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Talk about Newsnight

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Friday, 25 May, 2007

  • Newsnight
  • 25 May 07, 05:56 PM

Presented by .

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Immigration

A clear majority of British people have told a ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ opinion poll that they agree with the Trade and Industry minister Margaret Hodge on her controversial comments about immigration.

She said "British citizens should always get priority for social housing ahead of immigrant families".

Her Labour colleague the Education Secretary Alan Johnson accused Ms Hodge of using the language "of the BNP".

Newsnight's Paul Mason has been hearing the views from the heartland of England - Nottinghamshire - about immigration, and we'll debate the issue with the Labour MP Keith Vaz and the leader of the BNP, Nick Griffin.

Identity Theft

At one time thieves targeted jewels or cash as the most lucrative form of crime, but nowadays information can prove just as attractive.

Data theft is a growing criminal problem and one which is of increasing concern to the regulators.

But very little is known about how stolen data is used.

Martin Shankleman recently uncovered such a scam, and set out to see what happened next.

We've also been asking about your experiences of identity theft. Have you been a victim? Do you think those who hold your details do enough to stop this kind of theft happening? Join the debate here.

Newsnight Deputy Leadership Debate

And we are also looking for your help with a special programme Jeremy Paxman is hosting on Tuesday.

He will cross examine the six candidates for the deputy leadership of the Labour Party in a Newsnight special.

We’re giving you the whole bank holiday weekend to think about the questions you’d like Jeremy to put to them.

Post your thoughts here and we’ll arm him with the best ones on Tuesday night.

Plus, Kirsty Wark is in Cannes for Newsnight Review, where she has an interview with film director Martin Scorsese. Click here for more.

Comments  Post your comment

  • 1.
  • At 06:35 PM on 25 May 2007,
  • alienated07 wrote:

Planet Gordon Brown says that everyone in the whole entire world has got a right to come and live in Britain and live the American dream in Britain. To suggest otherwise would be ‘uncompassionate’ or dare I say even ‘racist’, and we wouldn’t want to say anything that might have even the slightest whiff of racism to it, would we now? So our fate is sealed: we will have to concrete over the homes of the foxes that we saved from hunting and live like sardines on this overcrowded, grey concrete island. Our quality of life might suffer and there will be 500,000 extra carbon footprints to offset, but hey, at least no-one will be able to accuse us of being racist!

The irony is of course that the government's open door immigration policy is actually creating racism where there was none before - you could argue that this government are actually 'creators of racism'.

  • 2.
  • At 07:17 PM on 25 May 2007,
  • Maurice - Northumberland wrote:

M.Hodge is only scraping the surface of the issue!
I have heard Politicians of all colours come up with 'Housing is based on needs'. Oh well that is very nice, so an immigrant or asylum seeker who arrives with absolutely nothing jumps straight to the top of the waiting lists, and gets everything else thrown in, terrific.
I have also heard Alan Johnson state that no locals on the waiting lists (which exist in every council in the country) lose out - excuse me but, 1,000's of British people have been on waiting list for years, yet an immigrant of any sort ramps up and all of a sudden they have a house! Where did that house come from?
She has also been accused of using the language of the BNP - so what, our current Politicians have shown more interest in ne comers that for the British, so the BNP must be speaking on behalf of someone, and the indigenous population desperately needs some one to do it. The BNP are! It is not the fault of the BNP for the situation people find themselves in, it is our spineless politicians with an unhealthy agenda.
Our current lot represent the same pack of cards we have had for years, maybe it is about time we stopped re-shuffling the same pack and use another.
Otherwise the whitie in Britain will be the ethnic minority of the not to distant future.
As it is today, the birth rate ratio is 15:1 Ethnic to White (ONS) + the Muslim population in all Western countries doubles each decade, compounded by the number of Brits leaving and the ever increasing numbers coming in it's not hard to work out the time scale before we have no country to call our own.
So Hodges words are real, but 10 years too late, it is her Government who has exacerbated the situation with their agenda of anyone who wants to come can whether they have any means of support or not!
The consequences will be irreparable!
So if the indigenous population do indeed turn to the likes of the BNP the current Politicians need only look to themselves for why!
Now I hear that they want more Ethnics into positions in Parliament and Cabinet. They already have a Black leader of the HoL and much good she is, same for Baroness Scotland, Vaz etc. not up to the job, they weren't in their own countries so why the hell should we have to live with 3rd world individuals giving us instructions?

Yes I see this Country as a total mess, like many who have already left our ambition is to follow them!
Many feel they are being ethnically cleansed from their own country, and I am starting to see why.

It would appear France is prepared to do something about it, others will follow:-

Britain should follow before it's too late, if not already!

  • 3.
  • At 09:35 PM on 25 May 2007,
  • Rusty, Fedup wrote:

Maurice -Post 2. I agree totally, however as long as we stay bound to the EU (and the HUMAN RIGHTS rubbish) nothing will change. While we maintain an open house attitude for all-comers, instead of closing our borders and sorting out what's already here, nothing will change. While we allow this nations assets to be sold off to the highest bidding asset stripper, in the name of "Globalisation", nothing will change. While the people of our once great nation would rather watch "Eastenders" and bury their heads in the sand, nothing will change. While we stand accused of being racists for even questioning the governments immigration policy, instead of debating it properly, nothing will change.

I suspect the events of this evening will just be another stage managed hatchet job. People are turning to the BNP, not just as their last chance. But as is now being discovered, many of the statements put out by them years ago, are now being seen as fact!!! And adding to that, Enoch was right too.

  • 4.
  • At 10:05 PM on 25 May 2007,
  • Shueb Hussain wrote:

Newsnight Deputy Leadership Debate

Many of New Labour's policies have been met with widespread opposition from the general public - more than just mild unpopularity. How important do you think it is to listen and pay attention to puplic opinion (even if you have the media on-board), and would you see it increased if you get the deputy leadership?

