
Admiral Lord West, the UK’s security minister, is fast developing into a national treasure. After first saying that he was ‘not totally convinced’ it was necessary to increase the 28-day pre-charge detention limit for terrorist suspects but after a little chat with the PM declaring an hour later that he was now thus convinced, and then contradicting the head of MI5 by saying that the terrorist threat against Britain would soon be ‘steadily declining’ and that Britain’s counter-terrorism defences were ‘ahead of all countries in the world on the protection front’, he came up with the following yesterday in a House of Lords debate on the impact of the electronic border on the British Isles common travel area:
My Lords, we are maintaining the common travel area, which is recognised by the EU. We are applying a sensible way forward to identify the loophole that existed of people moving in through the Republic of Ireland, into Northern Ireland and then travelling across to the United Kingdom.Whoops! Northern Ireland is of course part of the United Kingdom, a fact over which loyalists and Republicans have been at war -- endangering the security of the province and the UK -- for so many years. As Lord Trimble was quick to point out:
My Lords, does the Minister not realise that, when he spoke a moment ago of travelling from Northern Ireland to the United Kingdom, he demonstrated clearly his lack of understanding of the basic concept?
Lord West of Spithead: My Lords, it was a slip. I certainly understand it. As I said, I have served in Northern Ireland. It was rather like the slip that people make when they forget that the United Kingdom is in Europe. It is a slip that is made sometimes.
Blogs: Martin Bright | Susan Hill | Alex Massie | Coffee House | Faith Based
Actions: Print this article | Email to a friend | Permalink | Comments (2)
Post this entry to: del.icio.us | Digg | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit
Advertisement
1 Ignore the European Court and deport Abu Qatada tonight - Douglas Murray
2 We must be honest about honour killings - William Maxwell
3 Storm in an Indian teacup - Daniel Korski
4 Don’t let’s be beastly to the bankers - Fraser Nelson
5 Livingstone will get away with it, of course — because he's on the ‘left’ - Douglas Murray
Melanie Phillips is a Daily Mail columnist. She also writes for the Jewish Chronicle and is a panellist on BBC Radio Four's Moral Maze. Her most recent book is 'The World Turned Upside Down: The Global Battle over God, Truth and Power', published by Encounter.
For a complete set of Melanie's articles click here
1,700 Unusual Christmas Presents Request Catalogue 01935 815 195 Quote SPEC10 for 10% discount www.presentfinder.co.uk
Pimilco based Florist with online ordering Web: www.olivebranch.net Tel: 020 7630 1868 Fax: 020 7233 8844
62 Shore Road, Warsash, Southampton, SO31 9FT Telephone: 01489 578867 Web site: www.ruffs.co.uk
Apollo Magazine | Corporate | Advertising | Privacy | Terms
Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London, SW1H 9HP
All Articles and Content Copyright ©2012 by The Spectator | All Rights Reserved
Austin Barry
November 22nd, 2007 6:36pmMany of these Nulab types, such as Lord West and the preposterous Baron Malloch-Brown, are quite mad and it will be amusing to watch their jolly scrapes going forward. The Big Tent approach of Gordon Broon appears to be that of a circus with rather too many clowns.
Skevos Mavros
November 25th, 2007 1:41pmHeh - I recently rewatched the classic WW2 film "The Man Who Never Was", and this story reminded me of a scene from that film (where the Brits need a dead body as part of a plan to fool the Germans, and are asking a father to give them his son's fresh corpse): Lieutenant Commander Ewen Montagu: I can assure you that this is an opportunity for your son to do a great thing for England. The Father: My son, sir, was a Scotsman. And very proud of it. Lieutenant Commander Ewen Montagu: I beg your pardon. The Father: Never mind. We're used to that. You English always talk about England when you mean Britain. :-)