Iran - nuclear or not?

Iranian history shows a proud nation; an independently minded nation. As Persia, a long time ago, Iran had a powerful, civilised empire. Now it feels small and slighted and weak. So what does it do? It kicks out defiantly trying to regain kudos. And it has a budding dictator at its head who needs to puff himself up like a parody of Mussolini. Unlike Pakistan and India, who at least have some very small justification for nuclear defence to keep each other at bay; Iran has absolutely no need for nuclear weapons, none; and at heart it knows it. So what is the answer? Well, not war; war is the LAST resort. No, what do you do to get someone to give you something, but the someone is in need of a lot of puffing up. Well you puff them up and make them feel big, make them feel they gain personally by being your friend. Do it right and things will work out the way they should. It's not rocket science.
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Britain out of recession?

The figures are in; after a year and a half of the deepest recession since World War II, where Britain's wealth shrank by a massive 6%, we are now back in growth mode. Yeah, by the tiniest possible margin of 0.1%. Anyone with half a brain can see political manipulation all over this figure: Labour wanted growth and our cash paid for their political trick. One sign of growth is improving employment figures and Brown got it; by hiring thousands more public sector bureaucrats, all soaking up what little wealth we have left. Another sign of growth is more spending. Yes, you've guessed it, Brown got it by pumping even more billions of borrowed money into the markets to keep everyone consuming. Britons will be chained to that debt for generations. And all for a lousy 0.1% growth. Labour doesn't care; if it can just repeat that same trick with our money for one more quarter, Brown thinks he is in with a chance of winning the election. After that? Well, let's put it this way; fancy a job in Poland, or even Albania?
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China vs Google

Is the threat from Google to pull out of China the first step in trying to bring that country into a Western world view? China today can be looked on as a sort of Victorian society - a right wing bureaucracy/meritocracy that is desparately trying to hold power back from the people and maintain the status quo. But the people see wealth in their reach and want to grab it, so they are moving rapidly to the heart of wealth and the benefits it can bring - to the cities and manufacturing heartlands. Can China turn into a modern Britain, or a modern United States, or will it deepen into a tyrannical dictatorship? The answer is what they do with their increased power. Victorian Britain turned slowly into a modern social/liberal democratic bureaucracy in the European mould, valuing peace. The US is still a raw, spoilt teenager prepared to use its vast wealth and energies to get it's own way - but there are just the beginnings of signs of possible social/liberal maturity on a pseudo European model and an understanding of the value of peace. Unlike Britain and the US, China has been damaged by past humiliation and conquests and revenge lingers; google's brash pulling of the Chinese tail could exacerbate this. What China needs above all is true respect in a way that leads it to a peaceful, liberal maturity that gradually quenches its hurt and need to hit out. It's not easy but it can be done.
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The Central Grit Directive

Here we go; this is the Labour government in action. Britain has an unexpected cold snap and grit is running out - so far so understandable. What does Brown do? His natural reaction is to activate a central committee to decide who gets the grit - it's called the 'salt cellar' - some joke, surely! I predict a 'Minister for Grit' being appointed next week, and once his/her team of bureaucrats and their minions are in-place, bonus targets agreed, grade and pay levels and terms of reference adjudicated, it won't be long before they can begin a thorough review of grit allocations. As this is an emergency the grit review publication should be before Parliament towards the end of March ready for immediate allocations of grit stocks in early Summer, unless elections delay proceedings, of course. Yeah, that's a tick in the box for centralised effectiveness - big payouts all round - Way To Go! In a nutshell this is what's wrong with Labour and how they have destroyed Britain - by laying a stultifying blanket of centralised bureaucracy over the whole country. Nothing works as it should and people cannot be seen to be 'just getting on with it' as individuals. No wonder many Britons drink to excess, it's the only illusion of freedom we have.
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NHS leads the battle against public sector cuts

Hospitals are beginning to say that illness through alcohol is breaking the national health service and that these self-inflicted problems should be paid for by the people who indulge. And I can see many right-minded individuals, who do not see themselves as wild drinkers, nodding in agreement. I see it differently. What I see is this: the public sector is simply gearing itself up for the massive cuts to come as the country struggles with Labour inflicted debt damage, and the NHS is no exception. The public sector, for so long wastefully expanded, is the target now and it is beginning to use its vast strength to defend itself. The NHS is saying - OK, instead of saving money by cutting NHS waste and NHS bureaucracy, government should leave us alone and selectively cut the numbers of people we treat; today they say those are the abusers of alcohol. You can bet that tomorrow it will be drug addicts, the obese, sportsmen and women, meat eaters and anyone else who lives a normal life rather than one that is dictated by the health police - a possible new NHS department that can be created out of the savings from not treating people. Fantasy? Wait until the police, home office and 7 million other public sector employees start to flex their muscles.
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Climate change conference failure

The failure of Copenhagen to find a binding solution to carbon reductions after so many years of trying and failing in the past tells me everything we need to know. It's clear as day that almost two hundred different countries with different priorities and different states of their economies can never be bound by any agreement on anything, let alone something as amorphous as climate change. I'm pretty sure ordinary folk look at the thousands of attendees, each flown in at great carbon cost to exhale tonnes of hot air, and they think that just stopping these conferences would help reduce climate change by at least a degree. It's time to get real and spend the money on practical research into local and regional climate change impact; and on the farming and crop technology to ensure the world is fed; and on the defences necessary to combat what is to come; and yes, reduce dependence on fossil fuel carbon because it is the right thing to do, regardless of what other countries do.
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Bliar Liar

Tony Blair has at last come clean and told the truth - he made it all up about WMD and would have made up any other excuse in order to invade Iraq. He just wanted his own way and Bush's way to get regime change pure and simple. He knew it was illegal but he lied to the UN and, worse, he lied to the British people. A British Prime Minister lied and the lie killed tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi men, women and children and almost two hundred British troops, each a devastating loss to their families. Now we know the reality, it is time for the war-crimes commission to convene and begin proceedings to prosecute both Blair and his paymaster Brown, and any other member of the war cabinet hiding the truth. I have long thought, with millions of others, that this labour government is one of the most corrupt (rotten) in British history; corrupt in democracy; corrupt in financial management; and now corrupt in its abuse of power. Perhaps the Queen can enact one of her few remaining powers and dissolve this Parliament on the basis it is not fit to govern.
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Globalisation with mistrust

The post-trial story of Meredith Kercher's murder by Amanda Knox and co-convictee, Raffaele Sollecito, tells us so much about where people are coming from. Here we are in a fully globalised world economy that everyone accepts, but where narrow views and small-mindedness is the dominant part of everyday life. Americans don't trust the legal system of Italy and we British don't trust the legal system of the US (re: the extradition of hacker Gary McKinnon). The first thought is that whoever 'we' are, then 'we' are right and 'foreigners' are wrong: no matter that we're talking about some of the most free, democratic and civilised countries. Is it ignorance or intolerance or what? How can we work together to solve the evils of terrorism, poverty or global warming even, when trust for our neighbour is non-existent.
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Public Service Failure

We learn today of more failure in the 'caring' services; this time in care homes, where it seems the people responsible just don't - well, care. Yesterday it was about failures in policing, with serious cases of violence and rape just left sitting on a desk somewhere inactive. The day before it was failures in child protection services, and lack of care in hospitals and...., the list goes on. The reason is that these public sector departments are not measured on caring about real people, they are measured on numbers - money, case-load, resources, reporting figures etc. None of this has anything to do with helping people in need or caring about how people are treated and, after all, that's the only thing that is important. I used to say that central control and bureaucracy were to blame, but unfortunately the 'uncaring' culture is slowly spreading its evil tentacles to the front-line where more vocational professionals who should be caring actually prefer an easy life and the bureaucracy allows them to get away with it.
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Brown's Global Warming Fund

At the Commonwealth Conference Gordon Brown is proposing a fund of £10billion to be made available for those countries suffering from global warming but are too poor to help themselves; eight hundred million pounds is to come from Britain. This is cheering news to me and all UKpopdems supporters, because this is yet another UKpopdems policy taken up by one of the major parties - this time from our environment policy. The Labour, Conservative and LibDem parties know about UKpopdems and the commonsense values that we are proposing, so it is not surprising they filch some of the details of our policies, even if they are not willing to publicly recognise the source of their inspiration. What we need now is for one of these big parties to seriously look at our core vision that puts ordinary British people first to make sure their needs come before those of wealthy power brokers, bureaucrats and political hacks - some hopes.
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Public Political Bereavement

I, like many millions of others, want to see the end of this ruinous Labour government that seems almost to have been sent as a kind of biblical wrath on Britain. We have been sent the equivalent of a twelve year plague that has brought us to such a deep low that it will take years to climb out of. But the alternative Prime Minister-in-waiting, Cameron, needs to be very careful. The sight of him milking a photo opportunity to the hilt at the Field of Rememberance shows clearly the difference between SAYING you care and REALLY caring. The people of Britain know the difference and have seen painfully for themselves that Tories did NOT care in the past. If Cameron wants us to believe that the nasty party is a thing of the past then he needs to ditch the advisers he's listening to and get some others who can show a genuine connection to ordinary people.
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Saying Sorry

Brown is saying sorry for the ruined lives of many thousands of innocent children who, in the last century, were thoughtlessly shipped to Australia where many were abused. I suppose it makes just a little difference to hear the Prime Minister apologise, but it won't reverse their years of hurt. Nor will a hastily scribbled note from Brown bring back the son who was sent to do his duty so bereft of equipment that the son had to buy his own. Something happens to men and women when they get power over others; you can see it in government, in local councils and in the public sector. They forget their responsibility to protect the weak against the strong - to do the right thing. Instead, they develop high-handed and self-important attitudes; they listen to the siren voices that tell them they know best how others should live their lives. That is when the weak suffer, because they cannot fight back.
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afghanistan - in or out?

Labour has such difficulty explaining why Britain is fighting in Afghanistan yet there's a simple, but cold, reason: better war there than here at home. You see, put simply; Taliban = Al Qaeda = Terrorist atrocities in Britain. Afghanistan is like Northern Ireland but with a vastly different culture. It can be won but we have to endure it for the very long term - longer even than Northen Ireland; 30, 40 or 50 years. And we will not win just at the point of a gun: no, we need deep layers of intelligence to target just those who are leaders of evil. To do that we have to get the general population on our side, and to do that we have to make their lives better by bringing relative wealth and high levels of protection to each farmer, each village, each local chieftain - better than they can get from the Taliban. That will bring in the intelligence that will eventually destroy the Taliban and Al Qaeda. More troops, much more money and long-term commitment. You can see why Western governments are too frightened to explain it properly to their own people.
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Royal mail - it's the management stupid!

