Ever tried to find a good plumber in a hurry? Or (if you're a business) good cleaning or wait staff? If you have, you'll know there's something of a shortage of people who are prepared to do these jobs and to do them well. If you're a user of such a business and you come into contact with staff in these roles, you'll possibly have noticed that they come with a wide variety of exotic accents these days. Quite simply, there aren't enough people in the UK who'll take these jobs, and they're being filled (if they're filled at all) by new arrivals from overseas. It's unfashionable, but I welcome these people, and I would welcome more; this is a cosmopolitain country and it gains a richness of character from being such.

We're expecting that a general election will be called soon in the UK. The major political parties are all seeking the electorate's votes and one of the themes of both of the major parties seems to be "be tough on illegal immigrants". But they blur the line, and they seem to be playing on what they believe to be the xenophobic fears of the swing voter, also against people who would be of great benefit to the culture and economy here. They're being cynical, and it's ... well ... words fail me. I heard with horror the story of a mother and two children (Romainian and Irish) being pulled from their beds and bundled out of the country in the last couple of days; I don't know what awaits them in Romania, but I'm sad that what appears to be an overzelaous and perhaps illegal action by a government department (at the encouragement of its current political masters perhaps?) has bought some votes for the current incumbents and the expense of a family who, as far as I can see, had a total right to be here. It's 20 years after George Orwell's 1984, and it seems that the Home Office is now, a little belatedly perhaps, filling some of the roles of his "Ministry of Truth".

(written 2005-03-25 17:13:34)

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