Ealing Lib Dem throws Tory asylum policy into confusion (Ealing Borough Liberal Democrats)

Ealing Lib Dem throws Tory asylum policy into confusion

February 1, 2005 1:22 AM

Ealing Southall Lib Dem Nigel Bakhai wih Jonathan Dimbleby

The Conservative party's policy on asylum and immigration has been thrown into confusion under questioning from Ealing Southall Lib Dem Prospective Parliamentary Candidate Nigel Bakhai.

Nigel Bakhai questioned the Tory policy on BBC Radio 4's "Any Questions?" which was broadcast live from Horsenden Primary School in Greenford.

Nigel, whose grandfather was a German Jew who fled from Nazi Germany to fight for the Allies in the Second World War and whose great grandparents were murdered in the Nazi holocaust, asked a panel of Lib Dem Deputy Leader Sir Menzies Campbell MP, Nicholas Soames MP, Lord Roy Hattersley and the journalist Ann Leslie whether they thought the sixtieth anniversary of Auschwitz was a suitable time for the Tories to launch their new asylum and immigration policy.

In response to the question, Ann Leslie described the timing of the Tory policy as "crude, tasteless and insensitive" and criticised the Conservative idea of holding refugees on a "fantasy island" as well as the idea of absolute quotas.

Nicholas Soames, the Conservative Defence Spokesman, responded to this criticism by throwing his party's policy in this area into confusion, admitting the quotas would in effect be merely 'guidelines' and would be waived in the event of a humanitarian crisis. Mr.Soames went on to say that they would have to be 'entirely flexible given the situation'. He added: 'It must be understood that, were there to be a great disaster and Britain had to do her bit, we would take in people.' Pressed by the show's host Jonathan Dimbleby as to whether the limit would then become just a guideline, he said: 'I think it becomes a guideline. These details have to be worked out.'

Notes

Friday 28th January's edition of BBC Radio Four's "Any Questions?" was broadcast live from Horsenden Primary School in Greenford. "Any Questions?" offers members of the public the chance to put their questions to a panel of four leading public figures on the topical issues of the day and it is broadcast live after the 8 pm news every Friday and repeated at 1.15 pm on Saturdays.

Nigel Bakhai's question was "On the 60th anniversary of Auschwitz, does the panel believe the Tory press release of their asylum and immigration policy, which would limit the numbers of people being allowed into this country who suffer from future atrocities, is a fitting tribute to the victims of the Nazi Holocaust?"

Gaby Hinsliff, political editor of The Observer, also referred to this episode of Any Questions in her article on Sunday 30th January, writing: "Nicholas Soames, the shadow defence secretary, admitted the quotas would in effect be merely 'guidelines' and would be waived in the event of a humanitarian crisis. The watering down of the policy follows private Tory misgivings that the asylum campaign could be hijacked by the hard right, with one frontbencher warning that Labour taunts of opportunism 'risk hitting home'.......Yesterday, Liam Fox, the party chairman, launched a major new poster campaign based around the message 'Are you thinking what I'm thinking?', featuring campaign messages on key issues boiled down into simple handwritten slogans, including: 'It's not racist to impose limits on immigration'. But the precise nature of those limits is now open to question, following Soames's admission that they would have to be 'entirely flexible given the situation'. He added: 'It must be understood that, were there to be a great disaster and Britain had to do her bit, we would take in people.' Pressed on Radio 4's Any Questions? as to whether the limit would then become just a guideline, he said: 'I think it becomes a guideline. These details have to be worked out.' As asylum figures are always influenced by wars and humanitarian disasters - applications from Sudan soared since the genocide, and rose from Zimbabwe during heightened tensions there - critics will argue that makes a nonsense of quotas. A Tory spokesman insisted quotas would be more than mere 'guidelines', but admitted they would be flexible.

For more details on this article go to http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,6903,1401802,00.html

Ealing Borough Liberal Democrats