Is the Labour Party Thinking Seriously About Downing Street or Planning to Become BNP-lite?

Paul

Labour is floundering. Desperately searching for something to believe in - a catchphrase which will simultaneously break it from its past and create a dividing line from the Coalition. If it's out there, none of us has yet spotted it.

Aberdeen Angus

Does anyone know how to get to the spectator website? I seem to have got to the guardian website by mistake.

Is it possible that ordinary working people in the provinces might be opposed to mass immigration becuase they understand that it against their interests? Might upper middle class islington liberals support mass immigration because it supports their own interests as opposed to the interests of the rest of the country?

I can understand business leaders wanting to bring in masses of cheap labour regardless of the consequences for the rest of us. At least they don't tell us they're doing it for our benefit. No, they get someone like mr Bright to do that for them. It has been said, Mr Bright, that the 'right' won on economics and the 'left' won on culture. Have you ever wondered why that it Mr Bright?

Aberdeen Angus

Is it possible that ordinary working people in the provinces might be opposed to mass immigration becuase they understand that it against their interests? Might upper middle class islington liberals support mass immigration because it supports their own interests as opposed to the interests of the rest of the country? Better not think about that though. Just label any opinion different to your own 'populist nonsense'. Labour frontbenchers make some very mild comments about immigration and you say it is BNP-lite. Are you serious?

Anne Wotana Kaye 1

One question remains unanswered. Are the Milliband brothers striving for the honour of Britain and the family name? Or, considering the background of this weird family, are they making a joint effort for the glory of old-time communism? If, heaven forbid they suceed, will they issue only one Little Red Book, or will it be a two-for the price of one?

Rhoda Klapp

Glad to see your break from posting after the unfortunate event has not weakened your firm grasp of the wrong end of the stick.

What would you do about immigration?

Martin Bright

I knew you'd miss me Rhoda. the asylum seeker figures corollate directly to military conflict and internal oppression around the globe. Immigration/emigration is largely an economic phenomenon and and I believe in a free market in Labour and keeping borders as open as possible. The problem is largely one of perception and I would be as light-touch as possible, with the minimum of state interference.

Rhoda Klapp

Then does the nation exist? Does nationality not matter? Are people frangible? Is it OK if ten million people come to a country seeking economic advancement while not intending to assimilate the values of the country? If not ten million, one? Three? No limit? Maybe columnists don't have to answer such questions, but eventually politicians do. Here they have managed to avoid them by sweeping them away with accusations of racism or trying to separate popular perception as mere perception, not the real truth. Do they think we will not notice? I was on the central line the other day, and I swear I overheard an english accent.

Aberdeen Angus

"I believe in a free market in Labour and keeping borders as open as possible. The problem is largely one of perception and I would be as light-touch as possible, with the minimum of state interference"

The problem is one of perception - you mean the perception amongst ordinary working people that their interests on this matter are not the same as those of your uper-middle class north london circles. Don't you believe that such a difference of interests exists, or do you believe it exists but would just rather nobody pointed it out?

Beer Moth

Immigration continues to be the crucial issue in the country, despite the best efforts of the good Doctors to assuage our fears.

'You only think it's a problem".

Think yourself lucky that you are not trying to get a council house Doctor Bright.

Aberdeen Angus

"I believe in a free market in Labour and keeping borders as open as possible. The problem is largely one of perception and I would be as light-touch as possible, with the minimum of state interference"

The problem is one of perception - you mean the perception amongst ordinary working people that their interests on this matter are not the same as those of your uper-middle class north london circles. Don't you believe that such a difference of interests exists, or do you beleive it exists but would just rather nobody pointed it out?

Rhoda Klapp

An ideal opportunity here to explain in what way our perception is flawed. I am sure you are not going to do what most open borderers do, call us all racist or hide under their desk.

Aberdeen Angus

Sorry about the double posting. The comments seem a bit slow in appearing.

Rhoda Klapp

Not as slow as the replies.

Beer Moth

Rhoda Klapp

No answer, came the reply...

Snowman

On a coach from a city in Europe (the ash stopped my flight), I met two immigrants from a non-European country coming to Britain to have their health problem fixed. A recommendation from a friend already here, already being fixed, he procured the invitation for them.

You reckon, Martin, it’s the duty of the indigenous unwashed who’ve paid the NI tax for years to share the NHS facilities with them?

Snowman

and another thing: apart from scribbling, have you ever done anything that has a shelf-live longer than a week? You know, a kind of work that creates something of lasting utility, or provides a service of use to someone? It’s not meant to deride what you are doing, only to point out that people like you have no bloody idea what it’s like at the neck of the woods inhabited by the unwashed. Pontificating is one thing, earning a crust in the real world is another.

You would be amazed how many of those you know little about would back the BNP-lite Labour.

Rhoda Klapp

Look, Angus, BM, Snowman, you are just going to have to find your own confused conflicted leftie, I have this one covered. If there are any answers coming, I'd like them to myself.

Herbert Thornton

The suggestion that the Labour Party may become "BNP Lite" sounds suspiciously like campaigning for the Labour Party.

If people fall for it, it will of course turn out to be a false promise.