It seems to me that policies (I am not necessarily referring to foreign policies) the public is overwhelmingly against are perevered with nevertheless, which is oh so possible in the age of media relations and 'communications'.

  • 5.
  • At 11:04 PM on 25 May 2007,
  • Maurice - Northumberland wrote:

#3 Rusty, as you point out, there is more wrong than right!

Having just watched and listened to K. Vaz.
I think he has proven both our points.
He just cannot help himself lying through his back teeth.
1 - the wonderful Multicultural Country he refers to is not here or anywhere else - and never can nor will be!
2 - on the subject of housing, once again he is lying!
3 - he describes the transformation of this country as something great, I have news for him, due to the likes of him it is far from it.
Has he thought maybe just maybe the indigenous population might have liked an input into whether they wanted transforming or their country turned into a Disney Multicultural Squat? No, neither did Lenin nor Stalin or Adolf Hitler, Mao didn't ask permission either.
4 - how does he feel about the British transformation of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Africa etc. Not very much seeing as they all kicked us out. So he has got to get it into his head that 'What Goes Around Comes Around' so it could be goodbye Mr Vaz we don't want your 'Transformation' nor the Multicultural shambles that has been imposed on us!
And where does he get off referring to 'OUR'? Sorry buddie, not yet though your fellow groups birth rates will ultimately make it so! UNLESS ............

I am surprised the BNP bloke didn't thank Vaz. In the space of a few minutes for the additional voters he single handedly turned to the BNP.
Tough on immigration, just like tough on crime eh. What a figure of comedy Vaz is!

  • 6.
  • At 11:05 PM on 25 May 2007,
  • Rusty, Fedup wrote:

Having just watched Newsnights coverage on immigration, I withdraw my comments (post 3) about a hatchet job. However watching and listening to Mr Vaz, and his vision for a multi-racial utopia in my country. I will now be voting BNP. He was talking utter drivel, I wonder if his views would change If he moved his house into an inner city "enriched" area. I wonder what his reaction if an extended family of Romanian gypsies made their camp next to his house? Afraid I have NO confidence in New Liebor, and I voted Labour for years.

"England has thus become a gigantic Parrot house in which words pass from mouth to mouth without the slightest comprehension of the real issues at stake"- Nesta Webster (1938)

NOTHING has changed!!!

  • 7.
  • At 11:07 PM on 25 May 2007,
  • Stanley Eldridge wrote:

I have just watched the newnight programme in question and thought the way the BNP leader was treated was disgusting! What happened to manners? Obviosuly they were only reserved for Vaz. The ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ quickly forget that the BNP is a legitimate political party with a legitimate leader, and depsite many of his parties policies are protested against it does not obsolve of him of being treated fairly. During the programme Mr Griffin was repeatedly cut off during his argument and not fully allowed to get his point across. Mr Griffin is a man who has stood up for what he believes in and has stuck through that thick and thin and therefore deserves more respect than any other politician. Mr Griffin is voicing the unheard, often strangled voices of the idigenous peoples of this country who believe in basic British rights for Britain and what it has stood for for over 200 years. People need to stop calling the BNP rascist, they are not. The BNP are doing the damndest to save this country from certain annhilation. This can be seen in political correctness and extreme influxes in immigration in which idigenous peoples of this countyr are turning into a minority. Something needs to be done. People are scared, and as they lose faith in the main political parties they are too often reminded by organisations like the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ that BNP are rascist. If the BNP continues to be treated so poorly and unequally then we will no longer be a democracy in which every voice is heard. New Labour are cleverly moulding this country's system into something that favours them and restricts parties like the BNP.
As a teenager I have often aspired ot go into politics, I have often been attracted by the conservative party, but as (every day) something else gets me more and more frustrated at the state of this country i feel myself warming to the BNP. In fact, thats it. My mind's made up. Well done ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ you've succesfully won a future enemy.

  • 8.
  • At 11:11 PM on 25 May 2007,
  • Robin Vowles wrote:

I'm disgusted by the level of immigration to this country, it's simply out of control. A few Labour politicians talk the talk, but as Nick Griffin said, they have no intention of actually doing anything about it. Why not? Because if they did inflation would go through the roof. In North Somerset Labour are trying to force us to build 27,000 new homes to house all the white families that are fleeing the over-crowded "multi-cultural" southeast. If multi-culturalism is so great, why are Englsih families leaving London in droves? Our quality of life and England's future are being ruined. I cannot believe people still vote for this Labour government and its anti-English compulsive liars like Keith Vaz.

  • 9.
  • At 11:13 PM on 25 May 2007,
  • Rose Howard wrote:

What planet is Keith Vaz on, he certainly cannot be in this country, he says that the Labour government are tough on immigration how does he make that out,they do not know how many are here,where they are, but they are getting our housing,our money without contributing a brass farthing,it is so unfair
He does not know anything about the subject from the point of the indigenous people of this country he is only hell bent on looking after ethnic minorities,this country will never ever be multicultural,the indigenous people are being ignored as usual.

  • 10.
  • At 11:13 PM on 25 May 2007,
  • Karl Chappell wrote:

It's becoming so obvious that no person shall take the blame for England changing into non-England.
After living in London for a good 15 years I find it hard not to notice what is going on and persons 'shoving it under the carpet' because they believe that if they vote Labour then Labour will look after them (and their families).

  • 11.
  • At 11:13 PM on 25 May 2007,
  • diane granger wrote:

Margaret Hodge has been forced to identify one reason why her constituents vote BNP.Our health service is in meltdown because of increasing numbers.Why can't British people who have paid in all their working lives,access services at the point of need.Why are many having to sell their homes to pay for nursing care?It isn't rocket science.We are not a bottomless pit.To hear the crass statements of Alan Johnson opposing Hodge's statement and lecturing us on the economics of the madhouse was positively nauseating!

