Tory councillors attack ad van message for illegal immigrants

The Conservative leader of Redbridge Council, Cllr Keith Prince, has criticised the inclusion of his borough in the route for the Home Office's advertising van, concerned with illegal immigration.

The van has the message:

"In the UK illegally? Go home or face arrest. Text HOME to 78070 for free advice and help with travel documents.

We can help you return home voluntarily without fear of arrest or detention."

Cllr Prince has signed a cross party statement which says:

"It is clearly most unfortunate that the Home Office should take actions which were bound to be controversial, about highly sensitive matters, without very careful discussion with the affected communities.’

"If we had been consulted, we would have warned strongly that, whatever effect this campaign might be intended to have on people who are in the country unlawfully, that message is far outweighed by the negative message to the great majority of people, from all backgrounds, who live and work together in Redbridge, peacefully, productively and lawfully.

"We ask the Home Office to withdraw the campaign."

Over in Barnet another Cllr David Longstaff, the Cabinet Member for Safety and Resident Engagement, also a Conservative, isn't keen either. He said:

“I’m yet to be convinced that this particular scheme is the best way to deal with illegal immigrants and look forward to seeing how its success will be measured.”

I disagree with Cllr Prince and Cllr Longstaff.

The message is certainly clear and strong - but that is a good thing. There is a danger that as local councillors we spend so much time wading through bureaucratic reports that we get used to prissy euphemisms.

Actually, I think there should be an earned amnesty brought in for some illegal immigrants who are making a particularly strong contribution to society. The Centre Forum think tank had a paper on this. Those who work hard, learn English if they don't speak it already, have some special skill or capacity for enterprise, or undertake voluntary work could be covered by it. In other words, there are some illegal immigrants who should be allowed to stay here, whose arrangement should be "regularised."

However, the message to the rest that they should leave or face deportation is a statement of fact. Describing it as racist is odd as that seems to assume that no illegal immigrants in the UK are white. It is also a mistake to assume that only white British citizens are concerned about illegal immigration.

Rather than being extreme, the approach encourages a practical, humane alternative to deportation. A voluntary arrangement including help with travel arrangements. Given the costs involved in deportating half a million people, that is an attractive option for the Government.

Pickles urges Radstock to fly the flag

There was an appalling decision recently by Labour councillors in Radstock not to fly the English flag on St George's Day on the grounds it was offensive to Muslims.

The Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles has written the following letter to Cllr Eleanor Jackson about it.

I was disappointed to read today that you have been instrumental in the decision of Radstock Town Council to ban the flying of the Cross of St George.  You have been reported as asserting that the flag is offensive to Muslims and that the flag has been hijacked by the far Right.

This is a spectacular misjudgement by your council. Whatever one’s class, colour or creed, the St George’s flag is a unifying symbol for England, which is one of the constituent nations of the United Kingdom.

I am pleased to see that Muslim groups have rightly criticised the decision of your council. Indeed, stupid actions like banning the flag just serves to create false misconceptions that certain faith groups “aren’t English or British”, which extremists then exploit in their propaganda. Rather than helping, your actions and comments have undermined community cohesion in our nation and you have given fuel to hatred, and brought the fine town of Radstock into disrepute.

In May 2010, my Department wrote to principal councils actively encouraging the St George’s flag to be flown, such as on national days and during sporting events. Indeed, my department itself routinely flies the flag next to the United Kingdom's Union flag, which in turn is flown in superior position.

Of course, it is not for Ministers in Whitehall to dictate what flags should be flown. The only organisation which forces the flying of flags is the European Commission, which fines people under EC Regulations for not flying the EU flag (a move which makes them look deeply petty). Flying a flag should be a pleasure, not a chore.

This Government has reduced the red tape on flying local, community and national flags to make them easier to fly – including the rainbow flag and local parish flags which you are intending to fly. By all means, please do fly those flags with pride, but I would ask that your council considers its misjudged position, and does its bit to rebuild the harm that you have done to community relations in our country.

I am placing this letter in the public domain, given the wider public interest.

Birmingham Council wheelie bin consultations asks residents if they are gay - but not if they want wheelie bins

Labour-run Birmingham City Council is undertaking a survey of their residents. They explain:

A citywide consultation on wheelie bins has already begun to find out residents’ views.

The survey doesn't ask residents if they want wheelie bins or not.

However it does those responding which "most accurately describes your sexual orientation"

Bisexual

Gay man

Gay woman/lesbian

Heterosexual/straight

Then there is their ethnic group:

Brighton and Hove Council propose abolition of "Mr" and "Mrs"

Green Party led Brighton and Hove Council's Trans Equality scrutiny panel has published a paper with some "emerging themes" - it will go before a full council meeting in December for approval. Among their proposals is that the council should abolish honorifics in its communications with residents - this is because use of such terms as Mr, Mrs and Miss when filling in an application form are considered offensive to the "transgender community".

It is not enough for such people to be allowed to leave the form blank - all such designations are to be abolished. What are council officials supposed to call residents when addressing them formally? Citizen?

For those on the extreme left, such as the Green Party, minority groups are forever put together as arbitrary "communities" to be given subsidies, special status, and recognition. They are to be politicised with their grievances emphasised, providing a job creation scheme for the Diversity Industry. Those who object are branded old fashioned, prejudiced and insensitive. Any chance to pick a fight with Christians is always great sport.

