Who to vote for?

 The UK is in a complete mess. The National Health Service is falling apart. Brexit has and will be a failure. The prisons are so full that the government is thinking of releasing some prisoners early. There are delays in judicial procedures. The immigration system is in complete disarray. Thousands of asylum seekers have not been processed: the boat people have not been stopped nor will they be without co-operation from our former partners: there is some doubt about the legality of the Rwanda deportation  policy. Threatening to leave the ECHR is almost as stupid as actually doing it. There is uncontrolled pollution of our rivers and seas. Now some people have been disenfranchised by the late reception of postal voting packages. The government has failed us and we need a change.

Who to vote for? Tactical voting will probably fail to remove my local Conservative MP as he has a huge majority. I cannot vote for Labour because of their policy on Europe; we need to re-join the single market and customs union. Britain voted to leave the EU not the single market, so there should be no argument about re-joining the institution, as Norway is a member of the market without being in the EU as is Switzerland, albeit by using separate treaties. When we were in the single market immigration was under control and the free market in labour was a better means of controlling the market than points based immigration systems.

I have no choice but to vote for a political party that supports re-joining the single market as a step towards re-joining the EU itself, if our friends in Europe accept this. This means that I have two choices the Greens or the Liberal Democrats. The more voices that are registered to support re-joining the EU  the better.

veterans' voting right

It is clear that the government's desire to control everything we do has gone completely wrong. We all have to show voter id: such as passports, photo-card driving licences etc. when we go to vote. There is a list of acceptable id that is as long as your arm. Military veterans, however, cannot use their veteran cards, because they are not on the approved list. Today, some of them have been denied the right to vote. This is bureaucratic nonsense. In today's super controlled society no one can use their initiative to allow veterans to vote as long as they have an acceptable id card, which the veteran's card is. 

Military veterans have fought for their country and defended democracy, they are entitled to vote and they probably regard their denial as an insult. It is still probably not too late for the electoral commission  to approve veterans cards on an immediate and temporary basis. The way this country now works, I doubt this will happen, so it's hardlines, veterans, you've lost your rights.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/may/02/minister-sorry-as-veterans-find-id-card-not-valid-for-english-elections

Rwanda deportation policy

 It is both tragic and ironic that as soon as the Rwanda bill was approved by the UK parliament, five migrants lost their lives trying got cross the English Channel in a small boat. One of the casualties was a four year old girl who lost her life. The migrants were attempting to cross from a beach at Wimereux, the French police were there but the small boat was overcrowded with 110 people on board.

It is apparent that there is very little deterrence to prevent desperate people to attempt dangerous crossings. They are determined to come.

It is clear that the Rwanda deportation policy is an abuse of Refugees' human rights, the policy has just been condemned by the Council of Europe and the UN , the policy is simply cruel and inhumane. A better way must be found. It is also shameful that the British government is trying to bypass legitimate objections by declaring by law that Rwanda is a safe country. to deport people to, when clearly it is not. King Canute would have been proud of this distortion of legal reality - I think not.

The policy will fail because most of the Refugees are resourceful and clever people, once they get to the UK thousands of them will probably disappear into the "grey" economy. A stupid policy will not stop the Refugees from coming to join their friends and family, so it is time to review everything and find a more humane and sensible policy.

Julian Assange and extradition

 Surely, there is a case for some compassion to be shown towards Julian Assange. He has been in prison or isolation for much more than a decade.

He has committed a crime by publishing state secrets. However, did this crime lead to the endangerment of the United States?  Probably not, but he possibly endangered the lives of some of their secret service agents . These operatives were more than likely be have been protected, however. 

Assange claims that he was operating in the public interest. Whatever the rights or wrongs of the case, Assange deserves some compassion as in my view he has been incarcerated or isolated for long enough. Some people who have directly murdered others are released after 15 years or so. 

It's my view that Assange has been punished enough ,and that he is now mentally fragile; he cannot repeat his mistakes or crimes. He should be rehabilitated and released to spend the rest of his life as a free man in the care of his wife and family.

Unfortunately, the legal systems are only interested in cold hard facts and laws, compassion does not enter into their calculations. The decision to release him would be a political one and the world, now, does not cater for political magnanimity and compassion.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68662881 

Who has really undermined democracy and exacerbated extremism?

 Have protestors really taken over the UK. I think not. One of the biggest sources of extremism and anti-democratic politics was the 2016 referendum to leave the EU.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68451333

The referendum as it was organised was a case of democracy being ignored. Decisions should have been made based upon facts rather than falsehoods and appeals to emotion. A referendum should reflect the long term views of more than substantial majority of the population, thus a two thirds majority should have been the starting point for a debate about whether to leave or not. During the referendum debate the polling was so close that that "the majority " in favour of leaving or remaining was changing day by day. Had the referendum been taken on a Saturday rather than a Thursday the result could have been different.

Now that we have seen the mid-term results of the leaving the EU, which show that most of the promises of Brexit have not been delivered and even immigration has gone up: Brexit is faltering. Brexit is turning out to be a failure. we are now in a position where a substantial number of leave voters have changed their minds.  The latest polls are showing that 58% of those polled wan to re-join the EU. though this majority is not two thirds of the electorate. Most voters in the referendum wanted to remain in the single market or the customs or both, because they saw it in the best interests of our country even though we would leave the EU.   

