Theresa May MP: Top five barmy ideas this summer

As it’s August, I thought I’d change my tone slightly for this week’s post, and list the five barmiest ideas I’ve heard this summer. 

1. “Abolish prison!”

No, I’m not joking.  The former Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesman, Mark Oaten, does actually think we need to abolish all prisons.  Mr Oaten says that when he was on the Lib Dem front bench, “I would have been crucified as a front line politician for saying this in public and the party would have tumbled in the opinion polls … Prison is not fit for purpose and it’s beyond reform.  We need to abolish it”.  So there we have it: not just the truth of what the Lib Dems really think about criminal justice policy – but a bald confession that they don’t tell voters what they really think.

2. “Let all illegal immigrants stay in Britain!”

Yes, that’s right.  According to one of Labour’s favourite think tanks, the IPPR, half a million illegal immigrants should be allowed to stay in Britain.  You might think that this is a silly idea dreamt up by policy wonks destined only for the dustbin.  But during the Labour deputy leadership campaign, the idea won the support of Alan Johnson, and – you’ve guessed it – Harriet Harman.  And the Government stands accused of delivering the policy by the back door anyway.

3. “Beer and sandwiches at the Department of Health!”

Talking of the deputy leadership campaign, one of the comments that wasn’t widely reported speaks volumes about how Labour are destined to fail on the National Health Service.  Alan Johnson, Gordon Brown’s Secretary of State for Health, said the Government had “listened a bit too much to the [British Medical Association] and not enough to unions like Unison. Maybe what we should be doing is bringing the unions in the health service much more closely into the social partnership”.  So under this Prime Minister and Health Secretary, it’s clear: they don’t trust patients, doctors or nurses. They trust the union barons.

4. “Put sixteen year olds on the beat!”

Think I’m making this one up?  Well I’m not: Thames Valley Police this month recruited two sixteen year olds to work on the beat as Police Community Support Officers.  But as Northumbria Police said, how can a sixteen year old seize alcohol from other minors?  Good on these guys for wanting to do the right thing and taking responsibility for their community, but putting sixteen year olds on the beat is hardly going to reassure the public.

5. “Give up Britain’s seat on the Security Council!”

Surely the oddest appointment made by Gordon Brown when he became Prime Minister was the decision to raise Mark Malloch Brown to the peerage and make him a Foreign Office minister.  This is the man who thinks that Britain should sacrifice its seat on the UN Security Council and give it to the European Union.  He says he is “a huge fan” of the idea.  And this is the man who Gordon Brown has put in charge of reforming the United Nations.

What are the most ridiculous things you’ve heard this summer?

Comments

[The Monitor]

Maybe this should be an ongoing topic, entitled; "How daft does it have to get" or maybe if we feel anti PC as I hope we do: "The lunatics have taken over the madhouse".

On a more serious note, one has to ask how has our country dropped to such madness as highlighted by Theresa's list. It is something we need to keep highlighted and showing the stupidity of the Conservative's opponents.

[Tony Makara]

The bizarre suggestions put forward should, more than anything, make us question the quality of some of the people who end up as members of parliament. Mark Oaten's views on prison sound like something one would hear from a teenager.

As for the Johnson/Harmann suggestion that illegal immigrants should stay in Britain, well of hand I can't think of one country in the world that has adopted such a policy. I'd like to call the policy naive, but in reality its just a quick-fix to a problem Labour has created. Johnson's call to invite unions into the policy making process is pure class-driven ideology. The role of the unions is after the fact and secondary. Their job is to ensure that workers rights are protected, no more no less.

The most bizarre thing I keep hearing from Labour is that we have 'Low Unmployment' Will the Conservative party please do more to expose this blatant lie! Labour are repeating this catchphrase over and over in the hope the public will confuse statement with fact.