  • 12.
  • At 11:13 PM on 25 May 2007,
  • John Woolley wrote:

When did Keith Vaz last walk through Leicester City centre? We have many Eastern Europeans, even Polish supermarkets. He's right about the multi-cultural society but it is an intercultural society that's needed. Too many people come to Britain and fail to integrate.He's also right about the difficulty for non-Europeans to immigrate. They simply come to visit and disappear. Nothing is done to tackle the huge number of people who remain in the UK illegally and they know it.
It was interesting to note your map reading group's concerns. They felt that immigration had gone too far but how many of them would discuss the issue? White British people are afraid to speak out in their own land, gagged by legislation. If you scratch the surface on these issues you will uncover huge resentment by the people who rightfully belong here. Thankfully, few are stupid enough to subscribe to right wing organisations of which history can relate many horrors but I really don't think that politicians understand the magnitude of this resentment felt by the voters they are elected to represent.

  • 13.
  • At 11:15 PM on 25 May 2007,
  • Karl Chappell wrote:

It's becoming so obvious that no person shall take the blame for England changing into non-England.
After living in London for a good 15 years I find it hard not to notice what is going on and persons 'shoving it under the carpet' because they believe that if they vote Labour then Labour will look after them (and their families).

  • 14.
  • At 11:21 PM on 25 May 2007,
  • wrote:

keith Vaz is on a different planet!

I can't believe Keith Vaz stated that Labour is firm on immigration??????
He stated that no one complains to him in his surgery about the housing system being clogged by immigrants.
This is due to his surgery area being predominantly an Asian area with no Africans or Iraqi's etc residing there.
I live in Leicester and waited for 3 years for a Council house, whilst living in dangerous cramped conditions, in a one bedroom flat, with a daughter and partner, whilst Immigrants were being housed in houses all around me!
Keith Vaz clearly is more bothered about ethnic minoreties and defending the likes of Shilpa Shetty? than acknowledging the real social problems that exist in his City concerning New Labours open door policy!
He clearly is on another planet!!

  • 15.
  • At 11:47 PM on 25 May 2007,
  • wrote:

In the debate on Margaret Hodge's self-seeking inflammation of the immigration issue on tonight's edition of Newsnight, British National Party leader Nick Griffin accused the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ of "Demonising racism". Bewildered presenter Gavin Ester couldn't help blurting out:

"What? There's a good side to racism?"
To which Griffin, aware of his Freudian slip, muttered something incoherent about the word 'racism' being a fiendish Trotskyite plot to do something or other. The ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ being naturally in league with Trotsky. As presumably have been Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, a number of U.S. presidents, more than one British prime minister, most of europe since the war, and the Pope. Rabid commies all.

So what did he mean? What is there not to demonise? If anything is fair game for demonisation, surely it is racism - cheating someone out of their rights because of a microscopic genetic variation, and all that has meant in history.

Presumably, Griffin would like to 'reclaim' the word from its devilish left-wing captors. Show the world the racism with a song in its heart, the racism he loves.. to steal from Mel Brooks, who knew a thing a two about racism.

The mask has slipped. This was not territory Griffin had wanted to stray into, and yet it had been so near the surface that the first red light on his monitor screen had thrown it into his mouth. Twitching visibly by the end of the ordeal, he spluttered about the destruction of the 'British Way Of Life' by Polish small businessmen. And that was that.

In the meantime, his adversary, the pathetic Keith Vaz, smiled beatifically in the background, knowing that all he had to do was repeat his challenge to Griffin for evidence of any of Hodge's claims. None was delivered.

When someone does decide to renew Britain's public housing stock and break the stranglehold of the market, creatures like Griffin will crawl back into whatever swamp spawned them. Until then, the British people will be regularly bombarded with this kind of hate campaign, as it has been since the emergence of the mass media and before. Their genuine concerns about the cost of housing should be directed at the people profiting from the shortage, not those who legitimately seek to put Norman tebbit's famous words into actions.

  • 16.
  • At 11:55 PM on 25 May 2007,
  • Mo wrote:

Maybe we should elect Ms Hodge as Prime Minister, at least we English people would feel that we have more chance of a fair deal with her as a leader.
Let's get away from the EU, and gain back some control over our own lives, before we really do find ourselves living in the largest housing estate in the world, with a Casino on every corner.
The government can help people of other countries in their own countries, help them to help themselves. Allowing all and sundry to come here is NOT the answer.
Let's get rid of the delusional M.P's, including Vaz of Big Brother fame! they are just fanning the flames of racism.
We had a chance back there to continue with our tolerant attitude, but not as the situation stands now.
We need a government who will listen to what is going on in the "real" world.
Mo/Leicester

  • 17.
  • At 12:20 AM on 26 May 2007,
  • r starke wrote:

I dont think there should be any nation states or borders. Nationalism is an old outdated idea. This kind of idea that one person is less deserving than another based on where they happened to be born is pure racism, I did not choose where I was born, we can choose to extend kindness to those in need.

"The irony is of course that the government's open door immigration policy is actually creating racism where there was none before - you could argue that this government are actually 'creators of racism'."

There is no open door imigration in the UK. If you could argue that the government somehow creates racism, it would be by their stiring up of the UK's inbuilt racism to meet their own political ends.

  • 18.
  • At 12:50 AM on 26 May 2007,
  • Maurice - Northumberland wrote:

#7. Mr Little:
You want evidence of M. Hodges claims - go to her constituancy, better still go to your local housing office.
Has any recent immigrant a house in your council area? If so, point proven!
Seek and thee will find, in other words remove the blinkers, remove the head from the sand and take notice of the reality. Something Gavin Essler is obviously loathed to do, as shown when Vaz said 'We have the toughest immigration laws etc etc' he was not challenged by the interviewer, why would that be Gavin?
The garbage that flows from the mouths of the likes of Little K. Vaz are just that - garbage and un-supportable.
The evidence is for all to see, Blunkett is the only one in Parliament who can justifiably say 'I did not see' no one else!

  • 19.
  • At 01:23 AM on 26 May 2007,
  • Maurice - Northumberland wrote:

#17 r starke wrote:-
"There is no open door immigration in the UK. If you could argue that the government somehow creates racism, it would be by their stirring up of the UK's inbuilt racism to meet their own political ends".

What country are you in?
No open door immigration Policy, really then how are the so many of everything hear and arriving daily and have done for the last 7 or 8 years?

By your reckoning, we were all racists in 1939 and should have had no response to the Socialist expansionism of Adolf Hitler.
Racism is created by the threat from other races and cultures, and labour have imposed an un-healthy number onto the indigenous population, currently about 15% ethnic in England.
The Chamberlain esq lack of response led to more deaths and destruction than needed, the same potential disaster is growing throughout Europe once again, and you and the Politicians in general are adopting the same Chamberlain lack of response (or as was described as lacking in moral fibre).

  • 20.
  • At 01:59 AM on 26 May 2007,
  • Mr Wallace wrote:

Gavins opening introduction to tonights newsnight, "immigration, can we have a real national debate without appearing racist?". well generally not from the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳, but the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ has had it's hand forced in debating this issue due to Margaret Hodges recent comments, with the usual backlash and hue and cry of "racist", plus another poll suggesting that immigration is a concern for a lot of people; well the chaps at the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ had to climb down from their ivory towers and call griffin and vaz on the phone, to arrange a debate on this hot and well cooked potato. I would have loved to have been in that newsnight meeting, watching the arrangements for tonights edition "peter, put the Guardian down!, Griffins agreed to an interview, we'll have to pull something out of the bag for counter argument, how about Keith Vaz? "did vaz not take back-handers a few years ago?, yeah, that was years ago though, everyones forgotten about that parliamentary investigation, he'll do..
Griffin is not seen much on newsnight, but always seems to stump the interviewer when he has been on the TV. Did Gavin not also interview Griffin a few years back?; Griffin i remember, had a copy of the Qu' ran at the ready and stumped gavin that time too.

The charge of racism when questioning multiculturalism holds no water anymore, you do not have to hate or be racist to have concerns about the well-being of your country, not learning from history, and not looking around the world that we inhabit, can mean you repeat the same mistakes; multiculturalism and multi-religious societies are a very dangerous path to go down.
Ethnic crime, religious fundamentalist terrorism, social services at breaking point, prisons full to capacity, low paid indigenous workers priced out of the labour market due to large scale and unmanaged immigration, this list can go on and on and its becoming the bread and butter of newsnight, are we awake yet? oh i know thing are okay at the moment and the country we live in is quite wealthy, but don't forget, recessions do come in cycles and, ah well, use your imagination.

The mismanagement of our immigration policy by this labour government in the last ten years have been a gift for the BNP, inadvertently this labour governments incompetence on immigration and its inevitable fallout, have increased the BNP vote, and have awoken and politicised a once apathetic electorate; I am sure Griffin is grateful for that..

P.S: I always enjoy newsnight review, its nice to finish the week with a bit of culture, especially when Mark Kermode is on, kirsty does a great job of hosting it as well as guest hosts, but why does Jeremy paxman not bother himself with it? just a thought..

  • 21.
  • At 02:09 AM on 26 May 2007,
  • stan wrote:

As Gavin Esler suggested open debate with the B.N.P.s Nick griffin will settle a lot of arguments, at least he just tells it as it is and is not afraid to be un pc as most politicians are. The B.N.P. are talked about and are not given the right of reply. The dominant parties should either put up or shut up, what are they afraid of, too many skeletons falling ouy of the cupboard.

  • 22.
  • At 02:15 AM on 26 May 2007,
  • stan wrote:

As Gavin Esler suggested open debate with the B.N.P.s Nick griffin will settle a lot of arguments, at least he just tells it as it is and is not afraid to be un pc as most politicians are. The B.N.P. are talked about and are not given the right of reply. The dominant parties should either put up or shut up, what are they afraid of, too many skeletons falling ouy of the cupboard.

  • 23.
  • At 02:58 AM on 26 May 2007,
  • kate carter wrote:

It has been rumored that Blair will give an amnesty to all illegal people living in this country and the possibility of citizenship to all migrants and asylum seekers, as his farewell gift. He must really hate this country.

  • 24.
  • At 07:34 AM on 26 May 2007,
  • Steve wrote:

It is horrible to watch the spin and the clever use of language in the argument about social housing.

Queue Jumpers, Foreign Nationals, Housing not given based on peoples immigration status.

All very clever ways of hiding the truth. Of course immigrants are not jumping the queue, they are being placed at the front of the queue due to the fact that their needs are more urgent then local peoples. Of course there is only 1% of Foreign Nationals in our social housing, because the moment you are given status in this country to get social housing, you are no longer considered a foreign national. Of course housing isn't based on immigration status, but if you are an immigrant, your need will be greater then a local persons.

Do I agree with M Hodge?

No, not really, housing should be given on need not on whether you happen to have been born here or came here later, but I really do hate the way the argument is being spun and words carefully chosen to hide the reality of the situation.

Newham has 20,000 people on its waiting list, why talk about Barking with its 8,000. Newham only has 18,500 Social Homes. We have a 70% non-white population, we have 7,000 Refugee Children in our schools.

Newham recently changed the way it allocates homes, because it realised this problem 2 years ago.

Yet according to Keith Vaz (Apparently the UKs answer to Al Sharpton) and others, it isn't a problem.

Then why did Newham change its policy if it wasn't a problem?

It is a problem, it is one that a Labour Led Council in Newham spotted and decided to deal with, and they completely changed the way in which they allocate social housing in an effort to be fairer to residents who have lived here for long periods.

