"Since it must be so"

"Sayonara", a famous novel and film set in Japan during the Korean War, tells of 2 US airmen who fall in love with Japanese women. If the couples married they could not live in either Japan or the US. It ends with one couple committing suicide. I was surprised to read recently in the blurb of Bernard Cornwell's latest book "Warriors of the Storm" that he became a novelist because although his wife is American he cannot work in the US. His series of novels is set in 9th and 10th century England and last year was a TV series "The Last Kingdom".
The Council of Europe states in its literature: The international community has long-recognised the privileged positon of women in transnational marriages. This is because they can live in their husband's country (as well, of course, in their own).
In 1979 The Conservatives promised to stop foreign men from being able to live in the UK through marriage, but did not keep their promise.
In the 9th and 10th centuries England's problem was foreigners (Danes) wanting to occupy the place. Now that is what drives many Britons to want to leave the EU.
In 1991 I was sitting on a bench in crowded Sannomiya shopping mall in Kobe, Japan, when I heard an American (Canadian?) voice say "The English are so like the Japanese it's weird".
In Saxon England "weird" meant "fate". Hence the Weird Sisters in "Macbeth".
Voting to leave the EU because of immigration is odd because it won't work. Immigration may well increase as a result of the rush to get here to beat any restrictions.
In 1962 there was a rush of young men to come to the UK to beat the Commonwealth Immigration Act.
"Sayonara" = "Since it must be so"

It's a Fair Swop!

The Government is under pressure to allow 3,000 unaccompanied children in Europe to settle in the UK. (BBC Radio 4 "Today".) That's a "small but significant number", said Labour's Shadow Immigration Minister.  In 1979 I was told that 10,000 men a year using marriage to live in the UK was "not many". These men have children both to strengthen their claim to these islands and to strengthen their community. Mrs. Thatcher's Government did not keep its promise to close this loophole. So since 1979 probably a million people are living in these islands. Children have children. 3,000 fails to take into account chain migration. I would readily swop those 3,000 for the 10,000 men a year who use marriage to live here.

All Roads lead to ....

Allowing 12 Syrians to live in the Vatican is doubtless humanitarian, but, pace Il Papa, it's also political because unless they arrive by helicopter Italy's authority is required for them to enter Italy.
It is easy to sympathise with 3 Syrian families; not so easy to sympathise with the thousands of young men who flock to English Channel ports with covetous looks towards our island.

Migration and the Military

The Defence Secretary, Michael Fallon, announced yesterday that the European Convention on Human Rights would not apply to the military. He had no need to announce that. Because the Council of Europe's own literature states that the only area in which the Convention does not apply is the military.
Immigration can be a form of military activity and/or a product of it. Therefore the European Commission of Human Rights should not have determined in favour of 3 (foreign) women whose husbands were not allowed to live in the UK. Which it did on 12 May 1982, right in the middle of the Falklands Conflict when 255 British servicemen were being killed. A similar number - we are told - have subsequently committed suicide. The number of foreign and Commonwealth men who have taken advantage of that ruling (and Mrs. Thatcher's Government's failure to honour its promise to close the loophole) must be at least 300,000 (based on c.10,000 a year using this method, which was the Government figure in 1979).

How we got here

There was no Christmas message by the Queen in 1966. But such was the demand for one that the Queen said in 1967 she would write the message herself that year on a subject that she felt strongly about. There was much speculation as to what that subject was. It turned out to be feminism.
A female Labour MP was inspired by it to press for a similar act for women as the Race Relations Act. This resulted in the Sex Discrimination Act 1975. (The Conservatives having unexpectedly won the 1970 election, due, it was widely believed, to Enoch Powell.)
The SDA governed the activities of the Equal Opportunities Commission which campaigned vigorously against the Conservatives' 1979 election manifesto policy of ending the concession whereby foreign men can live in the UK through marriage. (That policy did not, of course, forbid foreign husbands from living in the UK - as was sometimes claimed - because there are many other visas.)
On 7 July 1983 the House of Lords determined that the SDA 1975 did not apply to immigration control.
Therefore the EOC acted illegally.
If the SDA had applied to immigration control then the EOC acted illegally by not supporting my complaint that the British Government allows foreign and Commonwealth men to live in the UK through marriage even though I (and other British men) often cannot live in their countries through marriage. Because the EOC was bound by law to support complaints by men (as well as women). But the EOC's response (13 March 1978, ref: 20S 2793/KA) was that my complaint "does not come within the ambit of our work."
On 12 May 1982 the European Commission of Human Rights found in favour of 3 (foreign) women whose husbands were not allowed to live in the UK. Right in the middle of the Falklands Conflict! So "human rights" were being used to enable foreign men to occupy these islands while 255 British servicemen were being killed. (A similar number - we are told - have subsequently committed suicide.)
In December 1982 the House of Commons voted on allowing foreign husbands to live in the UK through marriage, but the Bill did not pass because many Conservatives believed they should honour their election promise.
In January 1983, however, Mrs. Thatcher said the Conservatives had to be united because there would be an election that year. Despite some continued opposition - one Conservative MP described it as "insane" - the Bill then passed.

A Clear & Specific Aim

An epetition to "Block Donald J Trump from UK entry" got over 546,000 signatures. This was in response to the Republican presidential candidate's suggestion that all Muslims be denied entry to the US. Parliament debated it, but rejected it.
Migration Watch's epetition "No to 70 Million" got over 145,000 signatures. It achieved nothing because it had no specific request in addressing overpopulation in Britain.  My request to Migration Watch that it support my epetition on marriage being used for immigration purposes was rejected because it "muddies the waters"!
"End Immigration Concession" was signed by only 290 people. 

Appeal!

I am trying to start a new petition. I need 5 signatures to get started. If you are British or UK Resident please send an email address for me to forward it to. I'd be very grateful if anyone does.