[Ken Stevens]

Seeking release to Britain of non-British suspected terrorists held at Guantanamo Bay, whilst resisting rights of residence to Gurkhas, denying asylum to Iraquis who have worked for British occupation forces and attempting deportation of a Christian woman back to a country where she faces serious harm for her beliefs.

[Phil Barker]

The decision of the West Midlands Police to refer Channel Four to OFCOM rather than prosecute extremist preachers.

[Tory T]

Abolish traditional lessons was one put forward by some teachers unions a month or so ago. Just do "projects"

[simon]

A good article by TM. I'm waiting for the day when one of these 16 year old 'supercop's' are:- i)assaulted;ii)shot;iii)arrested for assault;iv)blown up. Whoever thought of putting 16 year old's 'in the line of duty' in this way needs to be carted off to the nearest asylum.

[Chris Palmer]

I think that Mark Oaten's right to be taken seriously disappeared down the drain long ago. Sadly however, his public thoughts betray the beliefs of many other Lib Dem MPs and members, who are at heart, committed socialists and wet liberals.

Tony, you should know by now the Labour tactic, that if they tell a lie enough times, people will eventually believe that is the truth.

[Evan Price]

One of the most extraordinary comments that I came accross this summer was the comment by the head of the CQA, Ken Boston, when he was head of the New South Wales Director of Eduction, that his aim was to see not merely equality of opportunity (something that I don't have a problem with) but that he wanted also to see 'equality of outcomes' - given that over a quarter of all A'Level results are now A's, is he on his way to achieve this?

[Graeme Archer]

Very very good article, thanks for making me near simultaneously smile, splutter with outrage, and think seriously about the challenge facing us!

[Patrick Ratnaraja]

I cannot understand why the Conservatives make such a big fuss about illegal immigrants.

There are so many people who came here as illegal immigrants are now leaders and doing well in this Country. They have probably contributed more to this Country than the natives.

I am not sure who is an illegal immigrants.Are you trying to say that the millions of Msulims and other Asians who live in this Country are illegal immigrants? Yes they are as most of the first generation came here with some other reason and stayed on.

Or do you call Michael Howard MP an illegal immigrant because his father was one?

There are so many others whom I don't want to mention here.

The problem is the legal immigrants. People who come here as Catalogue brides, work visas and so many other excuses who take our jobs and get back to their Country with our money.

On one side you want to include every one in the party and on the other side you don't want immigrants.

Its time to make up your mind.

[GMAN-Wild]

Allowing illegal immigrants to stay and have Visas of some kind isnt such a bad idea. Do you really think we have the resources to track down, probably, more than half a million illegals and deport them? No.
They all work. They have to in order to survive. They make no contribution via the tax system. Giving them some sort of amnesty would allow them to make this contribution and recieve all the protections legal human beings have in the UK.

[Yet Another Anon]

The former Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesman, Mark Oaten
There are many in the Liberal Democrats as in the old Liberal Party who really are just Anarchists, why the SDP ever wanted to have anything to do with the Liberals is beyond me, after all the Liberal membership was more anti-military and more opposed to actually doing anything about crime than the Labour membership was and the Liberal Democrats are increasingly returning to type, David Owen was right in that the merger wasn't a kind of fusion so much as a direct takeover.

[Chris Palmer]

'There are so many people who came here as illegal immigrants are now leaders and doing well in this Country. They have probably contributed more to this Country than the natives.' - Patrick Ratnaraja

Such as? Any examples you care to offer us?

Patrick, is worth pointing out that immigration (illegal or otherwise) has put massive pressure on housing in this country. It can also cause social problems in areas that become segregated.

While immigration does have its economic, some cultural and social benefits, it also has its downsides, which can at times be severe and debilitating. The Conservatives (at least some anyway) acknowledge that. Labour do not.