  • 25.
  • At 11:54 AM on 26 May 2007,
  • robert wrote:

As newsnight showed,the people have been cowed by PC into what they are allowed to say,could anyone tell me any other country on earth that would even debate the notion that its citizens would not have priority over anyone who fancied residence in their country,it is leading to a collective insanity in this country and it is getting to the point where Nick Griffin on his own is showing more common sense,honesty,and integrity than all of parliament combined.

  • 26.
  • At 01:56 PM on 26 May 2007,
  • Callum Davidson wrote:

After last nights interview with Mr. Griffin the leader of the BNP party.
It finally struck a corde, as a tenager i will finally pledge my support to the BNP, i am one of many in my youth who are becoming more and more worried about the future of Britain. The Britain which i and my counterparts will have to grow old and die in. becuae of the state which new labour have left it in. Also as a member of the youth, i am extremly frustrated about the way that new labour is trying to brian wash me and my school friends into believeing that Britain is bad. I feel that is wrong, and im very upset at how this country is becoming weaker by the day.

  • 27.
  • At 03:23 PM on 26 May 2007,
  • Dennis Wills wrote:

When, before immigration had really escalated to the problem it is now, I heard on the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ that we in this country should feel "proud and privileged" that people want to come here, my back went up. There it has remained and will remain.

  • 28.
  • At 04:47 PM on 26 May 2007,
  • wrote:

It is a pity that Griffin slipped up on the "demonising racism" comment. He meant to say "demonising the opinions of ordinary English people as racist" and was, as a previous commenter noted, forced to think on his feet.

Otherwise, he did well and compared very favourably to the smug unreality of Keith Vaz's remarks.

The English should never feel that there is some immorality attached to asserting their moral right to England. Are Vaz's Goans in Goa immoral, or Margaret Hodge's Jews in Israel?

We are the people of this land. It is precious to us as it can be to no other people. Those who insist upon our slow, ineluctable dispossession are the true racists.

  • 29.
  • At 06:00 PM on 26 May 2007,
  • csharp wrote:

Who speaks for those marginalised by a failed housing policy and threatened economically by a failed immigration policy? Those who believe in international socialism or those who dream about marches by torchlights.

gavin should let people have the space to hang themselves by their own words and not launch on his own crusade. It was a missed opportunity especially given that the newsnight viewers are probably not the state educated working class lower middle that are the target audience for the Nationalist ideology. A person with bad policy will give themselves away if you give them room to hang themselves but not if you forget the science of questions and smother them trying to deny them their rightful portion of airtime which just makes them look the victim?

Vaz and the international socialists attempt to deny blanky what everyone is talking about on the 'british street' is most disturbing. Admitting there is a problem is the first step to solving it . Vaz and the international socialists in the Labour party are still in denial and so help let things fester which benefits the Nationalists. Neither side seem too bright but then if they were would they be attracted to international socialism or nationalism?

  • 30.
  • At 06:15 PM on 26 May 2007,
  • robert wrote:

How can Vaz tell us immigration is not affecting council waiting list,where are millions of immigrants mysteriously living? isnt it obvious that Africa,Asia,and evrywhere else knows that under New-Lab if they make there way here they will be given a house and income,any sensible person knows this small island hasnt the room,but new-lab,being totally irresponsible and with their extreme dogma and PC are going to anyway,so put on a graph the population is going one way up,the resources needed for the houses such as water,gas,somewhere to bury the rubbish etc, put on a graph is going one way down,the two lines must at some point meet,ensuring the collapse of a law abiding,democratic,western civilisation.There is nothing in politics that comes close to the seriousness of allowing the extremists to carry out this agenda,politics should now be about who wishes to bring this about and who doesnt,there is only so far three people in parliament with a conscience,Franck Field,Hodge,and Blears,with all the tories following New-Lab PC.

  • 31.
  • At 08:46 PM on 26 May 2007,
  • where eagles dare wrote:

Well done Nick Griffin, coming across as honest and sincere, rather than that Lying Vaz.
The BNP get called racist and fascist neither of which they are.
Fascism means when one person dictates, what’s happening. The BNP have a voting membership, started this year allowing every region to put forward policies to be voted on, for the parties manifesto. This means that the membership of the party will now make up the policies. I think that this will mean that the BNP will be the most Democratic Party in the UK, hardly Fascist.
Also the BNP are not the racists that people make out. Yes they want to halt mass immigration, the word mass is what you should focus on, because they are not against, normal sustainable migration, as in Marriage, and genuine work. Not the mass lets let every scrounger from around the world in to leech us dry to the detriment of our own welfare. Hell we don’t even look after our own Ill and elderly properly, but lets make the situation worse by making the pot of tax payers money have to look after all of the worlds social problems.
That’s before we mention the lack of criminal punishment in the UK, the terrorists in our midst, the spread of Islam, a so called religion that’s hell bent on taking over the world.
We need the BNP more than ever. Show some national pride, look after our own first, something the ethnic groups do, so yes we can learn something from them. Maybe if Brits has as much pride in the welfare of Britain as Muslims do in Islam we would not be in the state we are now. And believe me it will get worse unless we cower to Islam and allow us to be taken over.
Sorry not me I still have the fight in my belly our brave soldiers had in the world wars to protect Britain.
Vaz did the BNP a big favour and confirmed the government agenda for the UK, one that most decent British people dont want. This is our country.

  • 32.
  • At 11:14 PM on 26 May 2007,
  • muji bally wrote:

Having watched the much mentioned newsnight report and discussion on immigration, i much like most other respondents did not believe a word Mr Vaz was smuttering and could was astonished to hear a minister speak such obvious drivel.

I happen to live near Barking & Dagenham and one does not have to posess a P.H.D. in social research to see that the local population is rapidly increasing and that this is mostly due to new comers choosing to come here. I need not go further except say i agree with most obervations above.

