The worry of excess immigration. With a probable world recession staring us in the face, we cannot continue allowing immigrants to swarm in here, which they will if not stopped, the figures coming out, at last justify that prognostication. There must be pre-vetting and skill assessment, and a sure knowledge of the needs and positions vacant to be filled. Anything else is sheer lunacy, a prescription for unemployment queues, the problems of deportation, racial friction, stress on the infrastructure, and crime generated through frustration on both sides.
No sensible company would allow a horde through its gates on the possibility there might be a vacancy – if not a factory, why a whole country? Ask the people in East Anglia how they like it. We should work out a system whereby at each Continental port and Airport, there is a government sponsored office with a job-recruitment agent, who acts for those looking for workers for the available vacancies, on the understanding they can’t be filled in the UK. The agent would vet the lower grades, or all, depending on the wishes of the employers, and only then, after a check on validity would the recruit be given a temporary government pass to board a ship or plane. One aspect would have to be included and might be the stumbling block; the job must carry the same salary for a national, to avoid importing cheap labour. In other words, bring back the old immigration system, close our borders and to Hell with EU directives. Open borders are a magnet for criminals to escape, smuggle goods and humans, and make it easier for the terrorists.
Respect seems to be a thing of the past. I was reading last week’s back copies of newspapers, and I remembered the newspapers of my youth, around 1932. There was a lot about a mass murderer. Later there was the Jubilee, the death of KG5, the abdication of Edward VIII, and the crowning of KG6, all treated, almost unctuously by the press, but with love by the country. There was censorship, political and voluntary, and while there was disapproval of Edward, it was nothing like as virulent nor as repetitive in the pages of a single newspaper, as the press were about Brown last week. We more than respected the Royals, they were too far above us and discreet enough for us to even think of being critical, and it was not until 30 or 40 years later, that we began to see the feeding frenzies we have today, politically, socially, and in the realms of entertainment. Television hasn’t helped. We respected politicians because there was a chasm between us, the press and radio were respectful, and if he made a serious gaff the politician resigned. There was respect all round, we were treated with respect in most circumstances, and we reciprocated. Now there is so much less respect, for the truth, for politicians, between politicians, for honour, for teachers by parents and pupils, for property, for the worker by management, by the press and TV, indeed everything. Today there is only one God, Mammon, and the service of it seems to justify disrespect in any form. If the politicians are seen to be disrespectful to one another, how can they expect to demand respect from the public, which takes them at the value they pretend to have when on camera, and are portrayed in the press? Without respect, and more importantly, trust, government will suffer and society will disintegrate.