It occurs to me that the swing in favour of a leave vote was caused by the infamous poster promulgated by the Brexit party which pictured thousands of people of middle eastern origin  heading towards the UK frontier to "legally" invade our country because we were going to remain in the EU. The  leave campaign  was substantially based of xenophobia and dare I say it racism. They were stoking up the fear. Most leave politicians , from the left and the right, did nothing to counteract the xenophobia of the immigrant poster, let alone condemn it. Many  racists and xenophobes felt that the referendum gave them licence to become active.

The referendum also divided the UK , two of its nations chose to vote to remain in the EU. The Scottish people are un-happy that their views were ignored. Worse still, the open border arrangements between Northern Ireland and the Irish republic are now a contradiction because of Brexit

It took a court case for the UK parliament to show responsibility for leaving the EU. Parliament  was legally required to decide whether to leave the EU or not. They bungled it. The British people voted to leave the EU, but they did not vote to leave the single market or the customs union. Parliament decided eventually to vote to leave everything, which was against the economic best interests of the country. Staying in the single market would have resolved most of the problems of the Irish border. It would also have solved the problems of British and EU citizens having to obtain visas for longer stays and work.

The British economy needs workers. The single market meant that free movement, of labour, allowed the UK to tap into a cohort of workers who were both young and mobile, and who in the main did not  bring family members with them. EU workers are no longer coming unless they have a really important reason. The new economic situation now means that the UK must attract workers from the far east and south east Asia. These workers have to pay to come here so they are entitled to fair treatment and should be allowed  to be joined by family members. They have the right to expect this. This means that immigration has increased substantially as a result of leaving the EU. Because of the rise of xenophobia many of these immigrants are resented by the indigenous population. The government has decided that that there are too many family members joining  immigrant workers, so they are increasing the minimum wage requirements to allow family members to join their loved ones; this is effectively preventing thousands of workers coming with their families. Our workforce could be substantially be reduced because of this. The UK need foreign workers, why stop them coming by leaving the single market or  imposing punitive visa restrictions?

What is the UK parliament doing about the failure of Brexit: nothing? Members of Parliament are too embarrassed to talk about the Brexit failure that they voted for. They have got no ideas about how to exploit Brexit, even if it was possible. They have left us with a divided nation which is becoming increasingly xenophobic and intolerant towards immigrants and asylum seekers .

Human rights are being ignored in favour of MPs making personal attacks against one another rather than concentrating on improving the living conditions for all of us, whether we are Jews, Muslims, Christians, atheists or asylum seekers, and whether we have dark skins or light ones. Most protestors do not want to overthrow the State. Soon they may not have to, as the State could be be slowly destroying itself  with divisive and weak politicians looking in the wrong direction. That is Brexit for you.

Referendums can lead to dangerous consequences. We all have the responsibility to watch who and what we are voting for. 

At last a politician who is prepared to debate about Brexit

The London Mayor has started a debate about Brexit. It is refreshing that he is brave enough to talk about it. Most people in recent polls regret that Britain has left the EU. 57% of voters now want to join the EU Single Market. Voters are increasingly recognising that Brexit has failed. Brexit has done nothing to help the plight of so called red wall voters in the poorer constituencies. Brexit politicians have also failed the red wall voters, they are regarded as second class citizens and they feel it after the cancellation of HS2.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/jan/20/sadiq-khan-free-young-people-from-brexit-work-and-travel-ban

There is now no need for any EU supporting politician to remain silent about having a closer relationship with the EU. We should at least talk about the options. Britain will not be joining the single market or the customs union anytime soon, as there is distrust within the EU. Brexit harmed the economy of not just the UK but also the EU.  

There is some merit, however, to raise the suggestion to allow young people a degree of free movement(of labour) as a confidence building measure. Such a measure could then be extended later so that the UK re-joins the single market. 

Re-joining the single market and the customs union will improve the economies of both the EU and Britain. Britain needs an investment boost, one which the single market and customs union would bring.

Britain could also negotiate much greater co-operation on the defence and foreign affairs front to counter act Russian economic and military expansion.

It is time to face the facts and level with the British people, as Brexit was a costly mistake for most people in the UK, and especially those in red wall seats, the constituents in these poorer seats are not stupid and they deserve a better share of an improved economy.

A closer relationship with our nearest neighbours may be the only realistic way of removing Britain from its malaise. Think about it.

''When you are in a hole, stop digging.''

''When you are in a hole, stop digging.'' This quote was attributed to the Labour Party politician, Denis Healy, in 1988; he meant that when you got yourself into a hole of political difficulties it is best to stop digging as the first step to solve your problems.

The government has got itself into a deep hole over the Rwanda immigration policy which is a complete failure at the moment and will continue to be. The Rwandan scheme of deporting so called "illegal" immigrants and asylum seekers, or boat people, to Rwanda, is already a failure. The Rwandan government will, at the most,  allow 500 unfortunate immigrants to be accommodated in hotels, but there are around 28,000  boat people arriving every year, so even if there is a way found to legally deport the boat people then thousands will remain to be detained in the UK. 

Thousands of boat people have risked their lives to arrive on the UK shores so being deported to Rwanda will not act as a deterrent to many.  Likewise, the death penalty never stopped murders and it was useless as a deterrent.

It would be best to find an alternative policy  to deporting boat people and stop this inhumane stupidity.