In my time I have been a union organiser and one of the bosses. I can tell you that, without exception, every occasion of strife in the workplace has been due to incompetent, stupid, bullying or pig-headed management. Many bosses would love to get back to the nineteenth century where workers could be crushed or cowed if they did not do exactly as they were told. That's where some bosses should be today; in the trash-can of history. UKpopdems believe the gulf between workers and management should be closed and that everyone from top to bottom should be on the same terms and conditions. If the bosses get a raise and perks, the workers get the same raise and same perks. That's just the start; what's really needed is a partnership of responsibilities where directors, employees, customers, shareholders and suppliers all have the responsibility to look after each others interests. An end to conflict and the beginning of real wealth and well-being.
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Why the BNP furor?

You have to ask yourself, why is that MPs and their party backers are so horrified at the rise of the BNP? The answer is that those same MPs and their parties caused it, and they know it: so the only defence they have is to scream abuse at both the BNP as well as the voters who gave the BNP the loan of their protest votes. Almost every person in Britain objects to non-EU migrants unless they add real value to Britain. Coming in their millions, especially those who are so culturally different, they are affecting not only the economy but also the whole social make-up of the country - and people simply do not want that. The same numbers over two hundred years and fully integrated, possibly; but not over two decades and totally non-integrated. No, the way to scotch the BNP is to sort this problem out and fast. No more immigration until everyone already here is fully integrated, both economically and culturally. And those preaching hatred and violence shoved out.
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My hero, Sir Thomas Legg

How refreshing it is to have Sir Thomas Legg treat MPs like the naughty school children they really are. Maybe the expenses scandal is not entirely MPs own fault, but they all need to be squeezed and squeezed hard until they realise they are our servants, responsible to us the people, and not our masters responsible only for skimming off as much cream for themselves as they can. This is UKpopdems policy in action and it's very cheering to see it. And there's just a chink of light that UKpopdems vision for Britain is bearing fruit, albeit by other parties. There's economic pain to come and our hope is that one positive by-product may be the realisation that Britain needs a truly new form of politics where the people come first and MPs, bureaucrats and other state hangers-on come last.
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Child neglect

Looking after our children properly and making sure they grow up to be healthy, confident and well-educated young adults is one of the most important things government must get right. Yet in Britain it appears one-fifth of school teachers come across child neglect cases in their schools every month. That's tens of thousands of children whose mother's don't care enough about them to look after them properly and who can't be bothered to get help when it's needed. This would never happen in the UKpopdem world; actually could never happen: our children are the only hope for the future we have and whatever else happens they must be looked after right to adulthood. Everyone knows UKpopdems want to create a million new front-line resources working right there in your community and we'll bring back the old health visitor as part of that. It means direct help from caring, expert people for parents and anyone else looking after children. And you wont have to go looking for them, either, they'll be right there on your doorstep; not criticising or lecturing or form-filling, but giving practical support.
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David Cameron tells some of the truth

David Cameron did a good job at the Tory Conference. He got close to telling us the truth about the pain to come. It was wrapped in the sugar coating of a sunny future, but it was closer to the truth than that offered by any other party, Labour or Liberal Democrat, both of whom have totally ignored the problem. Cameron's solution is close to UKpopdems solution, the dismantling of Britain's bureaucratic state on the one hand and the promotion of wealth creating business on the other. Where UKpopdems and Tories differ is this: we want to eliminate bureaucracy by natural wastage and they want to sack them, causing all sorts of personal and union strife. We want to add a million new front-line delivery jobs while they want a Thatcherite freeze and more out-sourcing, making fat profits for the already rich. UKpopdems wants the vast majority of public service delivery to be in-house; we believe profit and true vocational service make poor bedfellows where peoples' needs often come last.
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Ending anti-social behaviour

Labour's last minute recognition of the dangers of serious anti-social behaviour by children has come too late. The promotion of liberal child rights over parental responsibility, coupled with police and social service inactivity, has led to the kind of feral invasion by the young as foreseen by several futurist pundits and science fiction writers. UKpopdems policy is clear on this issue; parents are responsible for their children and all violent behaviour leads to detention. In these cases detention means a month of intense educational discipline for both parents and children on the first occasion followed by close observation. Only UKpopdems can do this because we are pledged to create up to a million new front-line delivery resources serving directly in communities, together with the supporting infrastructure to make it possible. This is not a policy of repression, nor of squashing youthful high-spirits, but a recognition that all people in Britain want to end violent behaviour; a wish that UKpopdems must serve.
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Brown's Snubbing

Oh, yeah: Brown was snubbed by Obama alright - no wonder there was panic at No.10. You see Brown, and Blair before him, have both set out to totally destroy Britain, the country I and millions love. They have been so successful in doing it and caused the UK to drop so far in the international league tables that we have almost no value left to offer the countries that really matter. It's only our presence in Afghanistan that stops Britain disappearing totally from view. The world's moved on and Labour's criminal, almost treacherous, deceipt of the British people over the last twelve years has done the work our enemies and strongest competitors could not do over generations. Soon Brown and labour will be gone and it will for whoever follows to sift through the wreckage in the hope of finding any firm foundations left on which to build a new, stronger Britain.
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The truth behind Labour and Tory cuts

They won't tell you the truth because it's horrible and you won't vote for them if they did. The facts are these: there's a trillion pounds of debt and just to pay the interest on that lot comes to fifty billion every year: if we don't also start paying the capital on this debt to the tune of about another fifty billion a year then the world will stop lending to us and force Britain into bankrupty. Take into account much lower recession tax receipts and this country is looking at having to find over £100billion in cuts or new taxes quickly. Imagine! That's the equivalent of getting rid of the whole NHS and forcing each of us to get insurance US style! or eliminating the whole welfare system for those out of work and in need. Or in tax terms it means doubling VAT rates to 40%, or the same with the basic tax rate - from 20% to 40%. Can we trust any party to find real cuts? No way. Can we expect swingeing tax rises that hurt everybody except the super rich, bureaucrats and politicians? Oh yes! My guess is that it will be done with stealth taxes being hiked on the back of 'GREEN MEASURES': doubling transport costs, including air travel, doubling energy costs. Think of an indirect tax that could have a green label stuck on it and double it; then you'll be close to the real horror of what's to come.
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Global Warming in the news

Combatting Global Warming is headlining the news. Apparently it's OK to fly as long as we reduce CO2 elsewhere by 90%! That means climate campaigners and bureaucrats can continue to fly all over the world for pointless conferences while the rest of us suffer. We have to face facts; the talked about CO2 reductions are just not going to happen, no matter how much hot air is pumped into the debate. People use energy - food, power, travel etc, and energy produces CO2; the richer people get the more energy they are going to use: everyone knows that. Sensible people are not expecting China and other rising economies to reverse their massive growth, and no-one wants people in poor nations to be forever chained to the dirt under their feet. We have to prepare for global warming and deliver sustainability programmes instead of wasting time and money on pie in the sky CO2 reductions. Global warming might even be good overall for Britain; we just don't know. It's not politically correct to talk about that possibility, is it?
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70 years on from WWII

Key changes in history can happen in the blink of the eye or take decades. The lessons contained in the disaster and death of the 2nd World War have been learnt, in Europe at least. Who would have believed just a short time ago that the leader of the main culprit of that war, Germany, would apologise so genuinely: even Putin's Russia came to the public table in near reconciliation. The European Union came from the outcome of European war to stop future wars - that is goodness. But over the years the EU has lost its cause and turned into an undemocratic, corrupt, bureaucratic, fraud ridden and self-centred plutocracy. Amazingly, it sees its role as splitting countries apart into regions, instead of beginning the process of joining countries together in true, peaceful and prosperous union. When whole countries in Europe join together, France and Germany, Spain and Portugal and Italy say; then the citizens of Great Britain may begin to see EU advantages instead of EU shenanigans.
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Megrahi release - where is the truth?

Is there anyone who seriously believes the release of Lockerbie bomber Megrahi was made purely on compassionate grounds rather than as part of some enormous commercial and diplomatic deal? I am not one for conspiracy theories simply because I know that levels of incompetence and bumbling bureaucracy in inner circles are far too high to pull them off successfully; but this case brings me close to believing the unthinkable. The trouble is this government has specialised in secrets and lies, hiding behind layers of spin and deceit. Now no-one believes anything the government or any politician of any party says, whatever colour or creed and of whatever country. It is the innocent who suffer, the victims who are dishonoured as the truth is hidden and trodden underfoot.
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High Pay Commission

UKpopdems is not a left-wing party; we are a party for the empowerment of ordinary people. The job of any government is to promote the growth of national wealth, and to make wise decisions on spending some of this wealth to promote individual, family and community well-being for the vast majority of the British people. That's it, but corrupt modern politics has lost sight of that goal in favour of personal gain and party dogma.
Regarding high pay, it is UNFAIR high pay that rankles. High earners should be seen to deserve their pay and UKpopdems has been an innovater in suggesting that the formula for acceptable high pay depends on what value is returned to the well-being of society. For example, the more people a high earner employs, especially disadvantaged employees; the higher the wages paid; the more charitable contributions and projects of value to society are promoted - then those are reasons why someone should be allowed to keep more of their higher earnings. Our policy is that the selfish high earners should pay higher taxes on all their income from whatever source - because these same selfish people have a nasty habit of hiding their true income behind layers and layers of loopholes. In summary then, philanthropic high earners should keep more of their money than selfish ones. Isn't that simple?
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A National Health Service for USA?

