Relationships

BBC Radio 4's "Today" reports that the Government will introduce English language tests for people applying for visas to marry someone in Britain.
38,000 such visas were issued last year.
The language tests are expected to reduce that by 10%.
A reduction of 50% (or more) could be achieved at a stroke by implementing the Conservatives' 1979 General Election promise (subsequently broken) to prevent foreign and Commonwealth men from using marriage as a means of taking up permanent residence in the UK.
Naturally, that 38,000 is not the end of the matter. They will have children........
Also, The Daily Telegraph reported (3 June, page 11) that 273,445 foreign students were given visas in 2009, a rise of 30% over the previous year. Those students are entitled to work, and they can acquire permanent residence in the UK through marriage. And, by law, like those who have come here for marriage, they are entitled to compete on "equal" terms with native Britons for work and promotion. This, despite the UK having 2.47 million unemployed.
In a separate item on "Today" Lord Prescott argued forcefully that gardens should be built on to provide homes - because of shortage of space...... (So much for "England's green and pleasant land".)
Meanwhile, British soldiers are being killed in Afghanistan with increasing frequency. Today's was with the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment......