Great Britain: Blair war on yob gangs (Sweeping new legislation proposed)

The Sun (U.K.) ^ | May 18, 2005 | TREVOR KAVANAGH

[Stoat]

Blair war on yob gangs

Vow ... Tony Blair yesterday
Picture: REUTERS
 

By TREVOR KAVANAGH
Political EditorTONY Blair yesterday vowed to “reclaim the streets” from terrorists, thugs and binge drinkers.

Sweeping new laws will be introduced to combat everything from alco-pops to al-Qaeda, the PM said.

As the Queen opened the new Parliament, Mr Blair told MPs: “It is time to reclaim the streets for the decent majority. All of us here in Parliament and in the country should work to that end.”

Forty-five new laws will target anti-social behaviour, illegal immigration, terrorism and robbery — with ID cards to track crooks.

Tory leader Michael Howard praised some of the plans — but accused Labour of stealing his policies on controlled immigration, school discipline, cleaner hospitals and police.

Mr Blair warned parents must back police and teachers when their children got into trouble.

 

 

Speech ... Queen arrives in coach
 

He said: “We can and will give the police new powers. But parents, local communities, local people have to join with law-makers and law-enforcers to make a difference.”

Up to five new laws risk bitter opposition from 50 left-wing rebels.

They have threatened to vote down counter-terrorism moves, ID cards, privately-funded academy schools and moves to force millions on Incapacity Benefit back to work.

Mr Blair, who insisted he “listened and learned” from voters in the election, even hinted he will scrap easy-going new rules on cannabis, even if advised not to in a report due soon.

Tories and Lib Dems are expected to join Labour rebels against ID cards. But Mr Blair said: “It is a manifesto commitment and one we
will honour.”

Home Secretary Charles Clarke will appoint a commissioner to safeguard security of ID cards and will act to combat the use of guns and knives in street crime.

Incitement to religious hatred will be outlawed, and Mr Blair will use his final term as PM to root out “disrespect”.

More offenders will be electronically tagged, with lie detector tests for sex offenders.

  

• MR Clarke said yesterday it was “feasible” for offenders doing community service to wear distinctive orange uniforms.
  
  But last night legal experts said “shaming” uniforms would be illegal under the proposed Euro Constitution, which bans “degrading treatment”.
  
   
  Family boost

  NEW mums will get nine months paid maternity leave, some of which can be transferred to dads.
  
  Millions more parents will be able to ask bosses for flexi-hours, probably those with kids up to the age of 12 or possibly 17.
  
  To help more mums back to work, town halls should ensure every child up to 14 is offered a care place.
  
  Courts will get more powers to settle disputes between separated parents.
  
  Smoking will be banned in all pubs and bars that prepare and serve food and hospital managers may face manslaughter charges if patients die of MRSA.
  
  A new Bill will try to slash the number of medical negligence cases, while a compensation plan will aim to resolve minor disputes.
  
  Rules will be set out for the compulsory treatment of people with mental disorders.
   

[Stoat]

Language Advisory

Every time I post an article in FR pertaining to the United Kingdom that includes one or more examples of British slang, I invariably get posters asking "What's a "Yob?" "What's a punter?" "What's a banger?" etc.

Well, a Yob, for example, is a young troublemaker, usually male but there are female yobs too.  They are usually belligerent drunks that oftentimes run in gangs and create havoc and mayhem in the community.  The word "Yob" is part of British Backwards Slang, one of the numerous slang styles that our British Friends use.  It's the word 'boy' spelled backwards...the backwards spelling is meant to convey a pejorative context...in other words, a "yob" is the reverse (opposite) of what an honorable, law-abiding young man (boy) should be.

If British slang intrigues you (as it does this furry stoat) there are numerous resources on the Net to assist you in learning more.  Here are just a few:

Dictionary of English slang and colloquialisms of the UK

BBC America - Dictionary

London Slang - Introduction

UCLE A ucle resource page

[Stoat]

Government aims to foster ‘culture of respect’

Government aims to foster 'culture of respect'

17 May 2005

A total of 45 Bills were announced during the Queen's Speech.

MPs and peers will debate the Bills between now and November 2006.

Here is a summary of some of the main measures the Government is proposing.

Law and Order

A number of Bills will be debated which aim to 'improve community safety and protect national security' while creating a 'culture of respect'.          