Barack's support for a National Health Service for America prompts us to examine our own health service in the UK. I suppose you could say that for serious problems the NHS is quite good - fast service and expert care; but for 'minor' problems it is poor - a long wait and no guarantee of the level of clinical expertise you might receive. The NHS costs close to £100billion every year! Yes, that's about £3,000 out of the taxes of every working adult - £6,000 for a couple. If you decided to add good private health insurance to bring you close to the benefits of the existing American health system, that would cost an individual about another £1500 a year, making £4500 in all. Now, to maintain a top notch public health system in the US, as now exists, would cost £1.3trillion at today's rate - that's about £5,000 out of the taxes of every US working adult. So the cost of a top-notch UK health service and ditto for the US is about the same. What I say is this; I want to see the best possible health service in the UK, not a second-rate one. In the UKpopdems world that first rate health service is paid for by employers as their contribution to keeping Britain healthy. Their reward is the complete elimination of corporation tax. That brings many more profitable corporations to the UK and that leads to more employment and that in turn leads to both a healthy and a wealthy Britain.
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G20 police action slammed

If Iranians or Indonesians or Indians, or any number of foreign nationals whose countries we normally criticise for their harsh police actions; if any of these were to look at UK policing over the last year or so they would not see a lot of discernable difference between them and us. Our police shoot innocent people to death; they keep harmless demonstrators 'kettled' up for hours without drink, regardless of age or infirmity, and sometimes beat them, injure them and even kill them. What's going on? It's the innocent who are treated as guilty now, the real criminals take far too much effort to bother with, while punishing the innocent is easy. What we are seeing is the beginning of what happens in a controlling culture. This Government believes we need to be mastered rather than served and after twelve years the police, their henchmen in this controlling endeavour, have learned how to do the job well. Labour MUST be kicked out, if only to halt an inexorable decline into dictatorship and the total loss of all our freedoms.
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Gordon Brown calls for Meritocracy?!

Gordon Brown's latest pronouncement in favour of meritocracy over patronage begs a big question. Meritocracy means the most competent get the jobs, so let's leave aside the fact that almost every senior MP in Parliament and public sector bureaucrat would be out on their ear if this idea ever came to fruition. The fact is that meritocracy as a system of selection is no better, and may be worse, than any other. Who is doing the choosing anyway? Being born brainy is just as selective as being born privileged. Do we really want intellectuals in charge, or do we want competent people who understand and have experience of real life, even if they are not perfect. It's quite simple; the top people in government and public sector we need are those who are competent and want to serve the people, not master them: and, further, servants who love the people and nation they serve: and yet further, who serve by really listening to both the mass of the people and the individual so they can get delivery right. Then will we have the best people for the job.
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Government failure on knife crime

The news that Labour's knife crime initiative has actually cost more lives than before the start of the campaign is no surprise to me. Brown is determined to destroy most of Britain before Cameron takes over and the failure to address crime properly is part of that dastardly plan. Ordinary people know what should be done and that's zero tolerance and stiff jail terms for weapons possession and any violent behaviour. Achieving that means a commitment for many more police actually on the street 24hours a day (not in the office), legislation for mandatory jail terms (full terms, forget the 50% off) and a fast jail building programme to make it work (prefabs with barbed wire surround will do in the short term). Getting violent offenders and weapons carriers off the street is the first step to establishing communities that are safe. This is what UKpopdems stands for.
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Afghanistan betrayal

As billions upon billions of our money is poured into the bulging pockets of bankers and while MPs steal from the very people they have pledged to serve, our troops, the best trained and still the best performing of any nation, are starved of the cash and equipment they need just to do their jobs. Unlike fat cats, our forces are not in it for themselves; they are in it for us. Selflessness on this level always leads to governments, concerned only with personal power and enrichment, to betray Britain's armies and their ultimate sacrifices. Despite this, our young men will continue to grit their teeth and stand tall. These are the same men who stood against impossible odds at Agincourt, faced down the cannons' slaughter at Waterloo; crossed the open beaches on D-day; held out on the hills of Korea; and yomped to Falklands victory after the loss of Atlantic Conveyor. This is the determined Bulldog spirit celebrated around the world that no mealy-mouthed, incompetent government can ever take away. Our everyday heroes will prevail.
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The truth about cuts!

Everyone knows there is going to be some drastic action after the next election, whoever wins it. Britain is in a a worse mess than any other industrialised nation thanks to Labour (the banks are an easy target but the real culprit is this government and their 'third way' disaster). We will not get the truth about cuts or taxes from either Tory or Labour, or any other party. The numbers are just too big to stomach. In the end Tory and Labour strategies come down to one thing - HOPE. Hope that the economy recovers before the money runs out; hope, as Micawber said, that 'something will turn up'. Flying blind like this is not the way to regain trust.
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Michael Jackson - a mirror for the US?

I am personally saddened by Michael Jackson's passing away. Such genius, such talent, so inventive and yet so flawed and so naive in many ways - a victim as much as a master. To me also, he was a reflection of the US today. A country where one man can make incredible things happen. Where so many have genius, inventiveness and extraordinary talent enough to affect life in the whole world; and yet a victim of extreme wealth and vast consumption as much as a global master because of it; not quite grown up enough to understand the impact of its actions and beliefs on others or on itself. And now, as the world moves East, a country slowly coming to terms with mortality. But for America, there is some hope of recovery and a new maturity.
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Negotiating with Terrorists

One of the key jobs of government is to do its utmost to save innocent lives; we all agree with that, don't we? But one of the proud British claims is that we do not negotiate with terrorists and this is meant to keep British lives safer. This boast is a sham: Britain does indeed negotiate with terrorists when they want to - look at Northern Ireland - but it's meant to be a secret. Terrorists are not stupid, they have highly competent and sophisticated organisations: they know our government can be forced to negotiate. This double standard means government can be lazy about doing whatever it takes to get innocents free while telling families and loved ones they had no choice. Where I stand is this; it is better that ten bad men go free if one innocent British life is saved. We will always pursue and harry the bad men to the end, but we cannot give back life once it has been taken.
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Israel - Netanyahu softening?

There are so many conflicts big and small on our planet, some hardly ever or never reported. But if there is one area where a long-term solution could begin a domino effect of the kind of wide-spread peace we are all longing for, then it is Palestine/Israel. It is not religion preventing peace; it is the fact that the West (US especially), and the Muslim world have used Palestinians and Israel as their proxy states, prolonging conflict for their own tactical and strategic benefit. If Obama has strength of will and character then enlightenment and conciliation can begin. Middle-East countries want respect above all. If Netanyahu softens publicly and Obama starts listening and acting on what Middle-East leaders are REALLY saying, rather than their public utterances, then peace can finally be given a chance.
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Prince Charles and Chelsea Barracks

Prince Charles was passionate about getting this development stopped and he pulled strings with his royal mates to do it. Is that wrong? MPs and architects have lined up to condemn him and say 'normal democratic planning processes' should have taken their course. What I know is this - there is nothing democratic about planning processes; peoples' views are hardly ever taken into account; famous architects totally intimidate planning officers and councillors; Government overrides local planning agreements; and I'll tell you what, LORD Rogers is perfectly capable of pulling his own strings to get what he wants. What we have here is poor and lazy architecture by a big name. Have a look for yourself. I'm old enough to have seen the scandals of the sixties when perfectly good buildings were torn down and replaced by ugly concrete slums in the name of modernism. Please, let's not make that same mistake again. Good on you, Prince Charles.
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BNP Euro seats - should we worry?

I have a very high regard for British public opinion and the decision of voters, as you'd expect. Labour's failure to control and manage immigration effectively has angered millions. I have said before that concern about immigration is a key issue on almost all peoples' minds. This result for the BNP is simply designed to show government exactly HOW angry some people are. In fact, the whole election result can be explained as anger with Labour more than anything else. I very seldom get angry except when I see or hear of others being abused, but even I am angry with the extreme arrogance and incompetence of this dangerous labour government. Will they listen now? I don't think so. If not, then anger can only increase.
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Reforms? - don't trust them

Each party is fighting to lead the pack on democratic and parliamentary reforms. Do they mean it or do they just want to get one over on the others? Is it still the old game but with new rules? In my opinion it is just that. The guilty are telling us they are reformed characters but the people know better. It is not just the system but the MPs themselves who are the problem. They see themselves as masters of the people instead of the servants we want them to be. Whatever they say different, that's the truth of it. The answer is not an election right now where the chairs are moved around but everything else stays the same. No, what's needed is for each party to clearly lay out its reform policy for us to judge, with a minimum pledge that an independent body will force the elected party to make good its promises.
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This is history

We are privileged to witness democratic history being made. At last the public, you and me, have increasing power to peer deeply into a previously secret society - and see what we always expected to see - corruption and personal gain. Now we've got the appetite for it we should peer further; into the House of Lords; into the 'Grace and Favour' business; into the fabulous cosseted cosiness of the Whitehall mandarins. Where wil it stop? Don't believe that 'independent scrutiny' will achieve what we want: this, the most centralising government ever, has got its fingers well and truly into every corner, so there is no true independent body left; they are al beholden in some way to government. On all these issues, and increasingly, the public should have a direct vote. WE should vote a body of scrutineers to serve our needs and WE should insist on direct votes for key issues that affect us; like taxes, EU membership and social legislation that attempts to control us. We know we cannot trust MPs to do it for us.
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MPs - now we see them for what they are

They tell us they are in Parliament only to do their duty; totally dedicated to the best interests of the British people. I have been banging on for ages that MPs are only interested in themselves and what they can get out of it, but it is no gratification to have it proved so conclusively. Did you see any of those old episodes of 'You Rang M'Lord?' A comedy series in which some of the servants continually helped themselves to the master's best port and caviar as if it was their right. Well, our supposed servants in the House of Commons have certainly got their noses deep into the honey jar. They do say truth is stranger than fiction. The one bright side to this is that the British people are finally waking up to how well and truly we are being conned. Popdems vision shows a very simple and effective answer that's written all over our policies. Please have a look.
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Ghurkas - Extreme Lobbying

Whatever you think about the Ghurka issue, you cannot but admire Joanna Lumley's supreme lobbying ability. This is celebrity power in action. Faced with such finesse, Government Ministers and even the Prime Minister, fall at her feet in a swoon promising the earth. Go girl! But, let's think. Is this lobbying by a talented beauty any different from the lobbying by fat suits with wallets and corporate backing we're more used to? They can get laws changed just as easily, but quietly in the shadows. No-one is asking what the rest of us think or want. What if you wanted to change inconvenient legislation and had no money or media attention - no-one would listen would they? MPs are our servants above all and they should make sure the voice of the many is heard above the voice of any one person. The proper process should be that the many are engaged to change legislation, not the few. How else do our government know what their masters (the people) really think.
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Swine Flu - Conspiracy or Incompetence?

