A Step Too Far – The 2011 Census Rebellion

I find this absolutely wonderful…

At every turn now I’m seeing a whole host of people from every class, creed, religion, ideology AND politic persuasions across the entire spectrum, but all with a  consensus that is damn near universal.

So many ideas, so many views, all telling the corporate State, this intrusion a step too far and answer it with a resounding – I’m telling you jack diddly squat, mate! But I have noticed a distinct lack of support from those we’d say as having ‘clout’, in the eyes of the masses, those being the officials, the mainstream media and talking heads, the journalists with any integrity left, the personalities even the CELEBRITIES…  (yes I know, scrapping the barrel there with that last one!) But then, it’s hardly sexy, is it, not much scope for getting on the next chat show except as the oddity, a stitch up, or just for comic relief…

Even the serial conformists are having issues with a great deal of the  2011 fiasco, not just the invasive, irrelevant questions, but the choice of Lockheed Martin as the agent for the ONS.  Have we all sunk so low, are we truly become the apathetic wretches who are so cowed, so servile, that we shrink and tug a forelock to those men and women in government?

Oh I have seen a few notable exceptions, many, many great articles detailing with this subject, but few personalities were weighing in and then I had to stand corrected…  In strode Janet Street Porter with her indomitable flair and typical ‘shoot from the hip’ attitude to brighten my day.

How can the simple job of gathering information about the population once every ten years, which started out in 1801 as a single sheet of paper, have morphed into this costly (£480 million and rising) exercise during a period of national financial hardship?

If we can’t afford help for carers, child day-care centres, meals on wheels and libraries, how can we bloody well afford this grandiose census? We are told it’s justified because the information allows the Government to plan grants to local authorities and to decide how much money to allocate for future health care.

The stuff about our homes helps to formulate future strategy for housing. If we tell them how we get to work, apparently it will help with the planning of transport systems and new roads.

And pigs can fly. Every time a new road, bus or rail route is planned, what happens?

There’s a fresh consultation exercise. Ditto when it comes to new housing and hospitals — there’s always a need for up-to-date information and research. More questionnaires, more information, more money spent.

I’ll leave that article with a thought, a small pondering of mine…  Just who has more balls, Janet Street Porter?…  Or the traitorous ConDem coalition?…  Tough call, isn’t it?

This one from Big Brother Watch tickled my fancy for sure.

The real question depends on the number of people, who either by not returning, defacing or directly challenging the  applicability of census via the No Contract – Return To Sender, conditional acceptance, religious reasons, support of State terrorism, or whatever…  and dealing with potential doorstep intrusions…

Even then it’s hardly an issue for even the most timid, a simple NO TRESPASS notice prominently displayed, bring it to their agents attention and close the door.  Too simple?  Then why did Census director Glen Watson have this to say on the subject back in July 2010:

“We have to have made contact.  So quite a lot of the people that don’t return the questionnaire, our census field staff have not been able to make any contact and you cannot prosecute a house.“

Who will be prosecuted, and under what circumstances?

Of the 1.5 million families that, in whatever manner, refused to participate in the 2001 census, only 38 were successfully prosecuted, and given the lack of understanding in any number of legal ‘tricks’ to gain jurisdiction, it is a wonder to me, that there wasn’t more…  Only one ended up in a prison sentence, and that was a well publicised case where a particularly obstinate man was done for contempt of court for refusing to pay the fine.  The details of the criteria used can be found here.

“Prosecutions were sought on a case-by-case basis, where there was clear evidence of a refusal to return a completed Census form. The criteria for Non-Compliance Unit dropping potential cases were decided by the Legislation Project Manager, following the practise in previous censuses and taking account of more recent legal advice. The main reasons for dropping cases included:

• insufficient confirmation of householder’s name (in cases, for example, where no contact had been made and evidence from other sources of information – such as the Electoral Register – was lacking);
• responsibility for making a return had not been established;
• possible irregularities in field procedures;
• evidence of mitigating personal circumstances, such as age or infirmity of the householder or in cases of bereavement;
• claims that forms had been posted back which could not be readily verified because of postal difficulties; and
• cases relating to a second home or holiday accommodation.”

So will the government  actually fine them, or will they be seen to be selectively prosecuting individuals which must invariably  appear politically motivated?

Something to think on if you really must fill it in, deface it or whatever, please, please, consider rubbing  a white candle over the ‘official use’ boxes, make these bureaucrats work for their shekels.  If ‘we’ are paying so much for it, is it so much to ask that we get value for our tax-thefts?

Some may be wondering how I may be handling this, to date I haven’t had a form delivered yet, but when it does I will be sticking to the No Contract – Return To Sender route. A doorstep visit bothers me not a jot, I will be challenging that on the doorstep, no tricks, I will be stating something like:

“There is no man or woman here with any liability to, nor obligation to perform in this matter upon your request.  Go tell that to your boss mate, you’re finished here, now fuck off, the sign there says “NO TRESPASS”, are you blind as well as ignorant?”

But that’s just me.