Comments on: Labour should be arguing for more than 500 Syrian refugees https://leftfootforward.org/2014/01/labour-should-be-arguing-for-more-than-500-syrian-refugees/ Left Foot Forward is the home for UK progressives. We provide evidence-based analysis on British politics, news and policy. Fri, 10 Jan 2014 00:27:00 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.5 By: Sparky https://leftfootforward.org/2014/01/labour-should-be-arguing-for-more-than-500-syrian-refugees/comment-page-2/#comment-230070 Fri, 10 Jan 2014 00:27:00 +0000 https://www.leftfootforward.org/?p=78088#comment-230070 In reply to Mark.

The National Audit Office recently carried out checks on properties provided to asylum seekers and were surprised to find signs of wealth such as iPads and large TVs owned by people who claimed to be destitute. Currently 23,000 asylum seekers receive free housing,

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/10561239/Destitute-asylum-seekers-had-iPads-and-luxury-goods-says-report-by-government-auditors.html

The report also notes that some local authorities had complained that the number of asylum seekers being housed was having a negative impact on school places and community relations. Some local authorities had requested that they not be sent any more asylum seekers due to concerns over community cohesion.

Remember: immigration under Labour was 500% of the levels at any time from the the mid 1960s. They used up the population’s good will. And now we don’t any more. The legacy of a Labour government: predominant anti-immigration sentiment.

]]> By: Mark https://leftfootforward.org/2014/01/labour-should-be-arguing-for-more-than-500-syrian-refugees/#comment-230057 Thu, 09 Jan 2014 22:00:00 +0000 https://www.leftfootforward.org/?p=78088#comment-230057 The trouble for me is – not many Syrians could afford to fly *before* the war began; unless the government also provides funds for potential asylum seekers, then the influx is likely to be dominated by the wealthy while the poor rot in Jordanian camps. In practice, this could mean a lot of Assad family sponsors and ex-Baathists. Hardly the stuff of humanitarian triumph.

Obviously, though, these aren’t the motives underpinning the Labour leadership. (As I’ve been saying since August http://www.whiskyandtea.net/2013/09/02/not-in-my-name-why-i-left-the-labour-party/ )

]]> By: Cole https://leftfootforward.org/2014/01/labour-should-be-arguing-for-more-than-500-syrian-refugees/#comment-230041 Thu, 09 Jan 2014 16:46:00 +0000 https://www.leftfootforward.org/?p=78088#comment-230041 In reply to Sparky.

Oh well, Labour is consistently ahead in most opinion polls.

]]> By: Cole https://leftfootforward.org/2014/01/labour-should-be-arguing-for-more-than-500-syrian-refugees/#comment-230040 Thu, 09 Jan 2014 16:44:00 +0000 https://www.leftfootforward.org/?p=78088#comment-230040 In reply to Dave Roberts.

Rubbish. You can be in favour of helping the refugees without wanting to invade the place.

]]> By: Sparky https://leftfootforward.org/2014/01/labour-should-be-arguing-for-more-than-500-syrian-refugees/#comment-230039 Thu, 09 Jan 2014 16:41:00 +0000 https://www.leftfootforward.org/?p=78088#comment-230039 This ‘anti-immigration sentiment’ has been caused entirely by the last Labour government who abused the public trust by increasing immigration to 500% of the historic levels since the 1960s. The levels were so high that they tested and eventually broke the patience of a mostly welcoming and tolerant population. And it wasn’t a mistake. It was a deliberate policy decision by phoney, middle class, Oxford-educated, Islington socialists that had nothing in common with ordinary working people.

If you want to understand the real experience of ordinary people of immigration under Labour, watch the recent BBC documentary with Nick Robinson. In this, Sikhs describe their atrocious experiences with Roma immigrants. Painters and decorators describe how they can’t make a living because wages have fallen so much due to Polish workers sleeping six in a room and sending their wages home. School teachers in classes without a single white face, where 40 languages are spoken.

James Bloodworth -you are peddling an outdated reality, that no-one believes. It is the ludicrous denial issued by labour ministers that immigration was not too high, and any opposition was simply racism. No-one believes that. The tide of public opinion has turned and it’s not coming back. Labour is forever tainted with its mass-immigration policies and huge chunks of the people who switched to Labour in ’97, like myself, are never coming back. Slagging off the Daily Mail might amuse you but it makes no difference. You will never swing those voters back.

]]> By: Dave Roberts https://leftfootforward.org/2014/01/labour-should-be-arguing-for-more-than-500-syrian-refugees/#comment-230036 Thu, 09 Jan 2014 16:26:00 +0000 https://www.leftfootforward.org/?p=78088#comment-230036 The issue isn’t how many refugees we take it is what happens to the regime. It was Labour MP’s who voted against intervention so it hypocritical of them or the party to start saying admit refugees. NATO could enforce quite easily a no fly zone which would greatly hamper the regime forces. It would also demoralise those forces as well. The non Islamist forces should be armed and NATO special forces should be on the ground with them.

]]> By: Dave Roberts https://leftfootforward.org/2014/01/labour-should-be-arguing-for-more-than-500-syrian-refugees/#comment-230035 Thu, 09 Jan 2014 16:22:00 +0000 https://www.leftfootforward.org/?p=78088#comment-230035 I’ll see if this gets through.

]]> By: uglyfatbloke https://leftfootforward.org/2014/01/labour-should-be-arguing-for-more-than-500-syrian-refugees/#comment-230026 Thu, 09 Jan 2014 13:41:00 +0000 https://www.leftfootforward.org/?p=78088#comment-230026 Sadly this is all too true. Just because Farage got rolled over by his party is no reason to ignore the problem. .

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