Now we know that dire forecasts of a world Swine flu pandemic of 1918 proportions, where millions died, was just a bad dose of hysterics. It turns out Swine flu is no more dangerous, outside Mexico at least, than a mild headache, sweat and sore throat - a little bit less than 'man flu' it seems. Are we that desperate for disasters that we have to make them up? You can understand politicians hyping it up eager, as they are, to divert attention away from their own failures. But the UN? Maybe it's a cry for attention after their own dismal inability to solve pressing international crises. I do not blame newspapers; they just hold up a mirror for us to see ourselves in. It's true many don't like the image that comes back.
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The Budget - a total lack of imagination

We are told this is the worst recession since the Second World War – it was labour then, by the way. WWII was not their fault then and the mad greed of bankers may not be now – that story is still to be written. But one thing stands out; the towering imagination and integrity of the men of government at that time compared with the pin-headed bureaucratic nonentities we are foisted with today. Then, even with all Britain’s travails, the astounding, world-leading legacy of the National Health Service was pushed through, benefiting every man, woman and child in the country to this day. Now, labour will leave us only with a pile of debt enough to last two generations. What a legacy! They could have created a citizen-owned national bank out of RBS, Northern Rock and the Post Office giving preferential rates, social benefits and stability to all Britons. They could have reversed the appalling waste of the VAT cut and even raised it to 20%, but at the same time totally eliminate Council Tax, the most unfair and heinous tax of all; that would put at least £1,000 into every family’s pocket every year for ever! Is there no politician left who can think beyond filling out next month’s expense sheet?
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How has so much respect been lost?

The groups respected most in the past have, in the eyes of the people, lost most respect today. Politicians; Judges and the legal profession; Police; Social and Children's Services; Civil Servants; even Doctors, Nurses and Carers. How did this happen and can it be put right? It happened because the evil of money came into the public sector and pushed out vocation. Accountants and their targets, controls and budgets are more important than the needs of real people. The worst crime, yes it is a crime in my eyes, is the outsourcing of services for profit. Profit and Vocation do not make good bedfellows. We want to change all this. No outsourcing, no profit motive, no bonus culture, no political interference. Instead, we'll trust and value front-line deliverers above bureaucrats and above government, too, and give the people we all serve the biggest voice.
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A care service that just doesn't care

The latest revelations of appalling neglect within the 'care industry' illustrates starkly how private company greed is not restricted to the banking sector. It is not the fault of harassed, low paid front-line carers. It's the whole wrong-headed government strategy of outsourcing services. Anyone who supports UKpopdems knows we will end the outsource gravy train. There is no room for private profit in Britain's public services. UKpopdems will bring most public sector staff in-house, including care workers, and use the millions that private sector bosses are making to pay care workers a proper wage. Caring will be part of a much expanded nursing profession with the respect and relevant qualifications anyone should expect. Ukpopdems put ordinary people first: we understand what service really means.
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G20 - everyone wins except ordinary Britons

Judging by the self-congratulatory whooping, you'd think the whole world was saved. Well, I don't need to tell you that the only ones who gain are politicians and their mates, the top bankers, the already rich, business directors and whitehall mandarins. There's less than nothing for ordinary folk like you and me. They gain, we pay the debts. We're already seeing the start of it with another 2p a litre on fuel - there's more to come - a lot more! Not one single British job is saved, not one British family benefits from G20. This is what will eventually do for Brown and the Labour party. Real people come first and they will take their revenge in the voting booth.
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A Britain of Anger and Fear

Britain's society is not yet broken, but government mismanagement over the last thirty years has brought it closer. The answer lies in both short term and long term solutions. UKpopdems short term answer is a zero tolerance of any violence, threats of violence and carrying of any weapon, where a quick trial and jail awaits. An extra 250,000 police on the streets, 24 hour courts and many extra pre-fabricated prisons and detention centres. The long term solution lies in schools and parenting that builds-in civilised behaviour. Schools that focus around the individual so that the need for remedial learning and behaviour can be identified and actioned fast in an array of new special schools. Plus intensive parental support up to school age and beyond through a massive transfer of social resources directly into communities and away from back offices. It's a big programme but society demands it be done.
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Private vs Public Sector pay

For the first time in a long time public sector employees are much better off than private sector employees. A job in the public sector today means good pay, low risk and a guaranteed pension. The people who pay for these luxuries through taxes have no such protection themselves. This is divisive and a recipe for trouble that should be addressed properly. UKpopdems solution is two-fold: we believe firstly that total average employee earnings in the public sector should be pegged to match the total average earnings in the private sector, including pension and other benefits. And secondly, that no public or state supported employee or director should be paid any bonus, nor receive total earnings, including benefits, of more than ten times average UK earnings, regardless of seniority. This is fair and justifiable.
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Children's services - the Laming report

The one chink of light in the disaster which passes for children's services under this government is the beginning of a small recognition that the future focus must be on front-line expertise and resources and away from centralised bureaucracy and targets. Anyone who follows UKpopdem policies and objectives knows we have been championing the strengthening of front-line resources across the whole public service. We want to see the bulk of public money attached to the front-line, so the people who do the real work know they are valued and have a proper career path that makes best use of their growing expertise, without having to move into management. In fact management should attract less pay than the most competent front-line jobs. Let's hope the government listens this time and acts.
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Northen Ireland murder atrocity

There is no 'cause' in these atrocious murders, no idealism. It's murder pure and simple, perpetrated by the most evil people who have ready access to guns and a 'label' to pin their actions on that only the gullible will take seriously. This is all about power and lust for money by a few individuals. They can see how the worst actions by the IRA have been rewarded with pardon and political position by a desparate government, even though underneath, the mafia style activities continue. This is what Continuity and Real are after; a slice of the action.
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Sir Fred Goodwin - pension

It's easy to get angry over this wildly excessive pension payout. That's just what the government wants. Anything to divert attention away from its own catastrophic failures. I see the hand of Mandelson all over this spin. What about taking away Brown's pension when he is finally thrown out after his failures? And the same with the rest of the government. And what about all those 'protected' public sector pensions we pay for? Failed Social Services that can't protect our helpless and innocent children. Failed education that puts Britain near the bottom of the international league. Failed police and justice system that can't protect ordinary people going about their everyday lives. Their bureaucratic bosses are in-line for fabulous pensions giving them luxury for the rest of their lives, while ordinary workers have seen their pensions at risk. Time to turn things around.
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The bigger the job the smaller the ability

I must be one of the few politicians who really value the freedom of the press and their ability to expose the way the elite do business. Look over the last few days and you can see how many of the so-called world class professionals running our banks and big corporations know little about what they are doing. It's no surprise we are in trouble. It appears appointments and decision making is done in the great halls of power where schmooze and influence count much more than ability. A few moments of self-congratulatory back-slapping and posh nosh at a party and the job's yours. Politicians call for a meritocracy, yet they are all right in the middle of giving and taking jobs regardless of competence and prudence. God help us.

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Geert Wilders - Dutch MP

At first sight this case looks like heavy handed prevention of free speech, but it isn't. Wilders simply wants to condemn the whole of Islam. Most of all he wants to stir up hatred. This is no different from Third Reich Nazis stirring up hatred of the Jews, or radical Mullahs stirring up hatred for the west, or radical Christians stirring up hatred for other faiths, or any form of hatred of one against another. Hatred breeds violence and in Britain today there's more than enough of that as it is. All people want is consistency; the sure knowledge that this kind of verbal violence, whether it's clever and intellectual, coarsely threatened outright, or crudely framed in four letter words, will result in the full force of the law immediately stamping on whoever is involved, especially the self-important.
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The bonus culture

It's a lesson from history that when things go badly wrong, being able to create a popular witch hunt is a great way of deflecting attention from the real culprits. In labour's case it's easy to blame bankers; all bankers. Yes, there is a lot of blame on the shoulders of a tiny coterie of senior bankers: but the real blame is government's. Government took their regulatory eye off the banking game and gained billions in tax pounds as a result. Even the regulation there is is woefully inadequate. And the bonus culture is not just endemic in banks; did you know that most senior execs in PUBLIC SERVICE get bonuses and play the game to ensure they get them? Failing education, failing social services and any number of other failures; yet the elite still get their bonuses - paid for by us, the very people not getting the service.
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Refinery Strikers - The British Lion Awakes

Not since the successful fuel blockade of years ago have the ordinary people of Britain started to make thier voices heard over the din of political speak. I love the comment of one strike leader who said:-'politicians should stop talking and start listening'. Such a simple statement but an echo of what most of us feel in this era of disasterously incompetent politicians who think they are all super-heroes. It's simple. The job of the British Government is to run this country for the benefit of the British people above all. The only way to understand what that is, is to listen. So Brown and others; stop talking and start listening.
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Lords 'Consultancy'. Is it Greed or Corruption?

When I'm canvassing, I regularly get two responses from voters: one is that 'they are all the same'; and the second is that 'they are all in it for themselves'. Such deep insight into the truth is why I trust ordinary British people far above our Parliamentary and bureaucratic elite. Now we find The Lords are at it as well. Thatcher institutionalised greed and Major institutionalised sleaze. Today we have a government so centralised, so far removed from real life, that they really believe the laws that apply to us should not and must not apply to them. Look around the world and you'll see what kind of country that produces. Couple corruption with incompetence and we should rightly be fearful.
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Barack - A New Age?

Does the inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama herald a new age? The man and his name itself means so much - half black, half white with an historical link to Islam. He is the first fully 'integrated' president. As the American leader his goal and great challenge is to bring peace and wealth to his country. But if Barack can achieve that in any degree then the benefits will rub off onto the rest of the world. What we all need now is freedom from conflict and peace of mind, capital wealth and social well-being. He must not delay in finally closing guantanamo and gaining trust through communication in the Middle-East. And he must get ordinary Americans spending again if the world is to move out of this 'austerity' recession of frozen and worthless assets. He is wished well by millions.
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Put cash back in peoples' pockets

Come on Brown! So far you've put tens of billions of our money into the banking system so the people who caused this problem can keep their huge paypackets and bonuses. Ok, so they are looked after. Now you are putting tens of billions of our money into businesses and loan guarantees to keep them afloat. OK, so they are looked after, too. What do we get, the ordinary people of Britain; the people who will vote you in or out, Brown? We get tuppence off VAT and some training. At base, neither Labour nor Tories care about the very people who keep them in power. If they did then the same billions would be going into the pockets of families across Britain. Billions that would mean real spending power to kick-start the economy. Politicians should begin to look at which side their bread is buttered.
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Recycling - is it just a scam?

