Brown lie leads us to extremes
SOUNDBITES can backfire. Take "Mission Accomplished" (G.W. Bush) or "Whiter than white" (T. Blair).
But it's hard to think of a more disastrous war cry than Gordon Brown's "British jobs for British people".
At the time, he just wanted to sound harder than the Tories on immigration. Now, his slogan has a menacing life of its own.
When strikers in 19 oil refineries were waving his soundbite on placards, you can bet the PM was terrified. Because he knows the power of the message.
He feared it would be used against him, so claimed it first.
Since Labour came to power in 1997, a staggering 86 per cent of new jobs went to immigrants. Fine, when there were enough jobs. But in a recession, this threatened to be politically explosive.
Now with lay-offs at the dizzying rate of 1,650 a day, people are far less relaxed about immigration.
It's not just troublemaking activists, but honest hard-working skilled labourers worried about their future. Suddenly, and for the first time, British workers are actually competing with about six million immigrants. And a truth will hit everyone: Brown's soundbite was a LIE. There's nothing anyone can to do protect Brits.
As the PM knows, it's ILLEGAL to help British workers over Bulgarian or Belgian ones. European Union rules are clear. This has its advantages-not least to the Brits who have been emigrating at the rate of 800 a day for FOREIGN jobs.
Not since the Irish potato famine has there been a greater exodus. It's the great, under-reported story.
When MPs talk about the "skills shortage" they don't tell you it's because 15 per cent of highly-skilled Brits have emigrated. This is the weird thing about the "British jobs for British workers" slogan-it was the precise opposite of the truth.
Legally there is no such thing as a British worker. Only EU workers. Any politician who claims otherwise is lying.
David Cameron can't offer any alternative, either. His points- based system only applies to non- EU immigrants. Our politicians can hardly go to picket lines and say "Your protest is pointless, under EU Directive 2004/38/EC".
This is where another three-letter danger comes in: the BNP. They thrive on insecurity, panic and despair.
If I were Cameron, I would not ignore this threat. Mass unemployment is a godsend to extremist parties. And it will get worse. Unemployment in Britain is literally rising faster than anywhere in the developed world.
It's my hunch that plenty of immigrants will return home. Especially now that the pound is monopoly money.
But most won't. They are hard-working, valued by their bosses and have been made welcome in Britain.
They will know these protests are not racism. It's just a demand for fair play, from understandably anxious workers.
Why parachute in Italian labour into a factory surrounded by skilled, unemployed British workers? The Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn, put it well. The strikers, he said, are "entitled to an answer".
He was right. And to stop these protests blowing up into nationwide recession rage, the answer had best be convincing.
FRASER NELSON is also political editor of The Spectator.
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This article has 4 comments
the only chance for Great Britain is the B.N.P, we have been well and truly duped by fist Ted heath, and now all the rest of the lib labcon, just look up a case for treason on you tube, the cost of living for British families has grown from the seventy's when we first entered to %974 and I no we all have mobile phones and DVD players, but %974 come on, things that cost £5.00 in seventy one, now cost £53.00, and when you think we have to pay for the pleasure of multiculturalism £160 million pounds a year, good value in it
By peter penrose.. Posted March 8 2009 at 3:20 PM.
I respect you honesty when you identify Gordon Brown as a liar.
It needs to be said in the press because the
ordinary people know it already.
However , one problem.
Everyone is saying because their is mass unemployment coming , immigrants may leave.
Think about it.
The coming hard times will make A LOT MORE IMMIGRANTS COME TO THE COUNTRY.
Times will be hard abroad as well and the whole world knows how 'generous' UK benefits are.
When 'illegals' lose there jobs in other countries , they will come to the UK as they know our 'immigration system' is does not exist.
No-one is deported , not even convicted killers.
My father come to the UK from Antigua about 1967.
The future of 'Nu-Britain' looks very bleak.
There are good reasons for thinking this country is heading for disaster.
We're already bankrupt.
By John Richardson.. Posted February 7 2009 at 9:58 PM.
The BNP are not thriving on "insecurity, panic and despair", this is what they have been warning for years but you biased journo's have chose to lie to the public(and still will). Problem for you is things are going to get alot worse, this is not a recession this is the end unless ALL immigration is stopped NOW. For the life in me I do not know why people still choose to bury there heads in the sand and ignore the reality that has been going on around them for years. Will liebour take us out of the eu NO will the CONservatives NO , will the libdems NO.As long as we are in the eu there will be less and less jobs for British people and our children will be forced to live in a thirdworld hell.
By David.. Posted February 1 2009 at 5:12 PM.
Gormless Gordon scores yet another own-goal with an absurd promise he couldn't possibly ever keep thanks to the EU.
If ever a mouth was allowed to run away from a brain, Gormless would be the olympic gold-medalist in that event.
Times up, mate; you've had it - for a generation or two - or three.
Mclabour can thank the unelected one for the wilderness experience from which there may well be no return.
By ROGER.. Posted February 1 2009 at 12:21 PM.