Institutional racism is keeping black children in care

The Macpherson Report, which investigated the Metropolitan Police over their response to the murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993, defined "institutional racism" as:

"The collective failure of an organisation to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their colour, culture, or ethnic origin. 

It can be seen or detected in processes, attitudes and behaviour which amount to discrimination through unwitting prejudice, ignorance, thoughtlessness and racist stereotyping which disadvantage minority ethnic people."

I think "unintentional racism" might have been a better description. The term "institutional racism" implies that racism is an act of policy, determined by the procedures of an organisation.

The police should be colour blind. They should recognise equality before the law and apply the law without fear or favour. Clearly in the past there were a lot of individual police officers who failed to maintain this standard. Does this mean there was "institutional racism"? True, not many police officers lost their jobs for racist behaviour - although I don't think they were likely to be sacked for other failings either.

LGA tells councils to be sex snoopers

One of the welcome aspects of the demise of the Audit Commission was the scrapping of the requirement for councils to ask intrusive, irrelevant questions about our sex lives. The Government has confirmed to councils that there is no longer any excuse to carry out this offensive exercise.

Soon after we took control of Hammersmoth and Fulham Council a resident in my ward emailed to say:

Speaking as someone who often makes Planning applications to Hammersmith on behalf of clients, I very much resent being interrogated about my age, race, religion and sexual orientation on each occasion.  None of these matters is the business of the Local Authority, and none has the slightest bearing on a planning application.

The questions about sexual orientation in particular are quite ludicrous.  I am repeatedly asked whether I am heterosexual, gay/lesbian, transsexual, or “Other – please state”.  I cannot think what that “other” could be, unless it were so perverse that it would justify putting someone behind bars.  And who on earth would voluntarily admit to such proclivities on a planning application?

A council tenant complaining about the lift not working asked why we spent such a lot of time asking him about his religion. We shortened our forms to get rid of such questions.

Why are the sexual preferences of Islington's residents any of its council's business?

By Paul Goodman
^{Follow Paul on Twitter}

Islington Council already has form on asking residents about their sexual orientation if they want to borrow a library book.

My colleague Harry Phibbs has written about the matter on this site previously, arguing correctly that local authorities should not be sex snoopers.

Now I see that Islington has been at it again: the Telegraph reported late last week that the council has accidentally published personal details of over 2000 people online.

These included "the names, addresses, relationship status, gender, ethnicity, religion and sexual preferences of 2,400 people re-housed by the council".

It goes almost without saying that Islington's blunder was a breach of the data protection act.  But it should also be asked what the council was doing collecting this data in the first place.

(The Telegraph didn't pursue this question, devoting its report instead to a very full account of Islington's blunder.)

The council cannot blame central government.  Because as Harry pointed out, Eric Pickles has issued guidance stating that there is no requirement for councils to issue such surveys.

The guidance was contained in a single page - which replaced the 56 pages of John Prescott’s so-called ‘Best Value’ guidance.

Footnote: all's well that ends well, since the council said that it would be intensifying our efforts to ensure all staff receive appropriate training".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pickles calls for all immigrants to learn English

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles is to give a speech today stressing shared British values. The themes are trailed in an interview with the Daily Mail.

Eric says:

"We must be unafraid to insist on the common ground and common values we all share.

"It’s right to stand up for the right of councils who wish to start their proceedings with a prayer. If we want people of all faiths to feel at home and able to contribute here, the last thing we should be doing is knocking Christianity.

"By the same token, it’s right to ask new migrants to demonstrate a grasp of the English language and an understanding of British traditions. It would be plain unkind is to encourage people to come here without the basic skills and understanding that are vital to getting on in a job, in education and the local community."

Councils funding the equalities industry

Local authorities, along with bits of the public sector have a legal obligation to "promote" equality. This requires much costly and worthless bureaucracy such as undertaking "equalities impact assessment." However it does not require the employment of diversity officers nor does it require funding for groups which seek to nurture resentments by campaigning and lobbying.

There is a charity that operates in my borough called Spear, which I am proud my council gives some money to, which helps get the young unemployed into work. On the course Spear run of their most basic messages is to stop thinking of yourself as a victim. Yet other councils spend their money on groups whose entire purpose is promotion of victimhood.

In the new Civitas report, The Rise of the Equalities Industry, sociology professor Peter Saunders includes several examples from local government.

Labour Council renames Guy Fawkes Night

The Evening Standard reports that Southwark Council is renaming Guy Fawkes night "The Colour Thief: A Winter Extravaganza Celebrating The Changing Of The Seasons".

I wonder if the new name will catch on. The event takes place in Dulwich Park on November 4th and is the only official fireworks display in the borough. 

Cllr Veronica Ward, Southwark's cabinet member for culture, leisure and sport, says:

"It is shorthand (for fireworks night). It is an event and festival around an artistic proposal that involves some fireworks."

She says the "shorthand" name is because there will only be one event due to the cuts. Holding it will cost £55,000. But in Ravenscourt Park, in the eponymous ward I have the honour to represent, the council hosts a magnificent fireworks display each year which makes money. We do this by selling tickets.

Even if they do decide to hold just one fireworks display this does not mean that ditching the traditional name is justified.