I don't know, somehow most ordinary folk always suspected there was something fishy about recycling; the feeling that the stuff would be shipped off to some Third World country to be picked over by peasants at a dollar a day. Now we know the truth that recycling is not about saving the planet. We do our bit just so some corporation or local authority can make money out of us. And when the fools gold of easy profit disappears the product of all our hard work and care in supporting the environment ends up in a gigantic warehouse stinking, rotting and actually costing us money. We've fallen for spin again. No wonder people are cynical: no wonder people are angry.
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Gaza horror

Once again we are witness to the horror of unnecessary bloodshed and blind hatred in a part of the world that desparately needs peace. And the world watches, mouthing the words of peace but doing nothing. It is absolutely wrong that the super-power of the region, Israel, should punish everyone in Gaza for the actions of a few fools over which the ordinary citizen has no control. Gaza has nothing and needs help, not punishment. This is something the EU can do if it is to demonstrate it has any value in today's world. Be brave; talk to Hamas and begin the process of offering reconstruction together with proper government controls to end violence. The EU can do this job because the US, Russia, China and others have too much vested interest to succeed.
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Brown - no time for delusion

Should we be worried about Gordon Brown's mental health? He thinks he is the saviour of the world, yet it is him and his policies that have made Britain less capable of successfully pulling out of this crisis than any other country in the world. Brown shouts that it is because of him that Britain is strong. This is as delusional as Mugabe saying there is no cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe. Brown thinks he is right and everyone else wrong - that's a worry: maybe it's time for the men in white coats to come in now, before things get worse. Brown has wrecked our economy; broken our public services; is set on a course to destroy our democracy. Anyone can recognise a car crash when they see one but Brown's still swinging at that wheel pretending he's going somewhere.
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Manchester Congestion Charge Vote

The 'NO' vote for Manchester's proposed congestion charge is so cheering. It does show that when ordinary people are given the chance to take democratic decisions, they show they can step up to the plate to do their duty. In this case it was to reject the proposal. This was quite right. The choice was to pay now for transport promises later. Surely, no-one now believes anything politicians say they WILL do, only what they have already done. Manchester should implement the right transport solutions for the city first and only then ask if it's time for measures to reduce driving in the centre. And the same goes for any city asking the same question. people are switched on to politicians spin now, so when the elite tell the people they either vote the establishment way or suffer the consequences, they know this is a fib too. Sure enough, the transport improvements are still coming to Manchester despite the no vote.
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Damian Green 'raid'

This is how government repression starts - raids on opposition MPs to make sure we don't hear the truths that government wants to keep hidden. In their desparation to cling on to power, Labour is pushing the constitution and its controls over bad government to the limit. It's clever, no doubt about it; using an increasingly politicised police force and Whitehall mandarins to do their dirty work for them so it all looks legit. Who knows, this could be a deliberate test to see how the public react. If we accept it without a fight then worse could be to come. When we've watched as Labour wrecked the economy and mangled our social infrastructure, what is to stop them destroying Britain's democracy?
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Weep, Britain

Is this really the best Darling and Labour can do? Tinker with pennies off VAT? You'd have to spend £200 at the mall just to pay for the petrol to get you there and back; or for the town centre parking. And, come on, will it be even be passed on for lower cost items? How would you know? The staggering incompetence of it all makes me weep for our poor country and people. At least Labour have been honest for once and practically told us all to vote conservative next time if we want to avoid outrageous tax hikes and poverty forever should Labour get back in. Many would argue that the destruction Labour is causing now is closer to treason than mere stupidity.
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BNP members list published

No party moves further away from what the BNP stands for than UKpopdems. But we not only believe in democracy, we believe in deepening and broadening democracy, and that means tolerating the views of BNP members along with all other legal political parties. It is not for any public sector department, nor private company, to dictate whether or not a private citizen should or should not be a member of any party - nor to harass those who are. That is Britain's democratic freedom. If the government can demonstrate BNP promotes violence, breaks the law, or preaches treason, then it should have the guts to ban the party; not wimp out by using civil servants as a cheap and dirty proxy to achieve the same ends.
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Whistleblower crushed by Bureaucratic Law

The latest news that a Haringey whistleblower was silenced by the law only six months before poor baby P died horribly, confirms that Britain is, indeed, in the grip of a bureaucratic dictatorship. This is how dictators protect themselves, by silencing those who speak out against them. It's not the cosy but inept Department of Circumlocution in Little Dorrit we're talking about here, but the systematic incompetence of layers upon layers of bureaucracy that looks after and protects itself over and above the welfare of individuals, families and communities. While Brown sets out to finally destroy Britain's economic infrastructure, other Labour Ministers are busy crushing any residual sense of social conscience.
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The best tax cut of all!

The three big parties are chasing each other's tails to see who can beat the rest on giving us back our own money. The Tories want to help business - no surprise there; Labour wants to knock extra nails into the coffin of a ruined Britain they've created by digging us deeper in debt as they spend, spend, spend, borrow, borrow, borrow! LibDems want to knock 4p off Income Tax - very good. But there's one tax, the most unfair and hated of all taxes that they can get rid of if they really want to benefit every British individual and family - Council Tax. Find the money to eliminate it completely and the votes will pour in. Is that too much like commonsense for our political leaders?
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A new President; a new age?

What a tremendous opportunity for unity and good Barack Obama represents; the chance of a new inclusive age where America listens to the world instead of dictating to it. This election has got to be celebrated for what it COULD bring. It's not for UKpopdems to pour cold water over the dream but just ten years ago Britain had its own dream in Tony Blair. This man, a great communicator, promised change, inclusion and the assurance that things could only get better. Yet only six months later he had fallen under the lure of big business, the spell of puppet masters and spin merchants, the self-interest of a greedy elite. What could have been Britain's new Camelot turned into a ruin of targets and tick boxes instead of real delivery. Obama can bring peace and prosperity to the world and we wish him well. But, above all, God protect him from the crazed red-neck with a gun.
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Incompetence at all levels

After the latest BBC debacle we have to face the very depressing possibility that the whole of Britain's bureaucratic infrastructure is riven with incompetence, not just at the elite level of Quango bosses, but right through the network of officialdom. We now know that the FSA was incompetent in its dealings with Northern Rock, the BBC has shown itself incompetent in dealing quickly with the lewd phone call fiasco and has followed, rather than led public opinion. Other Trusts and controlling mechanisms set up to ensure we get good performance from public bodies are failing to deliver and are just not up to the task. The old boy network of top jobs based on who you know rather than what you can do is corrupt and is making things worse. UKpopdems is pledged to rid the country of bureaucracy and quangos that don't deliver. The top elite then, will have to get proper jobs where they stand or fall on their own merits.
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The weird and wonderful world of the elite

It's not so much the public brawling and catty bitchiness of who said what to whom in private meetings at private parties that enthralls and bores public opinion in equal measure. No, what does it for me is that these two individuals, Osborne and Mandelson, seek to represent us; we ordinary people, yet they and their kind have absolutely no idea what 'ordinary' is. Not for them the daily worry of feeding their families; the fear of job loss or fuel poverty. These elite have the nerve to tell us how we should live our daily lives according to their dictates while prancing like primadonnas in a billionaire wonderland so far removed from ordinary life that it might as well be happening on the moon.
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Dan James - Assisted Suicide

It is not for us to judge the tragedy of decision making that prompts anyone to end their life by assisted suicide. Assisted suicide is a rarity but still a very important social topic because of its illegality in Britain. It appears that the majority want to decriminalise assisted suicide but what chance is there of this government listening or even being interested. This is one of many socially difficult topics where the voices of ordinary people should be listened to and given precedence over the centralising 'we know best' attitude of this government and the other main parties. This is what UKpopdems stands for; providing the infrastructure to deepen and broaden democracy and thus encourage citizens to make their views known. When the people speak, UKpopdems listens.
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It looks serious but there's still an answer

Management of this crisis is being bungled and we'll all suffer. The time has come to step back a little and look at fundamentals. We need to get banks lending, stabilise housing and get those who do have money to start spending it in Britain. UKpopdems recovery statement has already been published. Now we need to do even more. We need to reduce interest rates to one or two percent and force banks to lend at no more than four percent for housing and asset backed loans, especially those where government has a stake. Second, ordinary families must have money put in their pockets from windfall profits from state owned companies, utilities and British Oil operations. And we must go ahead with forcing the very wealthy to spend more in Britain through UKpopdems Very High Earners Discretionary Contribution policy. The pound may fall temporarily, but the market will improve.
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Resignation of Sir Ian Blair - Metropolitan Police Commissioner

Sir Ian Blair resigns. Good. The job of any senior police officer is to create and manage a team that reduces crime and the fear of crime among ordinary people. In ukpopdems parlance that means ordinary people feeling safe on the streets and going about their everyday lives. It can be argued Sir Ian Blair did the opposite. Londoners are more frightened of terrorist action; more frightened of random gun and knife violence; and worst of all, more frightened of the police themselves in a city where the innocent can be shot dead in the most brutal way because trigger happy coppers are off the leash. What we need is a dedicated public servant who can stay in the background and deliver what the people want - a safe city.
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Credit Crunch - the way out

Many people say, 'why should we bail out the speculators, let them burn'. Attractive thought, but our whole world civilisation depends on the free flow and maintenance of money. Look at Zimbabwe if you disagree. We have to do it and the right way is the American way of wholesale guarantees; not the UK way of piecemeal and secretive last minute action. America's central money men are the world's best and they know what they're doing. We should follow, but we must keep politicians' sticky hands off any solution or risk them turning it bad. Yes, we should make the perpetrators of this crisis suffer. No bonuses and no golden parachutes for executives, and a diligent investigation into fraud and malpractice, especially bad mortgage decisions.
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economic crisis and Labour

You know, Chancellor Darling's view was right, these are the worst economic conditions for 60 years. Few will remember the crisis then, but history shows the US came out of that crisis much stronger while Britain came out much weaker - it was a Labour government then, too. Already you can see the US dealing with the problem strongly, rapidly, dynamically; while Labour today, just like then, blames everyone but themselves and vacillates while ordinary people suffer. The first step is to dramaticaly cut out stultifying government waste and bureaucracy to make Britain lean and nimble. Brown created it so let him end it.
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Power Station Protests

