“…then things don’t look on the up and up for the native French and Dutch.”

Which native French and Dutch, the Muslim ones or the non-Muslim ones? You know, your answer to my question sums up the issue of assimilation for Muslims in Europe.

Oh and by the way, it is phonetically spelled Adthan.

Just can’t wait to hear the Adan from Notre Dame.

“I mean look how swimmingly things are going for the French and Dutch.”

How are things going for the French and the Dutch?

Nush – again you have hit upon an important point. Although I voted in the last election, I will not do so in any up and coming elections.

Why? Because politics is in a serious state of abeyance, on the periphery of ambiguity and suffering from a crisis identity. I have no faith in my government.

What we need is a return to classic politics: fresh, honest (i.e. middle finger to PC-ness), and about the people.

We don’t want political parties to appease us at the expense of what they believe in, this just makes them even more trustworthy.

C’mon politicians. Wake up and smell the garaam chai.

Or coffee.

But you’d probably say you like’d both just to keep us happy.

I agree. the one further point I would add is that any time there is any alteration of the system people of both the right and left immediately condemn for their own ends without looking at it properly.

This makes construction of a rational or fair policy doubly fraught. Maybe take a deep breath next time Nush???

The CBI opposed limits because then it adds more regulation to the flow of human labour I believe, and its difficult to enforce when you have people coming over from Europe when they don’t need a passport.

People from foreign countries such as India and Pakistan are limited anyway by the number of work visas handed out if I remember correctly.

Green is talking out of his arse again. It’s near impossible to have a limit of any number of people coming in (or out of the country), but he bangs on about it with the religious fervour (and brains) of Pat Robertson. What else can I expect from a single issue lobby group.

Yes – it’s superficial – I believe they’re just categorising the streamling the process a bit more.

“Sir Andrew Green, chairman of Migrationwatch UK, said the scheme would not quell public concern about immigration as it imposed no annual limit on the number of people able to settle in the UK.”

Which again is quite different from the Tory proposals I remember.

Exactly so the proposals are really only superficially similar then.
Because they have used the words points?

Leon – heh…

Wasn’t the Tory system calling for a points scheme that encompassed a limit on both immigration and asylum.

This is a points system managing work and study immigration NOT those seeking asylum.

have I got that wrong?

To quote Amit from above: “Surprise, surprise!”!

From the Guardian:
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,,1725431,00.html

It will consolidate more than 80 existing work and study immigration schemes into five tiers:

· Tier five: “youth mobility” and temporary workers, such as working holidaymakers, musicians coming to perform, sportspeople coming to compete, volunteers or non-preaching religious workers.
It will apply to those aged 18 to 30 and will allow them to stay for up to two years.

I’m not sure if it will solve anything… I’m not sure if there is anything even to be solved, apart from a huge backlog in a system that treats people like cattle.

Anyway, it’s just political posturing.

Dunno, ask Cameron he wrote it which makes this even funnier because Labour keep telling everyone that and now they are even ripping it off!

Frank: its for this reason in essence that people no longer go out and vote. its bloody infuriating too.