What struck me as even more unbelievable was the very obvious arrogant "smirk" on Mr Vaz's face, i could not believe that such an arrogant and self deluded individual was actually a Government Minister. You really have to ask yourself just who your government is really representing when you see such smugness in the face of obvious and even cheeky lies.

As a second generation immigrant, i felt Mr Vaz symbolically exemplified the kind of image of immigrants Mr Griffin would thank him for. i.e. It is perceived that immigrants do not politely ask to be allowed to stay, but they force their "rights" ..... (hate preachers being an obviuous example).

Mr Griffin for his part came across much better despite his faltering on the "demonisation" comment. At least he was telling the truth and not doing so like a deluded dictator.

The programme, despite Mr Vaz's self assured lies, showed the extent of the immigration problem, the extent of Government mismanagement and best of all, governments' continued nonsensical and failed tactic of denying the problems by saying there is no "proof...", when most people are now aware of why there may be no proof - New Labour have admitted they have "no clue" as to the numbers of migrants coming, so that explains why there is no proof! Not to mention the old trick of shouting "racist". May be Griffin was picked so Vaz could in the view of the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ get away with vile body language, afterall, the bloke is a perceived racist, who it seems have little or no human rights, yet mass murdering terrorists have rights.

As for the housing issue, i think it helps to consider this; the UK economy relies on uk people buying and selling houses to each other rather than trading with the world (generally). To be brief the Government WANTS and NEEDS the housing situation to be as it is. It suits both them and their banker friends. Increasing population numbers helps to keep housing demand high and also helps New Labour secure some future votes. It also helps another group of new labour friends, the employers, keep wages down and helps Mr Brown keep inflation down.

Perhaps that is why Mr Vaz was utterly self assured, he knows nothing will change, even if Mr Cameron should take over.

  • 33.
  • At 11:27 PM on 26 May 2007,
  • Andy wrote:

I can understand people seeking out a better life for themselves, only they should be seeking to create a better life in their own country first.
That is something they cannot do if labour go bombing the hell out of them, our forces are the best in the World, sadly our politicians are not.
The British have made this nation a place where many feel safe and welcome, only the way we are now being swamped, we will cease to be a nation and will become a mish mash of divided factions struggling for dominance. A fine legacy of decades of Tory and Labour policy.

  • 34.
  • At 11:59 AM on 27 May 2007,
  • johnpold0 wrote:

Here here after years of being ignored and only a few times of being heard, the BNP have managed to get the opinions heard on one of Britains best news programmes. Go BNP.

  • 35.
  • At 12:02 PM on 27 May 2007,
  • JohnF wrote:

The problem with the housing allocation debate is that it is fuelled more by myth and rumour than fact. A previous post mentions "an immigrant or asylum seeker who arrives with absolutely nothing jumps straight to the top of the waiting lists"

In reality asylum seekers have no right to council housing and most immigrants have to have been here for a year or more before they can apply

A application from an immigrant gets no special prioritisation, indeed most allocation schemes take account of local connection and time spent on the waiting list, not just 'need'.

Nationally the vast majority of council houses go to people who are 'white British'

There may well be problems in a few areas such as Barking, but lets have a few more facts and a bit less rhetoric

  • 36.
  • At 01:33 PM on 27 May 2007,
  • robert wrote:

ref post 35,john,where are the millions coming here being housed,there is not yet shanty towns or tents,can you grasp the simple reality that the economic migrants now entrentched here are communicating back home to iraq,russia,iran,rumania,nigeria,zimbabwe,turkey,china,ukraine,bulgaria,sudan,libya,syria,egypt,jordan,south africa,palestine,gaza,mozambizue,india,pakistan,rumania,afghanistan,somalia,kenya,uganda,etc,that if you make your way here like they have done Nu-Lab will provide you with a house and income and if there is any questioning of this policy they will be branded as talking the language of the BNP and called racist which will shut up any free speech imediately and allow the extremists to carry out there policies unhindered.

  • 37.
  • At 07:04 PM on 27 May 2007,
  • alan wrote:

i am not suprised at the number of comments on this issue,i have seen my own city transformed into a multicultral mess under this goverment,brits are fleeing my city in ever increasing numbers in a kind of like it or lump it ethnic cleansing,the worse thing is to see the likes of vaz and that idiot johnson queing up for top jobs in brown the scots goverment,i can only see the situation getting worse,it seems the topic of conversation where ever i go,often you hear people speaking of things one day leading to serious civil unrest,maybe even civil war,so here i am 41yrs of age looking for a way out of a city i once loved, a lone white face with a local accent,a stranger,with my fellow brit speaking of civil war,if it did happen and the native brits were victorious , please tell me this current goverment will be charged with treason,what a mess

  • 38.
  • At 07:16 PM on 27 May 2007,
  • Maurice - Northumberland wrote:

#35 JohnF:

In a word 'Rubbish'!
"A application from an immigrant gets no special prioritisation, indeed most allocation schemes take account of local connection and time spent on the waiting list, not just 'need'."
You believe that do you - it is not true and everyone knows it!

"Nationally the vast majority of council houses go to people who are 'white British'"
Well there is a surprise, what is the % breakdown on numbers?

"There may well be problems in a few areas such as Barking, but lets have a few more facts and a bit less rhetoric"
There are problems in all area's, so I agree with you on your last passage - get away from rhetoric and DEAL with the facts and the reality!
You should try it, along with motor mouth VAZ and the rest who live on an entirely different planet - Planet Nu-Labour lives and thrives on lies and deceit. They have done so for 10 years, so I suspect they feel they can just keep it going!

