Re: Helena Kennedy's comments. on BBC News24 about democracy in the UK following a report issued today. ---------- Forwarded Message ----------Subject: "Democracy is coming to the UK" (Thanks Leonard Cohen)Date: Monday 27 February 2006 11:32From: Gary D Chance To: news24@bbc.co.uk, info@helenakennedy.co.ukNo one addresses the real source of the problem as to why there is seriously reduced democratic engagement in the UK. Until such time as the voter actually elects a head of state and chief executive for managing the Government, there will be disillusion and apathy. Currently the chief executive of the Government (Prime Minister) is selected by the majority MPs in Parliament. S/he is not directly accountable to the people and has no mandate from the people. The mandate is party politics, and all anyone votes for is an MP. There is no real power from the people in that. It's an illlusion. Moving power to Parliament will be just as bad bogging down important decisions and legislation in the committee process. Go back and read John Locke who originally proposed the separation of powers for this country in the 17th century. There needs to be separate legislative, judicial and executive branches of government each held to specified responsibilities and ultimately accountable to the electorate with regard to the legislatvie and executive branches. The judiciary needs to be completely independent and a check on the legislative and executive powers by a written constitution and legislation. If this separation of powers with checks and balances ultimately accountable to the electorate sounds like the US Constitution, it's because they adopted John Locke's ideas while the UK stumbled on with real power in the hands of a few. Only root and branch work on the political system in the UK will restore voter engagement, and there must be a written constitution. There must always be a legal redress of grievances available under law for anyone. This is currently absent in this country as a result of the state-of-the art of surveillance technology now being used for repressive objectives. The way this state-of-the-art surveillance technology has been and is currently being used in the UK reflects a tyranny because the democratic rule of law, law enforcement and the judicial system are completely usurped. Vigilantism imprisonment and torture have been my direct experience 24/7 for 7.5 years. These institutions and their supposedly cherished standards and values might as well not exist at present. There are no human, legal or civil rights in this country at present nor have there been any in my direct experience 24/7 for the past 7.5 years from the most gross abuse of power imaginable using surveillance technology as a weapon. *****End of Email*****Re: following a report issued today about the gender pay gap in the UK which is the worst in Europe.---------- Forwarded Message ----------Subject: Abuse Britain Reinforced in the Work PlaceDate: Monday 27 February 2006 12:45From: Gary D Chance To: news24@bbc.co.ukNow we see continuing extreme abuse in the work place from the trailers for "The Apprentice" [weekly BBC TV programme] including child abuse.Women are being shown in your report today that the pay gap and opportunities for women in the work place are subject to abusive discrimination.Surprise? You are setting the standard for work place brutality by depicting it in "The Apprentice." Why should there be any surprise about the gender pay gap report?I think it's quite revealing that you run the trailer for "The Apprentice" followed by the heated discussion about women in effect being brutalised in the work place by this [and related] discrimination.*****End of Email*****