New laws to tackle violent crime, terrorism, immigration abuse and identity fraud were set out in the Queen's Speech. National ID cards and the outlawing of incitement to religious hatred are included.

Home Secretary Charles Clarke said he would do everything possible to ensure people can live 'safe, secure and prosperous lives.'

Education

A package of measures are contained with the Education Bill.

Successful schools and colleges will be offered greater independence, while primary schools will be able to become foundation schools.

Meanwhile, new providers will be encouraged into the state system to build on the tradition of church and other faith groups operating within the system.

The Queen said that 'education remains my Government's main priority.'

Environment

A new body called Natural England will be created to integrate English Nature, the bulk of the Countryside Agency and the Rural Development Service.

Its aim will be to make access to advice and support 'simpler and easier.' Meanwhile, a newly-formed Commission for Rural Communities will make a 'real and tangible difference' to people in rural areas.

There will also be greater protection for the common land of England and Wales with reinforced powers to stop abuse or unauthorised development.

Health

The Health Improvement and Protection Bill will outlaw smoking from a 'vast majority' of enclosed public places and workplaces, the Queen announced.

A new hygiene code to tackle infections such as MRSA will be introduced. And pharmacy services will be modernised to enable fully-qualified technicians to supply drugs safely without the pharmacist needing to be present.

The Queen said the Government would continue to reform the NHS in a way that 'maintains its founding principles.'

Other measures

Legislation to clear the way for a referendum on the EU Constitutional Treaty has been proposed, as have enabling laws to ratify Romania and Bulgaria's accession to the EU.

Power to extend the period of Statutory Maternity Pay, Maternity Allowance and Statutory Adoption Pay will be discussed.

And consumer credit law will be updated to provide greater protection for people and create a 'fairer, more competitive credit market.'

Extra information

• A guide to the State Opening of Parliament
• Transcript of the Queen's Speech
• List of Parliamentary Bills for 2005/6 (opens in new window)

Watch the broadcast

• Java player (opens in new window)
• Windows Media Player (opens in new window)
• Real player (opens in new window)

Useful websites

• Parliament UK (opens in new window)
• The British Monarchy (opens in new window)

[SittinYonder]

The growth of government that appears to be happening in the UK, the attempt to legislate every aspect of human behavior, frightens me. I see the U.S. following in Britain's footsteps, maybe 20 years behind. I wonder how conservatives in Britain can stand it.

[Stoat]

The growth of government that appears to be happening in the UK, the attempt to legislate every aspect of human behavior, frightens me. I see the U.S. following in Britain's footsteps, maybe 20 years behind. I wonder how conservatives in Britain can stand it.

Agreed.  According the the article, Labour is 'stealing' Conservative ideas, much like what Clinton did.  They are apparently finding that the public doesn't much care to live in constant fear of endless crime and violence in their communities.  The British Left, however, apparently is set to embrace the criminals in a loving hug, even if it means losing elections for the foreseeable future, much like the Dems here in the USA.

The EU is a dark cloud hanging over the whole matter, potentially preventing hardnosed legislation:

"MR Clarke said yesterday it was “feasible” for offenders doing community service to wear distinctive orange uniforms.

But last night legal experts said “shaming” uniforms would be illegal under the proposed Euro Constitution, which bans “degrading treatment”.

This whole matter will be debated through November 2006 and the end result will likely be only a pale image of what's being proposed today, much like grand plans on this side of the pond.  Hopefully Conservatives will be able to torpedo anything that's too Orwellian, but I'm hearing that one of the biggest concerns of Britons is immigration, just like it is here.  They, however, are up to their eyeballs in it in a far worse way than we are over here and so it will be very interesting to watch this all play out.

[SittinYonder]

I've heard about immigration concerns - particularly from Howard during the election. My assumption has been that their immigration problem (as it is throughout Europe) is Muslim immigration. Is that right?

[nopardons]

bttt

[Stoat]

I've heard about immigration concerns - particularly from Howard during the election. My assumption has been that their immigration problem (as it is throughout Europe) is Muslim immigration. Is that right?

As I'm an American stoat, a definitive answer on that would best be left to our many British Freeper Friends.  I'm given to understand that a BIG chunk of the immigrants are Muslim, but many also come from former East Bloc countries, as well as African nations.  Great Britain has had a 'very' open immigration policy for a very long time, and they are in serious danger of losing their national identity and culture as a result.

May God Bless Great Britain, and may it remain British.

[Stoat]

bttt

Thanks   :-)

[nopardons]

Welcome...it's an interesting article and I LOVE your links. Like you, I am fascinated my words.

[Stoat]

Welcome...it's an interesting article and I LOVE your links. Like you, I am fascinated my words.

I'm glad to hear that you like the links and that you have an appreciation for language, which is a mirror of a culture.  Too many folks nowadays view thoughtful speech as bourgeois...recent examples include the Leftist college thugs who couldn't formulate a coherent argument to anything that Ann Coulter, David Horowitz, Pat Buchanan and Bill Kristol had to say, and so instead they shouted obscenities and threw food at these fine speakers...a sad reflection on the state of education and our formerly great universities.

Although The Sun is a garish tabloid and is oftentimes filled with vacuous celebrity silliness, occasionally they have a truly great article

Iraq is just another job (Inspirational, complimentary article on the legendary Black Watch troops)

 and they oftentimes have eye-popping photos (and I'm not referring to Page Three).  Another thing that I like about The Sun is their penchant for using various styles of British slang at just about every opportunity.  I think that it makes for a captivating read and is always a reminder of where it was written and who it was written for.  If it hadn't been for the Sun, I would never have known that someone's 'syrup' is their wig

Balding star's wiggo Jacko (Experts claim Jacko wears a wig - One of the worst I've ever seen )

and that when someone has had a nefarious plan found out, they've been 'rumbled'     ...

Boy, 5, in cake run

Thank you for your kind words and best wishes to you and yours....time for this stoat to crawl into his cave for the night.  :-)

[eagle11]

The British conservatives are morons! They're opposing funding of private academies, anti-terror measures and litigation reform....on principle....and linking up with Gottaway with Murder's radical left party...good to hear that Blair wants to reclaim the streets from Al-Qaeda...bout time they got around to that!

[holdmuhbeer]

Yeah I'm learning some English slang too. My new English girlfriend uses it all the time. She calls me her little Buggerlugs. Affectionately of course.

[Canard]

"As I'm an American stoat, a definitive answer on that would best be left to our many British Freeper Friends. I'm given to understand that a BIG chunk of the immigrants are Muslim, but many also come from former East Bloc countries, as well as African nations. Great Britain has had a 'very' open immigration policy for a very long time, and they are in serious danger of losing their national identity and culture as a result."

I can't find any statistics by religion, and I'm not sure there are any. In 2003, about 7% of immigrants into the UK were from Middle Eastern countries. The largest numbers come from places like Australia, the US, France and Germany.

In terms of overall impact, I would disagree that we are 'in danger of losing our national identity'. The number of immigrants in the UK as a percentage of the population is significantly lower than in the USA (iirc, about 8% of the population as opposed to 12% for the US).

[Stoat]

In terms of overall impact, I would disagree that we are 'in danger of losing our national identity'

I certainly hope that you're correct and that I'm wrong, but my sentiments were expressed as a result of my reading numerous articles over the past few years, all voicing concern over what many in Great Britain consider an excessive immigration flow, both from legal and illegals.  The amnesty program has also been a source of great concern to many.  Naturally, the concept of a 'national identity' is of course a somewhat subjective expression, and what you may consider a "national identity" may be entirely different from my definition..  After a very cursory search, I came up with a few things that may be of interest:

"Record numbers take British citizenship"

Telegraph News Record numbers take British citizenship

"Record numbers of foreign nationals were granted British citizenship last year, reflecting the unprecedented levels of immigration that became a controversial issue in the general election campaign.

Figures published yesterday showed that 140,795 immigrants became citizens last year - a 12 per cent rise on 2003 and nearly four times the number when Labour took office. Since 1997, more than 700,000 foreigners have been granted citizenship compared with around 250,000 in the previous seven years.

Nearly 80,000 of the new citizens last year were from Africa and the Indian sub-continent. Nationalities with the largest number of grants were Pakistanis (14,000), Indians (13,500) and Somalis (11,100), followed by South Africans (6,370) and Nigerians (6,280). Around 4,000 were from the EU and 4,600 from Australia and New Zealand."

