soon to be redundant nation state spokespeople's meeting) ended with the future serfs still obediently towing the line with the only sour note, (whip cracking) coming from the MEP observers. Read the link from here. The report ends as follows:

"Attemps to weaken the European Union had no real support," said Elmar Brok, MEP for the centre-right conservative EPP-ED group.

"All the political problems that we saw were exposed and some extra ones were exposed, that we were not aware of," said Andrew Duff, a British liberal MEP. "Several States, including Great Britain and Poland have got some explaining, they have now to do on quite a number of these problem issues."

I want a referendum website.

The site for http://www.iwantareferendum.com/index.aspx is linked from here. AND IF YOU WONT SAVE DEMOCRACY, NOBODY ELSE WILL!! CLICK HERE.

National multi-party referendum campaign launch.

The full report, here, is in The Guardian, Gisela Stuart MP will play a major role, there should be every hope that it will have a major impact on this now potentially despotic government. A quote:

The campaign promises to launch in every region of Britain during September and October. So far, the political consensus is that it has yet to gather enough steam to damage the government. There is no sign that Mr Brown plans to give ground.

However, Mr Stringer and Ms Stuart have infuriated some Labour MPs who believe they give the idea of a referendum some credibility, and so provide David Cameron and the Tories with much-needed political cover. The campaign's timing also falls awkwardly for Mr Brown as he tries to project himself as a listening, consultative MP.

Hinting at this, Ms Stuart said: "This is an issue of trust. We were elected on the promise of a referendum. If we are serious about restoring trust in politics, we have to keep our promise and give people a say on this important decision." The Lib Dem MP Mike Hancock made a similar point: "We promised the public a referendum. If the public can't trust politicians on this, how can they trust us on anything else?"

An alternative view on a referendum

The following is from Samizdata, linked here:

Why I hope there is no referendum on the EU Treaty

Quote Perry de Havilland (London)

Now it might seem odd that someone on record as being as hostile to the EU as me might hope that Gordon Brown gets his way and just bounces Britain into adopting the resurrected EU treaty against what is quite obviously the wishes of the majority of politically active people in Britain.

But that is what I want. I want the EU to get its way and for there to be a dramatic shift in power from London to Brussels, with commensurate huge diminution in democratic control of the political process in this country. I regard the fact Gordan Brown can look the nation in the eye and utter such a naked lie that the current offering is not, to quote the Chancellor of Germany, "the new constitutional document is the same as the old constitutional document: the only difference is that it doesn't have European Constitution as its title", with pure delight.

In short I want Gordon Brown to strip away the myth of the democratic accountability. I want the system that has been so seriously damaged over the last ten years to be broken in such a visible way that even the most purblind self-deluding fool can see just what sort of country they really live in. Let all sixty million people on this island hear the stream of pork pies issuing from the gob of the man in 10 Downing Street, with the entire apparatus of power standing behind him nodding.

Although very worthy folks like the UKIP will argue passionately for a referendum, knowing that their position will almost certain win (which is of course why it will not be allowed to happen), in truth the long term position of a fringe party like UKIP will be vastly improved if the 'nightmare scenario' does indeed come to pass. To actually break the current political monoculture will require far more really pissed off people than currently exist in Big Bruvvah anaesthetised Britain.

The system needs to break and millions of people need to be confronted with their political irrelevance before anything really... interesting... can happen.

So good luck Gordan, I wish you great success in screwing over your subject people and locking in the centrist regulatory Big State at the more remote European level. More and faster in fact.

Unquote

Tory elder statesman spells out Sovereignty peril

Michael Ancram speaks out on the danger to the country from the EU, the Reform Treaty and from David Cameron. The main coverage is in today's Daily Telegraph, linked here, from which comes this crucial passage:

The protection of our sovereignty, however, is probably the most important Conservative principle, because, without it, we can never as a nation guarantee to deliver on any other principles and pledges. Sovereignty belongs to the British people, and can be surrendered only with the express consent of the British people.

What was in effect a European Constitution, agreed by Tony Blair in June, undeniably diminishes our national sovereignty, and it is outrageous for Gordon Brown to argue that a referendum is unnecessary. We are right to demand one and, failing that, he must promise to hold one after the election.

In protecting our sovereignty, however, we may well need to go further. If, before an election, Parliament has ratified this wretched treaty, allowing it to come into force throughout the European Union, a post-election referendum cannot retrospectively veto it. The ratchet of "ever-closer union" will have irreversibly clicked once more.

In such circumstances, we should pledge to hold a referendum to seek a mandate for fundamental renegotiation of our position in Europe, with a view to recreating a European partnership of sovereign nations.

We must make clear to our European colleagues that "a country called Europe" is incompatible with our sovereignty, and that we cannot remain part of an EU where that is the inevitable and swiftly approaching outcome. Above all we must have a simple creed.

We believe in people, in their individual freedom and right to choose; we believe in promoting aspiration and merit; we believe in the smaller state, in value for taxpayers' money and in being the "good neighbour"; we believe in the family; in protecting and conserving our environment; and above all in the resolute defence of our sovereignty and our realm.

The full paper may be read from this link.

Brown on 'Today'

Listen to this morning's interview with Britain's new non-democratic, unelected ruler from here. The complete arrogance of the man is best illustrated in the early stages of the interview starting at 08:09 when he implies that he has a right to call on what talent, regardless of political party, he might require. A total contradiction of our system of government and Stalinist in the extreme. Later at about 08:17 comes the refusal to even consider keeping his election promise to hold a referendum on the EU Reform Treaty. The country is now in deep trouble.

Sunday Telegraph berates Brown

A gutsy editorial which yet does not say the half of it in this morning's Telegraph, linked here. A sample:

A referendum on the new constitution would have given voters the opportunity to express their views, not just on the extension of the EU's powers, but on the way that it exercises the powers that it already has.

Mr Brown's determination to deny Britain's voters that opportunity means that the almost total lack of democratic legitimacy for the basis of our relationship with other members of the EU will continue.

Mr Brown's belief that the views of the British people on this topic should be ignored is at one with the conviction of the EU's bureaucrats, who learned a single lesson from the rejection of the Constitution by French and Dutch voters: never let the people decide anything.

Labour fought two elections on a manifesto that promised a referendum on the new EU constitution. The decision to abandon that commitment is a betrayal, not just of an election promise, but also of a fundamental part of any elected government's relationship with the British people.

In a democracy, the people are sovereign and should have the final say on the issues of by whom, and in accordance with what principles, they are governed. It is no exaggeration to say that, in preventing a referendum on the EU constitution, Gordon Brown is subverting democracy.

Mr Brown believes that British voters do not care about constitutional issues, and that the changes effected by the new EU constitution are too recondite to ignite their ire. We hope that events will prove him wrong.

If Mr Brown calls an early election, voters will get an opportunity to reciprocate the contempt for them that he has so clearly demonstrated. In the meantime, the next best thing is to sign the Telegraph's online petition for a referendum: that, at least, indicates that you are not prepared to let the Government take away your democratic rights without a fight.

And we can't even give firemen their pay rise?

The Bruges Group spearheads the intellectual battle against the notion of "ever–closer Union" in Europe and, above all, against British involvement in a single European state. Honorary President: The Rt Hon. the Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven, LG, OM, FRS Vice-President: The Rt Hon. the Lord Lamont of Lerwick, Co-Chairmen: Dr Brian Hindley & Barry Legg Director: Robert Oulds MA, Head of Research: Dr Helen Szamuely Washington D.C. Representative: John O'Sullivan, CBE Founder Chairman: Lord Harris of High Cross, Former Chairmen: Dr Martin Holmes & Professor Kenneth Minogue

HOW MUCH DOES THE EU COST BRITAIN? 2007 Reported in the Telegraph, Daily Mail and The Sun

Gordon Brown's Government is handing-over billions of pounds of taxpayers' money to the EU.

The combined direct and indirect costs of EU membership costs every man, women and child in Britain over £1,000 per year. As a result of the Government's surrender of the UK's rebate, and the mounting costs of pointless EU regulation, this figure is set to rise even further.

Since Britain joined the ‘European Economic Community’ in 1973, Parliamentarians have time and again called for a cost-benefit analysis to prove or disprove the benefits of membership; successive Conservative and Labour governments have consistently refused on the grounds that the benefits are ‘self-evident’. Set out in the latest Bruges Group research by Gerard Batten MEP the full costs to Britain have now been calculated.

The facts:

• Over-regulation costs Britain at least £26 billion per annum
• The Common Agricultural Policy costs Britain at least £15.6 billion a year
• Since 1973 the UK has made contributions to the EC budget of almost £213.6 billion gross or £66.3 billion net, by 2013 this figure will have increased to £299.8 billion gross, or £102.2 billion net
• Britain's accumulated trade deficit with the other EU member states since we joined has risen to £359.5 billion
• This year membership of the European Union will cost Britain £60.1 billion gross, or £50.6 billion net
• That is the equivalent for every man, women and child in Britain of over £1,000 per year gross or £843 net

That is: Gerard Batten, UKIP MEP and author of the paper, challenges the Government; "If the Government believes that membership of the EU is beneficial to Britain and that we should remain a member, then let it commission an independent and impartial cost/benefit analysis so that the supposed benefits can be proved and the findings openly debated. "If Gordon Brown thinks that the UK should be signed-up to the revived EU Constitution, then he should be open with the British people and present us with the full costs of EU membership. It costs Britain more and more every year and we would be better off out." Robert Oulds, Director of the Bruges Group, said; "The cost per minute is an enormous sum, over the course of a year the figure is shocking. To put it into perspective just £1 billion will pay for 222,000 hip replacements, or 46,893 nurses, or 38,782 teachers, or 34,585 police officers. "This money would be better spent in Britain for the benefit of the British people. Imagine what we could do in Britain with the money that we are using to support the EU and its integrationist policies. Let the British people decide if the price of EU membership is worth paying."

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