"Mein Struggle"

The new Immigration Bill is skills based. (BBC 4 "Today".) But no work skill is needed for marriage! Mrs Thatcher's 1979 promise to stop foreign men using marriage to live in the UK was defeated by a vigorous feminist campaign that was described by Patricia Hewitt, later Tony Blair's Equality Minister, as her "most satisfying achievement". She also compared it with women's struggle for the parliamentary vote. That struggle was about the control of territory; the more recent one about its occupation. Since roughly 10,000 foreign and Commonwealth men a year use marriage to live in the UK it has resulted in some 400,000 men (and their children) living in these islands.

Chicken Fiasco

Back in 1960, just before I had to leave Japan when my visa expired, I met a girl I wanted to marry. My last words to her were "I'll soon be back." But I never saw her again. In Hong Kong I was refused a visa. "You've seen enough of Japan," I was told. I got the same response elsewhere in S.E Asia. I was robbed in Saigon and my address book was taken. When I eventually got back to Japan I walked around the streets of Tokyo near where she lived, but I couldn't find her. In November 1962, as a result of an Anglo-Japanese Trade Agreement, Tourist Visas were dispensed with between the two countries. Coming only four months after the Commonwealth Immigration Act came into force it seemed to me that British policies were going in two different directions at once. A bit like Brexit. Which is caused mainly by immigration. The Brexit fiasco is self-inflicted. Mrs Thatcher didn't keep her 1979 election promise to stop foreign men using marriage to live in the UK because of a vigorous and selfish feminist campaign. As a result some 400,000 men and their children live in these islands. Foreigners are entitled to deprive Brits of work and promotion because of "equality" laws. Likewise, women can deprive men. Foreign women can twice over. Native British men are treated as inferiors in their own country. Foreigners know that. Brits either don't know or don't care; which presumably explains "positive action" - referred to here on 26 July 2018. The Brexit fiasco is chickens coming home to roost.

The Birth of England

I am currently reading Bernard Cornwell's latest novel "War of the Wolf". It tells of Athelstan, grandson of Alfred the Great, who, in the 10th century, was the first king to unite England. The blurb informs us that Bernard Cornwell worked for the BBC before meeting his American wife. "Denied an American work permit, he wrote a novel and has been writing ever since." By contrast, Americans living in the UK through marriage can not only work but - because of "equality" laws - are entitled to deprive Brits of work and promotion. King Athelstan's tomb is in Malmesbury Abbey. To touch it is to feel the birth of England. But "Is there any point in being English?" was the subject of this blog on 19 March 2018.

Gravedigger

The Gravedigger in "Hamlet" says that Hamlet is mad but no one will notice it in England because everyone there is mad. Scotland's King James VI became also King of England in 1603 and wanted the countries to unite politically. But neither the London nor Edinburgh Parliaments wanted it. The King did, however, unite the flag which we call the Union Jack (Jacobus being the Latin for James). So if Scotland has another Referendum and votes to leave the UK we will presumably still keep the same flag. 19th century Scots writer Thomas Carlyle said the British Empire will go some day, but we will always have our Shakespeare.

Madhouse

Immigration caused the Madhouse by the Thames (please see 28 November 2018). But it is wrong to call Europeans who came to the UK "immigrants". Because many (most?) came to suss it out and would have gone home if they didn't like it. It is similar to the 1962 Commonwealth Immigration Act when many Afro-Caribbeans and Asians intended to go home, but didn't because they knew that if they did they wouldn't be able to live in the UK again. Another aspect of the Act was that it caused a rush of young men to get here before it came into force. There has always been freedom of movement in Western Europe. In 2004 Poland and other East European countries (not yet Romania & Bulgaria) joined the EU. For them freedom of movement was a main reason for joining. But existing EU countries (France, Germany, etc.) closed their borders to them. Tony Blair did the decent thing and didn't close UK borders, so naturally they all came here. The irony of that being a major reason for the UK now poised to leave the EU shouldn't be lost on anyone. There's more immigration to the UK from outside the EU than from within. Apart from asylum and illegals the main reason is chain migration (i.e. relatives). In 1979 the Conservatives promised to stop foreign men using marriage to live in the UK. But Mrs Thatcher's Government didn't keep its promise. 10,000 men a year were using marriage. This, I was told, isn't many. But that now comes to around 400,000. And they have children. Who marry.

Cause for Celebration?

Today is Coming-of-Age Day in Japan, when 20-year-olds become adults. Every year there are more young men than young women. This year there are 640,000 men and 610,000 women. It is not good news for Japan that there is consistent disparity. Also, foreign men use marriage so they can live in Japan. And that exacerbates the shortage of young women. Not all Japanese men will be able to find wives or, worse, some men will marry someone they don't really want to. That must make for unhappiness all round, including men's mothers. Foreign men have been able to live and work in Japan through marriage since 1985, when the European Court of Human Rights determined in favour of 3 women whose husbands weren't allowed to live in the UK.

Lethal Fiasco

Some Iranians claiming asylum in the UK have already been refused it in France, BBC News (8 January). 50% are granted asylum here and another 25% get it on appeal. We weren't told if the remaining 25% were deported. Nor why the French hadn't deported failed asylum seekers. For the authorities, it's easy to do nothing. Presumably the TV Reporter assumed as much and didn't ask. While that News was being broadcast yet another teenager was being stabbed to death in London. Immigration has caused lawlessness (clearly condoned by authorities) as well as the Brexit fiasco. 40 years ago Mrs Thatcher promised to curb immigration. But she didn't keep her 1979 promise to stop foreign men using marriage to live in the UK. With the result that some 400,000 men and their children live here. Also, within weeks of being elected in May 1979 Mrs Thatcher allowed Vietnamese and Iranians to take up permanent settlement here. So they know that if they can't get away with living in France they can here. Which is strange, since the law is supposed to be international. And not applied differently in different countries.