-:Undertaker:-
25-03-2013, 06:00 PM
http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/douglas-murray/2013/03/despite-the-fanfare-david-cameron-still-isnt-doing-anything-on-immigration/
http://www.ukip.org/content/latest-news/2991-cameron-attempts-to-pull-another-rabbit-from-ukips-hat
Despite much fanfare, David Cameron still isn't doing anything on immigration
http://cdn2.spectator.co.uk/files/2013/03/PA-16130758.jpg
David Cameron presenting his immigration speech this morning. Photo: PA.
Well, it was right not to expect much. The full text of David Cameron’s speech on immigration is here but it can be summarised in one sentence: ‘mass migration has brought some good things, but it has also brought problems so here is some tinkering we propose.’
There are so many problems when our politicians speak on this subject. Not least is that they expect to be congratulated for saying the utterly obvious. For instance, most British people worked out a long time ago that those of us who already live here ought to have priority in housing over people who have just arrived. We also worked out some time back that an NHS which provides for the whole world is unsustainable and that if people haven’t paid into the system then the system shouldn’t pay out.
Then there is the gap between rhetoric and reality. As is par for the course, the Tory press (presumably briefed by Conservative party employees) advance-billed this as a ‘major’ speech with ‘tough’ rhetoric etc etc. In fact what Cameron turns out to be proposing – while perfectly fine in its unambitious way – will only affect a small number of people. And in that gap lies another problem. For when the electorate are promised ‘tough talk’ they think they are going to hear about illegals being sent back by the plane-load. But of course Cameron doesn’t dare to propose any such thing. What the PM’s speech showed is that the Conservative party, like the other mainstream parties, still cannot bring itself to address matters which even the left of the political spectrum outside Parliament has been mulling on for some time now.
Take, for instance, David Goodhart’s forthcoming book on Britain and immigration ‘The British Dream’ (which the Mail has serialised over recent days). Goodhart – who comes from the left of the political spectrum – addresses those questions that any honest government must address but which no European government will even touch at the moment. For instance, how long should political asylum be for? If someone flees a dictator and that dictator subsequently falls, shouldn’t that be the end of their period of asylum? Shouldn’t they be encouraged to return to help rebuild their country?
The ‘debate’ on immigration has gone on quite long enough. The British people have consistently stated their opposition to mass immigration and the parties have responded by talking tough while doing little or nothing in the hope of tricking the voters into voting for them despite the record. At some point the ‘national debate’ has to stop and the national ‘actually doing something’ has to start. Despite the fanfare, today was not that day.
The vast majority of people in this country just want sensible immigration controls, and yet the three main parties refuse point-blank to implement them. It's not BNPesque to want sensible immigration policies, like the Ozzies/New Zealand/America and almost every other country has - it's common sense. If you have a welfare state, a healthcare service, a monoculture and housing services then you need some form of control over immigration. I don't see why it's been painted to be so controversial to say this.
Of course, Cameron is only doing this for one reason (including Clegg who the other day dropped the Liberal Democrat policy of having an amnesty for the million+ illegal immigrants in this country): UKIP. The difference is though, this policy is simply rhetoric - they don't want to do it because of the cheap labor for big corporations, and they can't do anything anyway as EU law a) won't allow us to close the borders to EU nationals & b) we're required to treat EU nationals equally as British subjects.
I don't live in an area with lot's of immigration, and i'm very thankful for it. But it's one of my core concerns because I feel dreadfully sorry for the poorest in our society who live in areas which have essentially been turned into a foreign country - not to mention the fact that young, unskilled British youths now can't find labor jobs because they're being taken by immigrants.
The drawbridge shouldn't be closed, but we need some form of control.
Thoughts?
http://www.ukip.org/content/latest-news/2991-cameron-attempts-to-pull-another-rabbit-from-ukips-hat
Despite much fanfare, David Cameron still isn't doing anything on immigration
http://cdn2.spectator.co.uk/files/2013/03/PA-16130758.jpg
David Cameron presenting his immigration speech this morning. Photo: PA.
Well, it was right not to expect much. The full text of David Cameron’s speech on immigration is here but it can be summarised in one sentence: ‘mass migration has brought some good things, but it has also brought problems so here is some tinkering we propose.’
There are so many problems when our politicians speak on this subject. Not least is that they expect to be congratulated for saying the utterly obvious. For instance, most British people worked out a long time ago that those of us who already live here ought to have priority in housing over people who have just arrived. We also worked out some time back that an NHS which provides for the whole world is unsustainable and that if people haven’t paid into the system then the system shouldn’t pay out.
Then there is the gap between rhetoric and reality. As is par for the course, the Tory press (presumably briefed by Conservative party employees) advance-billed this as a ‘major’ speech with ‘tough’ rhetoric etc etc. In fact what Cameron turns out to be proposing – while perfectly fine in its unambitious way – will only affect a small number of people. And in that gap lies another problem. For when the electorate are promised ‘tough talk’ they think they are going to hear about illegals being sent back by the plane-load. But of course Cameron doesn’t dare to propose any such thing. What the PM’s speech showed is that the Conservative party, like the other mainstream parties, still cannot bring itself to address matters which even the left of the political spectrum outside Parliament has been mulling on for some time now.
Take, for instance, David Goodhart’s forthcoming book on Britain and immigration ‘The British Dream’ (which the Mail has serialised over recent days). Goodhart – who comes from the left of the political spectrum – addresses those questions that any honest government must address but which no European government will even touch at the moment. For instance, how long should political asylum be for? If someone flees a dictator and that dictator subsequently falls, shouldn’t that be the end of their period of asylum? Shouldn’t they be encouraged to return to help rebuild their country?
The ‘debate’ on immigration has gone on quite long enough. The British people have consistently stated their opposition to mass immigration and the parties have responded by talking tough while doing little or nothing in the hope of tricking the voters into voting for them despite the record. At some point the ‘national debate’ has to stop and the national ‘actually doing something’ has to start. Despite the fanfare, today was not that day.
The vast majority of people in this country just want sensible immigration controls, and yet the three main parties refuse point-blank to implement them. It's not BNPesque to want sensible immigration policies, like the Ozzies/New Zealand/America and almost every other country has - it's common sense. If you have a welfare state, a healthcare service, a monoculture and housing services then you need some form of control over immigration. I don't see why it's been painted to be so controversial to say this.
Of course, Cameron is only doing this for one reason (including Clegg who the other day dropped the Liberal Democrat policy of having an amnesty for the million+ illegal immigrants in this country): UKIP. The difference is though, this policy is simply rhetoric - they don't want to do it because of the cheap labor for big corporations, and they can't do anything anyway as EU law a) won't allow us to close the borders to EU nationals & b) we're required to treat EU nationals equally as British subjects.
I don't live in an area with lot's of immigration, and i'm very thankful for it. But it's one of my core concerns because I feel dreadfully sorry for the poorest in our society who live in areas which have essentially been turned into a foreign country - not to mention the fact that young, unskilled British youths now can't find labor jobs because they're being taken by immigrants.
The drawbridge shouldn't be closed, but we need some form of control.
Thoughts?