That's one of the many problems with our Labour government: an overbearing, preaching, centralising attitude that chooses to fight people who don't agree with it rather than listening to different views and seeking a concensus. Now the jury has spoken and the Greenpeace activists go free after damaging Kingsnorth Coal Power Plant. You can bet Labour still won't listen. UKpopdems believe ordinary people have important views about power and they should have a voice. The way to decide is through empowering democracy rather than dictatorial decision making. We'll listen to the voice of the people on key power decisions and on many other issues of concern. Ukpopdems want to serve the people instead of controlling them.
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Brown fails on windfall taxes

I reported recently that now is exactly the right time to force oil, gas, electricity and water companies to cough up to help the millions of Britons paying prices way over the top. Brown has caved in under pressure instead of looking after the people he pledged to serve. Let's face it, it's mostly our gas, our electricity generation, our water and our oil. Ukpopdems would benefit people by sharing profits - that is, a third of post tax profits from British operations would go back to consumers in price reductions. Simple and effective. Get on with it, Brown. Start working on our behalf or get out!
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Labour's Police State

While labour drives forward in its campaign to criminalise a whole nation of innocents, real villains are left in peace to pursue their dirty work. While the new Local Authority army of bureacratic job's worths are pusuing the culprit of a dropped sweet wrapper, the use of knives, guns and drugs escalates in a nearby estate. UKpopdems know the difference between the innocent and the criminal and we'll put tens of thousands of real policemen and women on the streets to catch real crooks - and deal with them properly.
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Olympic Gold

What an incredible effort by Britain's athletes! These excellent results demonstrate beyond any argument that high levels of investment made in the right way by the right people can produce returns we can all be proud of. Since the party's inception UKpopdems policy has always been to support Britain by making heavy investments in sport, engineering, science, medicine, arts and entertainment to produce world beating performances. And to encourage matching investments from the private sector to double overall funding (see policy on 'Britain'). As with all UKpopdem policies, we know where the money is coming from. There will be no tax rises and no need for them.
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Georgia

In the violent world of bullying and provocation - Little man with big ego, as in Georga's case; or bullying man with big ego and too much power, as in Russia's case, it is always the innocent who suffer. After thousands of years of civilisation it's still the same the world over; posturing, provoking and bullying. The West is as guilty as the East; the small as guilty as the big. There is another way. How about helping our neighbours rather than crushing them? How about using our strengths to supplement their weaknesses, or vice versa? If our neighbour is in the dark, then what they need is light. It is possible to reach out a hand in support and friendship. It's what those with the power should be doing. Let's see more hugging and less hurting.
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Children losing respect for their parents

Children have no respect for their parents, shouts a report! This should be no surprise to anyone; it is the ultimate aim of a bloated, centralised welfare state. Incredibly, Britain has now reached the position where the state has actually become the parents! Why complain about absent fathers? They have no role when the state is the father. Why look askance at feckless mothers? What role do they have when the state is the mother? To many children, parents are no more than older people they live with, ignore and don't understand. Or perhaps they see them as servants whose job is to fetch, carry and pick up after them. UKpopdems won't dismantle the best parts of the welfare state but we will support and back proper families and strong family relationships.
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Windfall Taxes on Energy Companies

Yes, it's time to tax the windfall profits of energy and utility companies. Not so that the Treasury benefits, which is what Brown wants; but to reduce the bills of ordinary, struggling families. Net profits of hundreds of millions of pounds are obscene in today's belt tightening downturn, especially when those profits and dividends go to foreign owners. These utility companies may have been privatised, but they should be seen as, and operate as, essential public services where net profits are shared with the nation and customers. That would be fair.
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Glasgow East

Well, the electorate of Glasgow East have made exactly the right decision. Labour have failed Scotland just as they have failed the whole of Britain, while The Scottish National Party have caught the prevailing mood and must surely be able to do better than Labour. Do you know the extraordinary thing? Brown and New Labour still think they are doing the right thing and keeping a steady ship of state. They really don't see that it's them, their fault Britain and the people of Britain are suffering: their incompetence; their centralising, bureaucratic policies; their obscene waste of money and resources. Do they seriously want to give a landslide victory to the Tories? It appears so.
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Brown lectures the people on waste

When Brown lectures ordinary struggling families about waste, the word 'hypocracy' comes readily to mind. It's not just that he chose to pontificate about British food waste while we watched the remains of a five course banquet being slung at G8 Toyako: it's the fact that this whole government is built on waste. Of the approx. £500billion of our hard earned money that Brown rakes into his counting house annually, some reports show that as much as £150billion of it is simply wasted every year! Labour's obscene, bloated bureaucracy can hardly carry its own weight. Think what that money could do for child poverty, supporting families, eradicating violence, properly educating children, reducing prices, caring for the old, supporting our brave forces better. But no, it's just thrown away.
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The biggest Challenge

What is the biggest challenge facing Britain? Well, according to New Labour over ten years it's been; Global Warming, Terrorism, Poverty, Obesity, The Aging Population, Binge Drinking, Knife Crime, Credit Crunch, Fuel Crisis, and now - Recession and Stagflation. In other words, they have absolutely no idea. Whatever hits them is the new biggest challenge. This is why political pundits say Labour is 'drifting'. They mean Labour can only address what they bump into next. This is not government. Government is about knowing what needs doing and then doing it for the benefit of your citizens, your nation and the world. It's a bit late now, but if Brown listens and listens hard to the ordinary, commonsense people of Britain, he may yet avert disaster for himself and us.
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Linda from Wakefield e-mails

Linda says: 'Your document on 'Implementing the International Vision' says UKpopdems wants to massively increase weapons. There are enough weapons in the world already without UKpopdems adding to the stockpile'. Thanks Linda, and well said. UKpopdems wants to reach out for peace in every quarter. Where innocent people are suffering fear, violence and starvation from cruel governments we also want to help as peace keepers. The key need is not in weapons, Linda, but equipment excellence of all kinds where this government has failed and exposed our troops to danger. We need more and better ground, air and sea transport; more and better protection for vehicles and personnel; better food and accommodation - and of course more weapons, because we are doubling front-line forces in order to avoid overstretching the most important resource: the men and women who give of themselves freely to protect others and our nation.
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Zimbabwe - enough is enough

Mugabe has been killing, maiming and starving his people and ruining his country for years, while Britain, other Western states, the UN and African neighbours have all stood aside with their hands stuffed firmly in their pockets. For every African disaster the action from those who should know better and could have sorted it out has been too little, too late - and innocent people have had their lives destroyed because of that failure. The biggest letdown is ours, Britain's; our weak international resolve created it and we should have pushed and pushed to correct the situation. Dogged tenacity on our part would have brought our partners in; after all, it took only a snap of American fingers to get Britain into Iraq. Now Morgan Tsvangirai has invited the world to help there is no excuse. Let's go!
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The Lisbon Treaty

The passing of this treaty by The Lords is a travesty of democracy and I hope the Queen refuses to sign it off. The people of Ireland have spoken and they speak for probably hundreds of millions in many other countries of Europe where citizens have been denied a referendum. What kind of government does Brown lead that not only ignores the wishes of the people but ignores the treaty that he himself signed? - that all countries must agree or the treaty fails. It's quite simple. UKpopdems is neutral on the treaty, but we've always believed the people must have their say and that an EU which is no more than a bureaucratic dictatorship must be reformed.
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42 days without charge

If you ask people if they want terrorists locked up, then everyone, including me, would say ‘you bet, throw away the key’. But the argument isn’t about terrorists; it’s about government exerting control over ordinary people. Politicians in power cannot be trusted with your liberties. Look, we’ve had people detained under the terrorism act for heckling the Prime Minister; Councils have snooped on parents under the same act; fuel protesters have been threatened with terrorist detention; ordinary people taking photographs in public have had their cameras seized; and if people did finally come onto the streets in protest over prices, then terrorist detention could well be invoked.
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MPs expenses

For a long time people have said MPs are all at it; they're all the same; they put their interests above those of the constituents they are supposed to represent. Well the news is that, as usual, the people are right and their thoughts about MPs and MEPs should be closely listened to by those who want our votes in the future. We are not talking about taking a pencil from work for our own use; no, this is wholesale bending of the rules to rake in thousands and thousands of pounds that rightly belong to us, the British people. It's got to stop.
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Soldiers' pay

Britain's armed forces are treated appallingly. They are badly paid, badly supported, badly armed, badly housed. No other public sector service would stand for it and that's why Traffic Wardens are paid more than front-line soldiers. No party is prepared to do anything about it either; there's plenty of noise but no action. UKpopdems alone recognises the value of our armed services and we'll look after them properly. Pay for the most junior ranks will increase by 30%; we'll double front-line resources and invest in the best equipment from home and abroad; and, most important, we'll look after our forces in full recognition of the danger they willingly put themselves into on Britain's behalf. Our unique policies mean we'll have the money to do this and we'll use it wisely.
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Parents guilty on youth crime?

Raising children is difficult, very difficult, especially for single parents. It's easy to blame them for their childrens' misdemeanours when this and past governments offer no practical help. Where are they supposed to turn? UKpopdems is putting vastly more front-line police and social support on the streets, right there where people live. Parents will only need to open the door to get help. We'll encourage parents to call early for assistance with their kids and we'll make sure they get it. It's only parents not making that call, who don't care, that deserve blame.