  • 39.
  • At 07:44 PM on 27 May 2007,
  • robert wrote:

On the subject of BNP when they were put on trial for daring to tell the truth and were aquited by a jury that telling the truth was not an offence,a news camera recorded Gordan Brown being told the news and his sinister reply was words were to the effect that the law would have to be changed so they were convicted,this is on record and on film, the bbc and any journalist intrested in democracy should take this disgrace up for investigation.

  • 40.
  • At 09:35 PM on 27 May 2007,
  • Andrew wrote:

It's time for Keith ""we have the toughest immigration policy I've ever seen" Vaz, and others of his ilk, to get kicked out of power, without turning to the Conservatives or Lib Dems who will be just as multicultural as Labour. There is something deep in my identity, my sense of being English, that would rather fight to the last breath than see my home country destroyed in my lifetime. With British people seeing a future of serious civil unrest and possibly even civil war (as reported by Alan, post 37), it's time to close the borders whilst we sort out the mess, before it's too late. Of course this isn't going to happen, short of revolution, because internationalists (who have allowed our 'politicians' to reach high office) want to destroy nationalism, which is their single remaining threat to global Lordship. Keith Vaz, you are a disgrace and a traitor to this country. Nick Griffin, thank you for fighting to save it.

  • 41.
  • At 10:16 PM on 27 May 2007,
  • robert wrote:

post 40,Nu-Lab have taken advantage of the most tolerant,nieve,and soft nation on earth and have imposed their dogma of destroying nationalism by imposing PC on the english,but PC does not exist in other countries making it so one sided it must be bizare to anyone outside the UK, how does labour envisage that china,africa,russia,korea,iran,iraq,serbia,rumania,france,germany,italy,saudia arabia,israel,palestine,syria,india,afghanistan,pakistan,the whole muslim world,etc will stop being nationalistic and embrace PC like the deluded extremists in Nu-Lab,who compared with the normal and realistic population are just not occupying the same planet as us,it is a tragedy for this country they have got there hands on the levers of goverment and power.

  • 42.
  • At 11:15 PM on 27 May 2007,
  • Andrew Smith wrote:

It's actually true: the British people have never been asked whether they wanted to be 'multiculturalized'. And all the evidence from polls is they object to the massive non-European immigration that has turned this European country in one lifetime into somewhere quite disagreeable - where the likes of Vaz (who, incidentally, blocked the Standards Committee's attempts to investigate him and the Hinduja brothers) smugly tells us how our country best ought to be. Never thought I'd say it, but Griffin is right.

  • 43.
  • At 01:35 AM on 29 May 2007,
  • Mark Chudleigh wrote:

I think that the Vaz and Griffin are on the extremes of their ideas and beliefs. Most British people are in the middle of the two and think we should be listening to those people. Also i have lived outside the U.K. for six years now and have no intention of going back. I live in Japan which is largely homogeneous and its great to live in country where there is no extreme political correctness, the BNP or Keith Vaz ! Only when i watch news from the U.K. do i get reminded of what i don't want to go back to ! Most Ex pats outisde the U.K. are very proud of their background and country. Little wonder that more people are leaving the U.K. to start a new life abroad. I have friends who go back on holiday to visit family and friends and everyone tells me when they get back how depressing the country is , especially after the July bombings. British people will continue leaving the country and consequently be replaced my immigrants. The concept seems very nice, but the reality of that for most people is very different.

  • 44.
  • At 05:05 PM on 29 May 2007,
  • wrote:

Why are you intent on poisoning the pure Japanese homogeneity you say you love?

  • 45.
  • At 05:16 PM on 29 May 2007,
  • Terry S wrote:

Margaret Hodge is right, Keith Vaz is wrong.

I really cannot understand why there is any disagreement or controversy concerning Margaret Hodge's comments. Given that there is a shortage of council housing it is only fair and just that those who live locally and, in all likelihood, have been waiting longest should have priority over those who are new to the area. Indeed, to do otherwise is likely to attract further incomers, thus exacerbating the shortage, and induce (understandable) resentment in those local people who are unjustly denied housing.

With regard to the broader question of immigration, the UK is already grossly overcrowded - England is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. The infrastructure cannot cope with the existing population, and our environment is buckling under the strain, with loss of open countryside, wildlife habitat, water shortages and urban sprawl. The present situation is clearly unsustainable, therefore to let further immigrants, including the current avalanche of eastern European migrants settle in this country is sheer madness. Immigration into the UK must be curtailed.

  • 46.
  • At 08:56 PM on 29 May 2007,
  • robert wrote:

Post 45, Ii shows how far PC is absolutely off the wall when a goverment minister can be castigated like this for suggesting we might give the indegenous people priority over immigrants,in Nu-labs PC world the idea of governing in the intrests of the english is beyond the pale,its totally unbelievable and reminds me of the witch hunts of the dark ages where all common sense has given way to histerics,this is plainly not a goverment of the people but a goverment of PC minority obsessed issues.

  • 47.
  • At 11:57 PM on 29 May 2007,
  • F Hussein wrote:

Haven't the BNP done well. Well done for getting so many people to leave a comment on this site. The BNP will never lose its image of being a racist islamaphobic organisation. Griffin's showed his and the BNP's true colours when he said qoute "the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ have demonised the word racist - there is nothing wrong with this word" . As a previous comment poster to this site said he then muttered some nonsense about Trotsky! I think it was a disgrace that the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ even gave the BNP airtime! Shame on you. Well done Keith for remaining professional at all times and rejecting the myths on housing and immigration that the BNP constantly use.

  • 48.
  • At 04:26 AM on 30 May 2007,
  • Mark Chudleigh wrote:

Ref post 45.

Because i speak fluent Japanese. married with a Japanese wife and work in a Japanese company. Understand the culture and traditions and accepted into that culture (by most) Also many Japanese are inspired by European culture, languages and music especially. So when i go out, im not called a Paki or white trash ! people are interested in my background and are ready to ask questions and explore my identity . Is that true for the U.K. ???

