[Stoat]

The Sun Newspaper Online - UK's biggest selling newspaper

Who delivers?

PROMISES, promises, promises. Both parties have given us plenty on the crucial immigration issue.

First it was the Tories, with their sensible plan for a points system to make it easier for highly-skilled workers to settle here.

Lo and behold, yesterday it was Labour’s turn with their equally sensible plan for an almost identical system.

There are differences between their policies, of course.

The Tories would set an annual limit on the number of people allowed to work and live here.

Labour wouldn’t, but would be tough on the low-skilled from non-EU countries. And there would be fines for bosses who hire illegal workers.

BOTH parties agree with The Sun that immigrant workers who want to succeed and make a better life for their families are of immense economic benefit to the nation.

All skilled people should be welcomed with open arms, especially those in the fields of medicine, IT, finance and engineering.

For Sun readers, who we know are deeply concerned about immigration and asylum, there is a decision to be made between now and the election.

Who can deliver the goods?

Labour have had eight years in which hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants sneaked in and the success rate of deporting failed asylum seekers has been miserable.

Two of the policies announced yesterday weren’t even new and fingerprint checks are years away.

The Tories say they will handle asylum applications abroad, but cannot tell us where or how.

And they have not convincingly answered Labour’s assertion that they would make severe cuts to the immigration service.

Tony Blair accepts the public has “justifiable concerns,” not least the strain being placed on limited resources in health, education, housing and transport.

Voters must decide soon whether it is Labour or the Tories who can deliver.

[Stoat]

Hopefully our British Friends will be able to sort this out in a meaningful way....and their solutions may help us to decide what works and what doesn't.

[drt1]

Gee - I didn't know Blair was a Racist. /sarc

[Malesherbes]

"confront a mounting mess" - glad we don't have a problem like that.

[solzhenitsyn]

Interesting. I've long wished that the US had a special program to admit and educate prodigiously gifted persons from the developing world (say, the brightest five or ten thousand individuals we could find per year, from the entire world, who wanted to come here). It wouldn't be easy to do. For instance, the only practical way to select the most gifted applicants would be through the use of standardized tests, and it would be tough to keep the tests from being compromised. But the benefits of such a program could be great. I would expect that most selectees would stay in this country and contribute to our society and technology after they finished their education. Some would return to their home countries, taking their experiences of life in America with them. They wouldn't all love us, but I expect that on the whole, it would be very worthwhile.

[solzhenitsyn]

Remember how many of the great scientists of the day came to this country during World War II, and many of them stayed here after the war and contributed to our technological base? It would be great if we could find a way to duplicate that today. One wonders how many potential Einsteins are out there now, in Afghanistan, Botswana, Zaire, ... who knows?

[television is just wrong]

timesonline.co.uk

[Red Sea Swimmer]

Good decision by Mr.Blair and his advisors.