Monday, December 3, 2012

Fighters for Democracy



Two Fighters for the cause of:-
The Freedom of Thought,  The Right to be Heard, The Right to be a fairly treated British Citizen.

Harry Shindler, born 1921.              Determined fighter for Human Rights. 


Those who receive these messages will know who he is and what he stands for.  In a word
Democracy.




DEMOCRACY is not a GRANT to be GIVEN

DEMOCRACY is a RIGHT to be RECOGNISED.

Is not it a civilised expectation (a human ‘right’?) that Government of a Nation should care for and listen to the citizens of that Nation?
Harry Shindler has brought a case before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), with the justifiable claim that the British Government ignores a multitude of British Citizens who live abroad. 
The ECHR emerged from the Council of Europe (CoE). That body has little to do with the European Union (EU) of 27 States.  It is older than the EU, being established on May 5th 1949, exactly 4 years to the day after the end of WWII.  The founding member States were in Western Europe, from Norway to Italy, excluding Spain and Portugal.  Other States joined and now it has representatives from 47 States from Spain to Russia and Turkey.
A principal concern of the ECHR is judgements on the law of the European Convention of Human Rights which is a treaty evolved from the Council of Europe.
So- since Harry’s case is before the EHCR which was born of the Council of Europe, what then is the opinion of the Assembly of the Council of Europe concerning Parliamentary Representation and the vote?  Here follows some links
1.  To view a brief résumé extracted from Harry’s presentation to the ECHR here…– Council of Europe opinion.
The arguments are immensely revealing.  The emotion it evokes is the sentiment of John Kennedy ‘Ask not what your country can do for you, But what you can do for your Country’.  The Council of Europe in Recommendation 1410 (1999 said)
those [expatriate] nationals can in fact play an important go-between role in host countries, working for better …… relations between their country of origin and the country where they live.”    When the British citizens abroad explain to the British Government what they have done, and what they can do for Britain, the reply from some narrow thinking politicians in effect is – ‘Go away – You have emigrated, go and vote there’.

Briefly:-  The Assembly of the 47 States of the Council of Europe says that all citizens should be able to vote for Representatives in their NATIONAL Parliament, WHEREVER they live.

Unfortunately these recommendations have not passed into law.
Moreover the politicians on the whole in Britain, the prime founder member of the Council, does not look favourably on the ECHR.
If  Harry’s case fails before the ECHR he will pursue it before the International Court of Justice (United Nations).



 James Preston, born 1968. 


  The highly successful Managing Director of Rockspring, Iberia (Madrid)

[see the parent company  -- www.rockspringpim.comwww.rockspringpim.com]

James brought a case before the High Court in Britain on the matter of his political disenfranchisement. That is to say he has no political representation at all, yet his enterprise is typical of the enthusiastic  British enterprise abroad that one supposes the British Government wants to foster.
The High Court dismissed his claim. He is pursuing his case through to the Supreme Court and if necessary on to the European Court of Justice.
 His claim is that the removal of voting rights is a breach of the treaty of Rome whereby all member states guarantee that no EU citizen should be penalized, in effect, from exercising its rights of freedom of movement, labour etc within the EU by either the host state, or the state of origin.  The removal of voting rights applied to such citizens is in our view a clear breach of that commitment.

The cause of Freedom is driven forward by people like Harry and James who are prepared to stand above the parapet and cry out for what is right.

The very few stand firm, the rest benefit.  Where would women votes (indeed women's rights!) be now if Emmilene Pankhurst had not stood firm? 
The cause of Democracy depends on people like Harry and James.
Let us support them.

What can you do? --- Write to Ms. Chloe Smith Minister for Political and Constitutional Reform – If you like send this mail.  But give your views.  The reply will probably be banal but your mail keeps the pot boiling which is what we need to do.
Write to your own MP (if you have one!)  or another.. Get an address from

DEMOCRACY is not a GRANT to be GIVEN
DEMOCRACY is a RIGHT to be RECOGNISED.


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