Contrasting Wrongs!

Folkestone's Road of Remembrance was opened by Prince Harry in August 2014. 10 million (!) men could see France as they marched down to the docks during the First World War.  Now Folkestone is criticised over the "human rights" of asylum seekers. These almost all young men could have claimed in France and few are ever deported. Unlike my Japanese girl friend who arrived at Dover at midnight in September 1978 and was promptly sent back to Ostend on the grounds she was "not a genuine visitor". Not true! She had a job in Tokyo, and intended to return after a week or two.  Please see "Inhuman Wrongs" posted in 2008.

Marriage, a popular loophole

Marriage was popular in 1915. Conscription had been introduced for the first time in Britain, but not for married men. That loophole was closed in March 1916. MPs were conscripted if they hadn't volunteered. After the Second World War two professions were exempt: merchant navy and mining. I joined the MN. "An army dodger, eh?" There was a strong feeling of duty. Now young men come here because of conditions in their countries. Lawyers get paid to help them. Marriage is the obvious loophole.  Instead of holding a divisive and disruptive referendum on the EU the Government should control borders. UKIP support would evaporate! Leaving the EU doesn't mean the UK gets back control of her borders. There were no visa requirements for Western Europe before the EU. Is it envisaged that there should be?

A Taste for Discrimination!

Today's BBC Radio 4 "Midweek": "There was a lot of discrimination in the '50s." For real (not imaginary!) discrimination in 1991 please see "Sauce for the Gander" in 2013 & my comments at the end. Thanks!

Rejected!

Yesterday I submitted a new e-petition to the Home Office. It was rejected on the grounds of being offensive..... (!)
It read:
In their 1979 election manifesto the Conservatives promised to end the concession whereby foreign men can live in the UK through marriage.
The official figure was about 10,000 men a year using this method.
But Mrs. Thatcher's Government did not keep its promise.
As a result, at least 300,000 men are living in these islands.
England is overcrowded, and the UK has more young men than young women.
Foreign husbands are entitled, thanks to equality laws, to deprive Britons of work and promotion.
It is also clearly unjust that some people have a choice of two countries in which to live, while others do not.
This petition requests the Government - for the common good - to end this concession.

Magna Carta - Quo Vadis?

This year marks the 800th year since Magna Carta.
A professional footballer, Ched Evans, is unable to follow his profession.
After his release from prison for rape (which he denies), his negotiations with two clubs - Sheffield United and Oldham Athletic -  came to nothing because of strong opposition - which included death threats and an online petition signed by more than 65,000 people.
The main case of these protesters is that footballers should be a role model.
Some years ago I heard a Minister of the Church of Scotland speak on the radio. He had served time in prison for murder....
My 3 epetitions (see below) on Marriage and Migration were more deserving of support than denying a man a chance to start again.

This says it all!

The principal purpose of the European Convention on Human Rights was to provide "a beacon to the peoples behind the Iron Curtain, and a passport for their return to the midst of the free countries." ("The Daily Telegraph", 6 October 2014, page 23) There is nothing in the Convention about immigration control, never mind providing a passport to citizens of non-member countries to enable them to live and work in member states. But that is just what it did on 28 May 1985 when the European Court of Human Rights determined in favour of three women whose husbands were not allowed to live in the UK. In other words, words are (mis)interpreted in a legal context in a way that the compilers had no intention that they would be!

My epetition "Close Immigration Loophole", which closed on 4 September, attained a total of 246 signatures.

A Different War

Britain declared war on Germany 100 years ago today. Wars are about the occupation and/or control of territory. My epetition "Close Immigration Loophole" has exactly one month left to run. It has 239 signatures. It reads: "This e-petition calls on the Government to prevent foreign men from using marriage for immigration purposes. It also appeals to women to sign the petition. "This immigration loophole is a cause of much unhappiness to many British men. Three times as many men commit suicide as women. Among young people the ratio is even higher. "One reason, doubtless, is that there are more young men than young women in the UK. "British men often cannot live in other countries through marriage. "Note: The Government's answer to this problem in 2012 was to impose a condition on British men and women that they have an income of at least £18,600 before their foreign spouse can live in the UK. Other EU nationals are not required to have any income!"