Eurovision Song Contest

Britain came bottom and we complain that political voting spoils the event. No, there are several things going on here. One: Britain and Western Europe can no longer get away with third rate acts and hope the rest of Europe falls into line. Two: Europe is moving eastwards fast, and it's us that needs to fall into line. Too long has Britain looked to the US with our back facing the east; now it's time to turn around. Three: There's a rising sense of nationhood and belonging in the east, even amongst old enemies; Britain needs to join in and reach out a hand in community and friendship. Four: and yes, maybe we should encourage four national songs for our four UK nations - one of them might be a winner.
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Youth offending

For all the trendy initiatives and cash Labour has thrown at the problem of youth crime over ten years it has made absolutely no difference, say the experts. Labour has always chosen the route of throwing our money at problems of their own making instead of addressing root causes. But all politicians have failed in that respect. As in many policy areas, UKpopdems is different. We're massively increasing front-line support by reducing central bureaucracy, so when families and children have difficulties they won't have to search in vain for help, it will be right there working for them and with them in their communities. That's the UKpopdem difference. It won't cost more, but deliver the right things in the right way for the benefit of Britain and all British people.
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Care for the elderly

The Prime Minister is suggesting a full consultation with the people on this thorny issue of who pays for elderly care. Now, no party believes more in people power than UKpopdems, but this is just a cynical attempt from Brown to trick people into a corner. He knows that if the people say the state should pay, then Brown will use this as an excuse to put up taxes. If the people say they should be responsible themselves, then Brown will use this to get rid of state obligations for the elderly and spend the money currently allocated on another of his wasteful, useless schemes. It's a no win situation for ordinary people. I hope the people will say: hey, Brown, we want free care for the elderly and no tax rises - just like Scotland!
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Scottish Independence

Wendy Alexander is right, whether or not Brown agrees, the people of Scotland should have the chance as soon as possible to voice their opinion on independence in order to clear the air. In fact the referendum should be held right across the British Isles. This is not just a Scottish question, Scotland is part of Britain and every Briton should have their say. If the resulting vote from Scotland itself is more than 40% in favour of independence, then the rest of the UK needs to make choices. Today, each Scot receives £1500 more than the average person in England. If Scotland is veering towards independence then this extra £1500 should start being made in the form of loans to be repaid if and when Scotland chooses full independence. This will protect the rest of Britain, too.
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Local and London Elections

When Labour get 24% of the vote and LibDems get 25%, it's time for Gordon Brown to hang his head in shame. UKpopdems has long made public our view that Gordon Brown was not only the worst Chancellor Britain has suffered, but is also the worst Prime Minister. It looks like our feelings then have turned into reality now. This is Brown's John Major moment and there may be no way back. But whereas John Major wanted to please everyone but ended up pleasing no-one, Gordon Brown doesn't care about anyone except himself and bolstering belief in his own arguments. Brown now says he's sorry and will listen. He needs to prove he's listened hard and demonstrate he is acting on that listening.
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Grangemouth strike

What a waste this dispute is where no-one gains and everyone suffers. Labour just wrings its collective hands and remains powerless. As with so many of today's problems it seems UKpopdems is the only party with solutions. Look, companies want to maximise profits and employees want to maximise pensions. Quite right, it is possible to have both. For a start UKpopdems will eliminate corporation tax so companies can retain ALL their profits. Second, we'll balance this by requiring companies to reinstate salary linked pensions AND be responsible for looking after employee's health better. Costs neutral and benefits all round. Not to mention a massive influx of profitable companies and jobs into the UK. It's so obvious you could weep.
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10p tax band betrayal

As support for Brown ebbs away, labour MPs are being urged to stick with his strong principles and beliefs. As for the rest of us, we now know what these are. Ten years of 'New Labour' has left Britain with 'Old Labour' disasters and ordinary people are going to suffer. Our democratic infrastructure is eroding; our social infrastructure breaking down; our international standing being surrendered; our economic systems being destroyed. And all this from a Prime Minister whose no more elected than Mugabe.
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Olympic Torch Protests

Three cheers for all those committed souls protesting more or less peacefully along the route of the Olympic Torch. China is a swaggering power on the world stage fed by the West's insatiable appetite for consumer tat, and it will come back to bite us in the end. China needs a dose of humility so it can be shown the way to contribute to world peace instead of promoting conflict. And a bit of assistance from genuine people power is a good way of helping China appreciate the error of its ways.

Ministers' expenses

The first exposure into public light of ministers' detailed expenses should be marked as a special day. Is this the beginning of a recognition that MPs work for us rather than we for them; that they are our paid servants rather than our masters? Thank you BBC and the tabloid media for your persistance in attacking the walls of self interest and protectionism surrounding our once cherished Parliament. Now's the time to widen the breach.
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Embryo Research Bill

What a hollow sham of a free vote Brown is offering Catholic MPs, and what hollow shams of MPs they are if they take it. They have a free vote of some aspects of the bill as long as they vote for the whole bill at the end. It salves their consciences so they can say: 'it wasn't me gov'. Anyway, whose conscience is more important? MPs represent voters, don't they? What about voters consciences - who's asking the people what we think? For a Prime Minister who talks big about a dialogue with the people, Brown sure acts small in making it happen. Above all, the peoples' opinion should count on this one, so now's your chance, Brown!
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2008 Budget

This budget is not just a con, it's a whisker away from fraud. We were promised alchohol taxes to end binge drinking, but now we see it's the much suffering ordinary consumers who are hit most; binge drinkers won't even notice. We were promised green measures on gas guzzlers, but now we see Darling puts the humble Ford Focus into this heinous group, and ordinary consumers are hit again with a three-fold first year tax increase. And where is all this money going? Into climate change measures? More police to combat violence? Oh no, nothing as useful as that. It's disappearing straight into Brown's spending black hole, never to resurface.
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The Lisbon Treaty

So Labour finally squashes the will of the people by refusing a treaty referendum. This from a party that trumpets its belief in 'a dialogue with the people'. For all the clever and convoluted arguments, there is one reason alone why, and a base one at that. It's because Brown knew the people would not deliver the 'right' answer. They would vote NO! And how embarrassed Brown would be in front of all his EU counterparts, because he had already signed up for it. Hang on, wasn't this the reason Britain went into Iraq, just because Blair was too embarrassed to tell Bush that the British people had said NO in their millions? What has British democracy come down to? The views of the people are useful only as long as they agree with the government? Do they work for us or do we work for them?
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Harry pulled out of Afghanistan

Thank goodness Harry's been pulled out of Afghanistan. What if he had been captured? - it's a frightening thought. Twenty, even fifteen years ago, Britain was proud and confident. We could face down any odds and we did. Now, we have a government that is weak, incompetent and dithering; one that cares little about Britain and national pride and even less about the Royal Family. What would or could Brown have done? Our forces are undervalued, under-strength, under-funded and under-armed; led by accountants rather than Wellingtons and Nelsons. When the Navy can't see off a couple of Iranian gun boats, and sailors cry when their i-pods are taken away, it's time to worry.

Ughtred asks for support as Parliament votes on the Lisbon treaty

Ughtred, it is quite clear that the British people demand a referendum on this treaty which is so close to the original constitution as to be almost indistinguishable. If Brown seriously wants to engage with the people, as he says he does, then this is the issue to do do it on. The truth is that Brown only wants one answer and doesn't trust the people to give it. There's a mass lobby being organised for Wednesday 27th February by www.iwantareferendum.com and UKpopdems supports that wholeheartedly.
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Archbishop´s Sharia gaff

Rowan Williams is a good and holy man but in this age of instant blaring headlines no one has time to examine the detail of his words, or cares to. The Archbishop must realise this and find better advisers. The key facts he must realise are these: firstly, that Britain is an historically Christian nation and our laws are based on Christian teachings; secondly, the British people are tolerant of other faiths, unlike the home countries of many of those different faiths, and as long as followers of other faiths are prepared to accept British laws and live under them in peace, then that tolerance will continue.
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Are they all at it?

The welcome news of Hain´s resignation and Derek Conway´s sacking are steps in the right direction. But there´s a feeling common among British voters that MPs of all parties are at it wherever they think they can get away with it. A recent Telegraph poll confirms this. No less than 90% of respondents expected that MPs would bend the rules on expenses and donations. This is scandalous and it´s time for drastic action. MPs should be serving us and setting an example, not serving themselves. This lack of public trust shows that MPs must be much more regulated than they are, with regular inspections into their affairs without notice being the norm.
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Sissy writes about Kenya

Sissy asks what can UKpopdems do about Kenya. Kenya is yet another African disaster caused by corrupion, greed and violent tribalism. The West was late into Darfur, innefective in Rwanda, inactive in Zimbabwe and now helpless in Kenya. We can't do everything but there are some things we can do. UKpopdems will first increase Britains strength in arms; doubling manpower and equipment, otherwise we can do nothing overstretched as we are. Then we will work with our allies and the UN to obtain pre-approval to act as peacekeepers in Africa. Only then can the West take is proper role to intervene before the real damage is done and innocent people are maimed and killed and infrastructure ruined.
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'A' level student plagiarism

Apparently, internet plagiarism among 'A' level students is endemic. Everyone does it. What a total failure of Brown's education policy. A stars for everyone. No need for knowledge; all you need is the internet. The real problem is coursework done in home time. UKpopdems is ending coursework done at home, and ending all homework, actually. In exchange for school kids and students being free from homework at home, we'll lengthen the school day and make sure all work is supervised and supported in school. There'll be a proper early supper and parents will be invited in to build quality family time between school and home.
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Hain incompetence

Now we know from his leader that Hain is just 'incompetent' and therefore should be let off any criminal charges following on from his failure to properly register £100,000 of donations, because it was a mistake! No wonder ordinary people are so distrustful of politicians and regard them as self-seeking untouchables. I tell you this, if Hain gets away with it we should all be writing to Brown demanding he change the law so that 'making a mistake' is a genuine defence against criminal convictions and swingeing parking and speeding fines on harassed and persecuted motorists. What applies to one should apply to all.
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Going Nuclear

Britain must get serious about protecting it's energy sources and Brown's nuclear plant decision could be part of the answer. This is just the announcement and our PM loves a grand headline grabber. It's implementation detail where he's weak and with nuclear we cannot afford the dangers of poor delivery. There's another thing, Brown promised a full debate on energy yet it turns out there were just nine 'meetings', whatever that means. Does anyone know anyone who was at those meetings? It's not good enough. Full debate means full debate, even for Prime Ministers
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Families struggle in 2008

What a generous New Year present for struggling British families in 2008. Rail fares up 10%+; energy prices up 10%+; car costs up 10%+; food and essentials up 10%+; council tax up? - you bet; other stealth taxes up this year? - of course; general inflation now up 4%+ but it'll go higher. Now, let's look at workers' wages - up 2%. That means we'll all be worse off (except MPs, of course, who'll award themselves the full 10%!). Brown is doing what Labour is best at; turning Britain rapidly from a high wage, low cost first world society into a low wage, high cost third world disaster. Won't someone please rid Britain of this incompetent Prime Minister?
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Teachers failing to take up teaching posts

Thousands of trained teachers are not taking up posts or are abandoning teaching after a short time. Is it a coincidence that teachers have never been so stressed nor less able to get on with the job of actually teaching. With UKpopdems, teachers. parents and pupils will get the support they need to ensure children grow into into well-educated, healthy and confidence young adults. More resources; less government and authority interference; a curriculum to meet today's adult needs in Communication, Civilisation, Self-Management and Vocation; and schools and teaching methods that best suit individual learning styles.
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Bali agreement