  • 49.
  • At 10:46 AM on 30 May 2007,
  • Maurice - Northumberland wrote:

#47 F Hussein:
Would you explain your understanding of the word 'Islamaphobia' please?

#48 Mark.
Would you ever be considered to be Japanese?

  • 50.
  • At 12:04 PM on 30 May 2007,
  • Terry S wrote:

Ref post 48.

Mark, if you are responding to my previous post (45) then I am unable to provide a meaningful or definitive answer to your question, however I do not see the relevance of your question or comments to my earlier post.

My point is that the UK is already an overpopulated country (as is Japan, and indeed the planet generally) and, therefore, it is madness to encourage further mass immigration. My concerns are primarily environmental, rather than social or cultural.

As an aside, since you raise the subject of Japanese culture and traditions, and you say that "many Japanese are inspired by European culture", perhaps you could use whatever influence you have to persuade the Japanese to follow the lead of European countries and totally ban the killing of whales, which is endangering these species and is cruel. Moreover, it is very bad for Japan's image in the west.

  • 51.
  • At 03:34 AM on 31 May 2007,
  • Mark Chudleigh wrote:

49 and 50

i am a busy bee ! good question . No i would never be considered as Japanese and i dont want to be either. Im happy with my background and identity. But i do feel comfortable here and i have never experienced any negative vibs. But the fact is im a white European and so life is easier than other Asians living here. The Japanese do feel superior to the Chinese and Koreans. If there is a crime in Tokyo, usually the Chinese are blamed !
Well immigration laws in Japan will have to be softened, the birth rate is falling and so they will need immigrants to fill the jobs. So I dont agree immigration has to be curbed. Different countries have different needs. Also Whale meat in Japan is becoming less popular, young people prefer a burger rather than whale sushi ! I have eaten whale meat (minke) and its not nice ! But it is hard to find and i think the demand will effect whaling ! the next generation of Japanese wont eat whale meat ! Anyway thought this debate was about the U.K. ??

  • 52.
  • At 04:36 AM on 31 May 2007,
  • Jenny wrote:

Well done for exposing easy trade in, and illegal use of our most private data by thieves on the Indian sub-continent. The call-centre industry of India and Pakistan has been a disaster for race-relatons in the UK. There is probably no household in the country that has not been called from that country in fundamentally dishonest ways. Whether it is simply by starting by lieing about the operator's name and location, or by trying some scale of scam. It would not be human for households not to now initially distrust the distinctive accents from those countries, even when the speakers are in this country and completely honest and upstanding. If this had been planned by the BNP it wcould not have been worse.

The UK companies that have used those call centres in dishonest ways, the companies that, deliberately or accidentally, have allowed vital private data to be transferred there (not least Bulldog, as featured in your top-class report), and the UK (non-regulatory) regulator OFCOM, who have allowed the dishonest use of domestic UK numbers to hide such activity, must share the blame, but the hundreds of thousands of call-centre workers are the prime perpetrators.

Many companies are using foreign workers because they are prepared to scam and be dishonest to the British public in ways most British people are not. That doesn't mean British people are necessarily more honest (although quite a bit of education on ethics has taken place and there are laws which many know about); maybe people are more reluctant to scam people in the same country as the wish to continue living, or don't like being scammed themselves. It must certainly be easier to face a day of deceit when you're thousands of miles distant and in a country like Pakistan where the courts turn blind eyes to people being bought and sold, never mind foreigner's identities.

The same thing is happening in relation to US consumers, as a New York Times expose revealed recently, showing that the country's largest data collator (which operates in many countries) even sells contact lists of people marked as "elderly and gullible", many of whom have subsequently lost their savings to companies calling from abroad who have used such tactics as to say that vital medicines would not be dispensed unless they provided their banking details.

I had a call last week from a woman claiming a name that didn't match her accent, who said she was from BT and they needed my banking details to save me some money every month. I ended the call immediately. Googling the 08xx number shown on my Caller ID revealed it sometimes to be a BT number, and sometimes fraudsters - clearly showng how scandalously insecure is the phone system.

Your report was absolutely right to point out that companies (and indeed government) seem to refuse to comprehend that private data is not like stolen money. That once initial control of it is lost it can never be recovered, and that can never be compensated for. Obviously they are being dishonest in that and are not safe to do business with.

Unfortunately far to few people understand that the only way to certainly prevent such loss is to never give anyone else the information. Even places - not least government departments - that have said information is safe with them and will never divulge it are now passing it on, or even profiting from selling it. Even ones where it is obligatory to provide it. Even those that have especially privileged access to vital information, such as credit reference agencies. The Information Commissioner is toothless and powerless, and overwhelmed.

It may seem to government that all that matters is the ability to establish the ID of a body by biometrics, but our memories and histories, and our privacy is actually of supreme importance to each of us, not to mention the stress of coping with fraudster, or recovering from being defrauded. To handle our information in such ways without our informed permission is totally abusive.

It will not be forgivable if we are left with being unable to buy anything or access any services without having our eyes scanned, or our genes tested. That assumes such tests don't turn out to be open to fraud too.

How many realise that such mines of essential private information as medical records and birth certificates are now being processed - typed or otherwise digitised - in India and Pakistan, simply to save money?

  • 53.
  • At 10:51 AM on 05 Jun 2007,
  • robert wrote:

Other countrys are accepting people they want,we are accepting evryone they dont want,which explains our prison crisis,in fact when they notice what a soft touch we are they are handing over there social problems to the british taxpayer,you can not keep taking in the populations of the worlds failed states without becoming a failed state yourself.

  • 54.
  • At 01:14 PM on 09 Jul 2007,
  • mans well wrote:

It is strange that the racists can't spell...

  • 55.
  • At 07:43 PM on 01 Jan 2008,
  • John wrote:

It's also strange that the political elite avoid sending their kids to bog standard, third world 'multi-cultural' comprehensive schools.

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