Migration Watch UK - How you can help

KEY FACTS ON IMMIGRATION

•	Net migration into the UK has averaged 157,000 a year over the last 6 years. [1]
•	The UK’s population is projected to rise by 6.1 million from 2003 to 2031 – 5.2 million (84%) of this rise is due to immigration.[2] That’s equivalent to a city the size of Portsmouth every year, or 5 cities the size of Birmingham over the 28 year period, needing to be built because of immigration.[3]
•	59,000 new homes will be required in England each year for the next 17 years for immigrants.[4]
•	In 2003 12.2 million non-EU nationals arrived in the UK[5]. How many left? No one knows – we have no embarkation controls.
•	In Inner London 55% of all births are to foreign-born mothers. [6]
•	70% of net international migration is to London. In recent years a net 100,000 migrants a year have been arriving in London and there has been a net movement of 100,000 existing residents from London to the rest of the UK.[7]
•	The cost of running the Immigration and Nationality Department of the Home Office rose from £300 million in 1998-1999 to 1.9 billion in 2003-4.[8] Legal aid costs of £170m a year are additional.
•	England is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. It has nearly twice the population density of Germany, 4 times that of France and 12 times that of the USA.
•	Since 1997 about 308,000 asylum seekers have been refused permission to stay here but only 72,000 have been recorded as having been removed from the UK. [9]
•	And those with families whose claims have failed continue to receive benefits worth an average of £15,000 a year tax free.[10]

17 February 2005

The following is from the MigrationWatch powerpoint presentation available for download here:

Migration Watch UK

"The net inflow of migrants into the UK in the period 1993-2002 totalled 1.2 million.

This was partly offset by an outflow of 158,000 to Australasia, Canada and the USA.

Migration to and from the ‘old’ EU was in balance in this period.

Over 80% of the net inflow was from Asia and Africa "

 

 

France is also tightening up on their legendarily lax immigration laws:

BBC NEWS Europe France to tighten migrant rules

France to tighten migrant rules

Villepin said the number of illegal immigrants was high but "contained"

France's government has announced a raft of new measures designed to tackle illegal immigration.

The new rules include the introduction of visas with biometric information, as well as an increase in expulsions.

"When it comes to illegal immigration, the rule has to be firmness," interior minister Dominique de Villepin told Le Figaro newspaper.

He also said the EU constitution - to be voted on in a referendum on 29 May - would make immigration control easier.

This was because asylum and immigration issues would be decided by majority vote, rather than requiring unanimity among the 25 EU member states, he said.

No amnesty

Mr De Villepin said there were between 200,000 and 400,000 illegal immigrants in France - the first time such figures have been made public.

The measures will also include:

 

• Tighter border controls
• An immigration police
• A central government department to curb illegal workers
• An end to the automatic recognition of marriages entered into by French nationals abroad, in a bid to tackle forced marriages and marriages of convenience
• A list of "safe" countries whose nationals will be fast-tracked when applying for asylum.

However, the minister ruled out the possibility that France would follow Spain's recent decision to grant an amnesty to hundreds of thousands of immigrants.

"It is out of the question. Previous mass amnesties in 1981 and 1997 were total failures. Each time it created new pressure and new arrivals," he said, according to the AFP news agency.

The proposals were condemned by the French human rights organisation, La Ligue des Droits de l'Homme.

It told the AFP news agency in a statement that the measures "would solve nothing" and "turn foreigners into scapegoats".

**************************************************************************

Again, I sincerely hope that you are absolutely correct in your assessment;  but unfortunately the vast majority of news that I have been reading pertaining to immigration in the the UK has been less than optimistic.

[Stoat]

Yeah I'm learning some English slang too. My new English girlfriend uses it all the time. She calls me her little Buggerlugs. Affectionately of course.

Hopefully her slang will always be of an entirely affectionate nature  :-)

[Stoat]

The British conservatives are morons! They're opposing funding of private academies, anti-terror measures and litigation reform....on principle....and linking up with Gottaway with Murder's radical left party...good to hear that Blair wants to reclaim the streets from Al-Qaeda...bout time they got around to that!
 

Hopefully Great Britain will be able to get a handle on this matter before they suffer a murderous tragedy such as what we did on 9/11/01.  Considering the number of shrill voices that we hear in the USA saying such things as 'the war on terror is only about America's greed for oil" and other such nonsense, I fear that we will not take things seriously enough until we suffer another major attack.  Hopefully Great Britain will move quickly and not make such as mistake of inaction.

[nopardons]

Not to detract from the thread's topic, I've replied to you in private. You have FREEPmail. :-)