[Yet Another Anon]

The problem is the legal immigrants. People who come here as Catalogue brides, work visas and so many other excuses who take our jobs and get back to their Country with our money.
Mostly I don't think there is much difference between legal and illegal immigrants in terms of their nature. Both are trying to come into the country mostly for either reasons of fleeing persecution or for economic reasons, or indeed for a mixture or both - the Immigration Authorities determinations of whether they are a genuine Asylum Seeker or not, or will genuinely benefit the UK economy or not are very crude. A lot of the time they are relying on information from their home country from people of a very dubious nature.

It would be far better to base decisions on security and Criminal Justice criteria - if there is reasons to believe that someone coming into the country might have criminal or terrorist links, or be a criminal or terrorist then irrespective of what might happen to them if they are deported then they should be deported anyway, or held in custody.

A test combining Asylum and economic elements would be better, it is absurd that people have to choose between claiming on an asylum or economic basis when in many cases they are both fleeing persecution and can support themselves and contribute to the economy. Certainly immigrants are not responsible for the 5.4 million on various benefits etc... not in work, indeed that figure might be higher if it wasn't for the productive efforts of those coming into the country whether they are authorised to work or not.

[Yet Another Anon]

>>>>>The problem is the legal immigrants. People who come here as Catalogue brides, work visas and so many other excuses who take our jobs and get back to their Country with our money.<<<<<
That bit had been intended to be in italics as I was quoting.

[UN??]

I couldn't care less whether the UK has a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

Its an immoral organisation that gives legitimacy to dictatorships and governments elected in less than clean elections.

Do we really want to be part of an organisation that made China head of a Committee on Human Rights?

[Patrick Ratnaraja]

Examples of Immigrants who became leaders

Michael Howard MP - Former Conservative Party Leader

Michael Portillo - Former MP

Mr.Hilton (Who runs the Tory Party)

Lee Scott MP (Conservative -Illford North)

All Jewish Establishments in this Country

Marks& Spencer

All Asians in this Country who have contributed to this Country

Football players

Cricketers - Nazar Husain, Monty Panesar

The Windsors (Germans not Anglo saxon)

All these people should be considered immigrants as they have some Foreign connection.

I am not saying that every one should be allowed into Britain. At the same time The Conservatives cannot claim to be the party which includes every one and then go on shouting about immigrants legal or illegal.

It is a Home Office official (probably not highly qualified to do the job) makes a decision on who is legal and who is an illegal immigrant.

It is an important issue and people must talk about this issue.

[Mark Wadsworth]

Tony M"The most bizarre thing I keep hearing from Labour is that we have 'Low Unmployment' Will the Conservative party please do more to expose this blatant lie! Labour are repeating this catchphrase over and over in the hope the public will confuse statement with fact"

Exactly, well said.

[Simon Denis]

Barmy ideas, yes. But what does the conservative party propose to put in their stead? Why does it not campaign with greater vigour against them?

[Jonathan Sheppard]

Patrick - yo cannot confuse immigration with illegal immigration. Very different!

[NS Sparkman]

Isn't a tax cutting general election strategy the most barmy idea you're ever likely to hear if you have any connection with the real world?

[Dick Wishart]

Patrick, your'e putting the NuLab spin on this you said ILLEGAL.

[Patsy Sergeant]

Are Conservative MP's 'shouting about immigants legal or illegal' - Patrick Ratnaraja? The ordinary conservative member of the public has every right to talk about immigration, this is supposed to be a free society, and human rights is supposed to apply to all equally!

[Ex member]

"Examples of Immigrants who became leaders

Michael Howard MP - Former Conservative Party Leader

Michael Portillo - Former MP

Mr.Hilton (Who runs the Tory Party)"

Not the most impressive list!

[Bradford Lad]

It was pleasing to see that Theresa May came out to highlight and criticise the suggestion by one of Labour's favourite think tanks (IPPR)that half a million illegal immigrants should be allowed to stay; a suggestion apparently supported by Alan Johnson and Harriet Harman.

But why cannot she get David Cameron to make a stand on this issue?

He will pay a heavy electoral price if he fails to take a firm line with regard to these illegal immigrants who, let's face it are law breakers.