This week has seen the utterly appalling announcement from the UK government that they seek to not only continue to deny safe and legal routes to the UK for people wishing to claim asylum, but that they intend to pass a bill in Parliament that will allow them to arrest and deport anyone travelling here (with any intention) through any means other than a safe and legal route.

The reaction to this move from the main opposition party has not been to defend the rights of those seeking asylum, it has not been to defend the need for migration and to provide sanctuary.  The reaction has not been to call for the creation of safe and legal routes for refugees and asylum seekers.  Nor has it been to accept that the problems in the world are not only the responsibility of the countries involved, but of the historical and current foreign policies of every government in the world.  Rather they have decided to accept the premise that there is a need to reduce incoming migrants, and to establish a cross-border police force.

This is nothing more than craven cowardice, an attempt to keep on board potential voters in the next election who might otherwise vote with their dark, afraid – and possibly racist – hearts, and vote against them.

The attitude towards immigration in the United Kingdom is one which is largely founded on ignorance and fear – fueled by the rabid right-wing press who continue to support the rhetoric that the country is full.  Leaving aside the leagl and moral obligations of the United Kingdom to welcome refugees and asylum seekers, the political arguments that the current social infrastructure and services cannot hope to cope with an influx of 45,000 people per year!  The UK population has an annual growth rate of 0.4% – which amounts to an increase of more than 200,000 people per year.  If therefore the UK cannot cope with 45,000, how can it expect to cope with 200,000?

It is the responsibility of our political parties to LEAD.  Not to FOLLOW.  If the attitude in the United Kingdom is truly becoming more insular and racist, then surely it is the role of the political leaders who do not support racism, to stand up and counter that through reasoned argument and debate.  If the opposition party in the UK believes that we should be providing succour to refugees, then they should bloody well say so.  To stand there and bend with public opinion will do nothing to alter the course of the debate.  I do not hold with the argument that polticians can do nothing if not in power.  It is my view that even out of power, politicians can lead the discussion, can influence the country and can cause questions to be asked in the public forum to challenge the status quo and the messages received from media outlets.

In discussion with my daughter this evening, she mentioned that one of her friends in school told her that Chinese was the most spoken langauge in the world.  My daughter thought instead it was English, so they asked the teacher – who looked it up, and agreed that it was English.  I explained to my daughter that it was good that both she and her friend had discussed it.  Rather than both believing something which may or may not be true, they challenged each other, and as a result had an opportunity to find out which of them was right.  It was an open and honest learning experiment.

Why then will politicians not show the same level of courage?  Why do politicians give in to public opinions that they do not share, rather than accept the need to open the debate up, and to challenge the views that they believe are worng, or simply immoral?  We saw the same crap all throughout Brexit, with very few politicians willing to stand up and actively say that Brexit was a mistake, and that the position should be rethought.  I understand that cultural shift takes time.  I also believe that it cannot happen unless the ideas and thoughts related to it are discussed openly, and above all – honestly.

The UK has suffered many governments over the past decades which have displayed a complete lack of moral fibre – either through the prosecution of illegal wars, to corruption in the political process, to downright lying to the public.

What hope is there if the current oppsition shows the same lack of moral fibre?  If the opposition come to power through half-truths, and secret agendas, then what is to stop this continuing after a change of government?  Surely, under such conditions, the victory will only reinforce the justification for such actions.

Power is not the end, the end is opening up the debate, being challenged, and standing up for what you TRULY believe in.

UPDATE:  Wednesday March 8th 2023

This morning Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said in an interview with LBC that the comments from Gary Lineker (a BBC presenter for football) were wrong.  Lineker had said of the government’s policies “This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s, and I’m out of order?”  To which Yvette Cooper said that she thought it was “wrong to make comaprisons to 1930’s Germany”.  Why?  Are we not allowed to draw historical comparisons?  Are we not allowed to say that demonising immigrants is just plain wrong?!  Can we not learn from past mistakes – and if we can, how can we without drawing comparisons?