Whatever you may think about the irony of the Bali agreement, where delegates from 189 countries and other hangers on chucked out enough CO2 emissions on their own to raise world temperatures, the fact is that these countries talked and they agreed through peer pressure. If this is the issue that starts nations talking seriously and compassionately, instead of warring, then there's hope yet for equally pressing subjects such as world peace and the eradication of poverty.
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Police pay

Police pay may be reasonable, but Brown's penny pinching on an established agreement is dishonourable and wrong. There is something more going on here than saving a few tenths of a percentage point on pay. It almost seems the government is deliberately setting out to destroy police morale in the same way as they are doing with Britain's armed forces. They've already messed up schools, created a bottomless pit of an NHS and allowed crime and immigration to run out of control. There's a horrible smell about this government. Someone needs to open a window.
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Colin asks about UKpopdems policy for The House of Lords

Thanks, Colin. The qualty of legislation is getting poorer and peoples' lives and freedoms are being constrained. The Lords is all we have in the current system to protect the rest of us from the worst excesses of bad government. We want to strengthen the Lords and fill it with the very best men and women Britain can find. We'll make peerages harder to get and independently nominated and decided. No more political hacks, or peerages bought for cash, or 'instant' elevations. The Lords will be majority elected, and when bills are rejected they will go to the people to decide, rather than allowing government to push bad policy through regardless.
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Primary school teacher on trial in Sudan

UKpopdems know this trial has nothing to do with Islam and everything to do with Sudan's hard regime. This is man's justice, not the justice of God. In our own Christian religion, Jesus preached love and compassion, yet in the past Britain handed down the most barbaric sentences for the smallest of religious transgressions; and today would lock up its own citizens without charge for months if it could get away with it. It is the men and women who use religion to suit their own ends that the world needs to guard against, not religion itself.
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Phil e-mails about the EU

Phil asks; what is UKpopdem's position on an EU vote?
Ukpopdems replies: the EU is changing out of all recognition from when Britain originally joined and we think people should be asked if they want their country to be part of that change knowing what we know now. It's why UKpopdems supports a popular vote on the EU Lisbon treaty. This treaty moves the UK much closer to a United States of Europe and we think the peoples' permission should be asked first, before that happens.
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Britain's Defence Shame

The appalling way our forces are treated is shameful. Badly paid, badly armed, incompetent logistics, and badly looked after both at home and in the field of war. How can Brown, and before him Blair, look at themselves in the mirror and not feel personally guilty and ashamed. UKpopdems has allocated funding in our fiscal policy to increase pay, double front-line resources, get the best arms and equipment and make sure our men and women are looked after whatever the circumstances. For those who put their lives in jeopardy for Britain we can do no other.
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Northern Rock

What a disaster this is turning out to be. £40billion of taxpayers' money on the line; small shareholders losing much or even all of their money; employees' jobs in danger, and a recession on the horizon. Is this Brown's equivalent of John Major's ERM debacle, but at a much higher cost? You can be sure the fat cats won't be losing any money - they'll be making it. Only the ordinary people suffer under our current system. UKpopdems have been alone in publicly declaring Brown as Britain's worst Chancellor for a century and now we think he may be Britain's worst Prime Minister too.
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Gordon Brown's vision

So, Gordon Brown's foreign policy vision is one of Hard-Headed Internationalism. UKpopdems have long held the view that Brown's Premiereship would be exactly the same as Blair's Premiership but with less charm, less passion and more 'bull in a china shop' pratfalls. Well, so far we've been proved right. This is Blair's vision badly repackaged and, in reality, is not so much Hard-Headed Internationalism but more like 'Bone-Headed American Poodleism'.
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Brian Mooney of New Alliance e-mails

About your proposed EU membership referendum. If people vote to stay in, then UKpopdems plan to change the EU from within and put Britain first is impossible, because the power to achieve this has already been signed away.
Thanks for your comment. We don't know which way that vote will go, Brian, but UKpopdems will make these changes to benefit Britain by working WITH the EU, not against it. That's the way to get things done. Look at Italy, they are deporting criminals from another EU state and have EU backing for it. They worked WITH their partners to achieve this, not against them. What Britons want CAN be done and WILL be done. That's our promise.
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State Opening of Parliament

Many MPs in the House of Commons want to see the pomp and ceremony surrounding the Monarch being further reduced. Why is this? They say it is because Britain needs to 'move into the 21st century': UKpopdems know it is really because these people are full of their own importance and think they are too grand to bend their knee to the Monarch. They don't understand that the Monarch represents the person of Britain itself; that the greatness and respect afforded to the Crown represents the peoples' aspirations for a great and respected Britain. UKpopdems believes there should be more pomp, more ceremony and more spectacle, and that MPs should be glad to bend the knee to the Crown; because in doing that they also bend the knee to Britain and the people of Britain.
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Supermarkets and Compettion

Once again, government has no answer to supermarkets that stifle local competition. UKpopdems have a unique solution to aid beleagured independent retailers. UKpopdems policy is to allow independents to order goods directly from the big four supermarkets and have them delivered, all at supermarkets' wholesale rates. Simple; customers and independents benefit while supermarkets offer a public service without losing money. It's the UKpopdems difference.
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Margaret from Croydon writes:

'I look at UKpopdems vision, goals and policies and find myself agreeing with all of it. But isn't it too late to change things? Labour is destroying Britain and we can't turn the clock back'.
Don't lose heart, Margaret. It can be done. UKpopdems is fortunate because we have a fixed star of what Britons want their country to be. Our job is to take the clay we are presented with when the time comes and out of it carefully shape the future Britain that you and millions like you yearn for. Keep faith.
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Pro-Referendum Rally 27th October

• UKpopdems is committed to supporting a referendum on the EU Treaty.
• We are not pro or anti the EU treaty itself but UK powers are being given to Brussels and Britons should have the opportunity to vote on it.

For UKpopdems members and others who want to get together:

• We'll meet at Jolly St. Ermins hotel in Caxton Street - 11.30am
• Meet at the rally in Old Palace Yard - 1.00pm
• Rally ends - 3.00pm

Paul e-mails about popular votes

Paul says, 'UKpopdems is prepared to hold referenda on many issues including EU membership, but is pledged to stay neutral. I think Government should take the lead, make sound judgements that the people can follow and get off the fence'.
Thanks, Paul. Unfortunately, people are no longer willing to take government on trust. Labour has abused the trust of Britons to such an extent that people are more likely to do the opposite of what government commands. You see, UKpopdems pledge is to LISTEN to the people; not tell them what to do or what to think; and our policies reflect that. We trust the people and believe the commonsense needs of ordinary Britons counts far more than the self-serving interests of politicians and their cronies. Ukpopdems is the only party promising to really listen to ordinary people and we'll regulate to make sure it happens. Our policies put the people first; that's UKpopdems leadership promise.
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Where now for Lib/Dems?

Lib/Dem's low rating was nothing to do with Campbell's age. It is because, like the Tories, Lib/Dems have few discernable policies, and the ones they do have seem bonkers. Britons want sound alternative policies that benefit themselves and their families and neither opposition party have anything much to offer. UKpopdems have the vision, goals and policies that people want but have yet to properly catch the eye of the media to get the message across. Until our day comes then LibDems and Tories must stop letting the British people down and start doing their jobs properly as Labour's opposition. Otherwise the dangerous extremist partes of hate will do it for them and we'll all suffer.
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What is Brown's Vision?

Now Brown is stumbling and reduced to picking up other parties' policies, MPs are asking 'What is his vision?' Where have they been for the last ten years? Brown's vision is quite straight-forward and simple, but he won't tell you the truth, he cannot; for Brown's vision is frightening. He doesn't trust you to spend your own money wisely. He wants all of it in his own hands and under his own control. He wants you tied to his bureaucratic State apron strings, working for the State or dependent on it. So when Brown stumbles, rejoice, for Britain is a little nearer freedom.
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Royal Mail discord

The disharmony in the Royal mail is damaging to everyone; employees, business users, ordinary people and our country. You have to read between the lines to see how things could be better with UKpopdems. Because Royal Mail is owned by us, the taxpayer, it is really a public service. And UKpopdems expect efficiency from public services, not profit. We expect public sector employees to be treated the same as their bosses; the percent rise for one is the rise for the other; the conditions for one are the conditions for the other; the impact of efficiency on the one is the same as the other. We expect teamwork, vocation, openness and respect, not warfare.
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Tracy e-mails about crime and immigration

Tracy asks: crime and excessive immigration are the biggest problems facing our country. How is UKpopdems going to deal with those?
You're right, these are big problems and UKpopdems has big and serious answers to deal with them. Britain is stuffed with legal and illegal immigrants and gun and knife wielding violent criminals; and our government seems helpless. UKpopdems will be spending £24billion extra a year on additional police, immigration officers, detection technology and detention infrastructure to stamp out violent crime and reduce and control immigration. This is what everyone wants, Tracy, and UKpopdems will deliver.
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Junior Doctors' recruitment fiasco

The woeful incompetence of the MTAS computer system for post graduate training and recruitment is just one part of the many failings and waste of this government. Waste of money and waste of valuable human resources. In UKpopdems' drive to reduce government waste and transfer funding into essential front-line jobs and supporting infrastructure, we will freeze all back-line and administrative IT systems and totally change the way theses systems are initiated and run for the future. No more waste. There are better things to do with your tax money.
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Brown is vulnerable

Gordon Brown suddenly seems on the defensive after the non-election debacle. The spin master has been caught in his own web. While Blair's charm made him half-believable when spinning, Brown appears like a clumsy Ox crashing about in a china shop of half-truths obvious to all but those who don't want to see it. There's more to come.

Mike from Stafford writes:

Love your new web-site and clear policies, but it looks like utopia. How are you going to deliver what you promise?
Thanks, Mike. Not utopia; if past governments hadn't failed Britain so badly this is where we would be already. These policies are a minimum to get us back where we should be. Delivery is at the heart of our party and UKpopdems' Treasury spokesman has a detailed funding proposal to make sure it can happen.
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Ukpopdems is pleased to support the pro referendum rally on 27th October. UKpopdems believes people should have real power and a strong voice, and we say 'Gordon, let the people vote'. Make sure to look out for UKpopdems at the rally and stop by for a chat.

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