pap

Problem is, the debate is deliberately compounded so that a lot of people see illegal immigrants and EU immigrants as the same thing. This grand plan doesn't address the xenophobic attitudes of "Annoyed" from Upper Shirley, or indeed, anyone concerned about the impact of EU migration from former Eastern bloc countries. Illegal immigration is less of an issue than EU immigration in terms of pure numbers.

Immigration is a problem, but it's not one that happens in isolation, and the specific problem that the Conservatives are trying to solve ( illegal non-EU migrants ) is the tip of the iceberg. Legal, EU migration puts half a billion people in the position where they have the right to be here, whether the Conservatives like it or not. They've always avoided the question of EU immigration, whether asked directly or petitioned through other means ( such as the 100K petition ). Non-EU migration might be a problem, but its tiny compared to the problems caused by entirely legal immigration. Sending a few vans around London to scare the few people we can reasonably deport seems to be missing the point.

It's far from impossible, as my occasional climb downs illustrate. You blind, kid?

I have my moments, love. But don't worry. Barely anyone reads my blog either.

Who knows, but they'd be about as effective. This whole thing is a waste of money. The Conservatives are doing to to pretend they're doing something. Do you really believe it'll make one jot of difference, apart from showing us to be a country of classless psuedo racists?

Good man, Col. The good thing about posting on this thread is that people will read it, unlike your blogs x

And yet there are no "stop raping, or face arrest" vans. Weird that.

Some vacuums nature can abhor, caped crusader. I always thought Steven Seagal was a more impressive Navy "hard chef" myself. Any chance he can post on here instead of you?

Or intelligent.

Nope, but it's implicit. I was born here and I'm not really a fan of this, or any other fear tactic.

Sarah Teather, the former Lib Dem minister and MP for Brent Central, said constituents told her the billboards were reminiscent of some of the most offensive graffiti and signs seen at the height of anti-immigrant racism in the 70s. "It reminds them of the things they used to see on walls in the 70s such as 'Paki go home'. The tone of the words on this van is similar to those signs in guesthouses that once told potential tenants: 'no Irish, no blacks, no dogs'," she said.

The Conservatives's latest ploy to tackle illegal immigration has upset quite a few people, and justifiably so. They are driving vans around London telling people to "go home". Not a coalition policy, not even something Farage will get behind and as Sarah Teather points out, it's all a bit too close to the "paki go home" racist graffiti that we'd thought we'd long left behind. Guardian's take on it here:- http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk-news/2013/jul/25/coalition-row-adverts-illegal-immigrants

My uncle has worked there for decades. His Facebook feed is full of photos of the last days. Gutted for them all. I've only really been around one shutdown ( Marconi ) and its devastating to see people lose not only their jobs, but also their mates and an important part of who they are.

Good work, mulletsaint.

Personally, I reckon us Sotonians who didn't have their heads turned by bigger clubs are the true heroes

F**king glory hunters

Kudos to you for such an expansive and informative post. I happen to live near to Port Sunlight and am a good friend of a current resident. It's a place that very much proves my point. The entire town was built on the behest of the Lever brothers. To this day, the town continues to ask the same questions of potential new residents that I would ask, and binds them into community responsibility from day one. It continues to be a successful experiment in social engineering, but it's got bugger all to do with the impressive quality of the architecture. It's more to do with the more restrictive social contract that all residents must adhere to. I'm with you on Port Sunlight. I'm not so sure that's a bad thing. They require that you will uphold certain responsibilities as a pre-condition of moving in. That isn't a million miles away from what I am suggesting; homes for decent people. You are crazy if you believe that can't be implemented. Already being done by umpteen credit agencies. I'm pleased to hear of your background but I can't say I had the same experience, even though I've seen towns like yours. Similar schemes were played in Liverpool, people guaranteed a council house and a job if they moved to places like Kirkby or Skelmersdale. They kept their council houses, but the jobs did not last. I have a rosier view of social housing. Most of my family were in it for ten years tops before moving into the private sector. I'm not talking about building New Kirkby. I'm talking about building desirable pockets of social accommodation that have strict entry requirements. I have to say, I do wonder whether your hellish experience on these estates was a result of a failure to engage with the people around you. Assuming you're as bold and "brassy" in public as you are on here, I'd deduct that you were the recipient of quite a few slaps. Mate, you can have a big mouth on a council estate without being especially hard yourself, but FFS, get a minder.

I love Ads, but damn, he was frustrating last year, perhaps the biggest reason I spent the season fantasising about having someone who can whack 'em in from distance, a la MLT or more recently, Lampard. Lallana isn't alone in not coming up with an end product, but he does seem to be especially visible when he does it. One touch too many, a bit of indecision and needs both practice and confidence at shots from distance. As I said, I'm a big fan of Lallana. My preference would be to see a more effective version of the same player tearing it up in the Premier League. If he hasn't progressed by the end of the coming season, I wouldn't blame the club for seeking other options. Not sure of him as captain either. While I appreciate that authority comes from different sources and not all of it is about being a gobby get, I also chime with a quote about leadership I read recently, which said that most of it was about being first to act, and there's the problem. I no longer see Lallana as a player who sets the tempo.

Big lolz. You were the one who got the wrong end of the stick when you took my argument to mean "housing hasn't always been the most expensive outgoing" or alternatively, "housing is not the most expensive thing elsewhere". I don't know what was going through your head. I can only tell you I didn't write it. Still, cheers for the contribution, Sour Mash. I rarely get to look this good in debates.

#makingstuffupbecauseyouwantittobetrue ?

How do you know? Royal finances are exempt from FOI requests.

Agree that this was a huge factor. Something else that should just be run by the state, imo. Denmark has the right idea. It recognises that the benefits of providing universal child care well outstrip the costs. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/feb/18/britain-learn-denmark-childcare-model

You are like Mr One Question from Banzai. You can't let it go, and don't want to consider why this might be a bad thing. Housing can be the most expensive item on your monthly outgoings and still be affordable. It's the latter part that ain't happening. Can you accommodate that principle?

Reading deny making an approach for Lambert. http://www.basingstokegazette.co.uk/sport/10567717.Reading_deny_move_for_Southampton_s_Rickie_Lambert/?ref=twtrec

Granted, but too often, the complexity of the issue is used as an excuse to ignore it. Land is incredibly important. How much of your 150K is spent on just securing that?