My left-wing friends already jibe that I am a part-time Tory, unwilling to admit to myself my new allegiance and yet drawn to contribute to the coffers of the wealthy with no personal gain- indeed, in New Labour’s Britain, at substantial personal risk. These days all of us have to take into account what m’learned friends describe as ‘Serbian hitmen’ when making our life choices. Yet, I attempt to counter with the argument that even the poorest live and eat like minor nobility, if we have attained a certain level of mental competence and can maintain it despite Blair. It is a legacy of the Second World War that we no longer have to fight as soldiers if we keep up our freedom as subjects. Anyone familiar with war histories understands that soldiers had a great deal of spare time, much of which was taken up with the consideration of the situation they found themselves in: ‘Nam et ipsa scietia potestas est’. I was also taught that it is wrong to consider an army as separate from its parent society- this is perhaps the tragedy of Iraq, that our troops have been sent to invade a peaceful foreign country on entirely false pretences and that the blame will be placed on Blair, not on the manner in which politics is conducted in the country and, finally, on ourselves.

One of the joys of making a contribution to society at one’s leisure, rather than from a trench, is that one can be as whimsical and self-indulgent as one likes. However:

186. The requirements to be met by a person seeking leave to enter the United Kingdom on the grounds of his United Kingdom ancestry are that he:

(i) is a Commonwealth citizen; and
(ii) is aged 17 or over; and
(iii) is able to provide proof that one of his grandparents was born in the United Kingdom and Islands and that any such grandparent is the applicant’s blood grandparent or grandparent by reason of an adoption recognised by the laws of the United Kingdom relating to adoption; and
(iv) is able to work and intends to take or seek employment in the United Kingdom; and
(v) will be able to maintain and accommodate himself and any dependants adequately without recourse to public funds; and (vi) holds a valid United Kingdom entry clearance for entry in this capacity.

Should these be the relevant criteria, it would seem that Mr Coleman’s ancestry need only include one grandparent born in this country. It may be objected that Zimbabwe is no longer a Commonwealth country- however, the requirements shown for a UK ancestry visa on the “British Embassy, Harare” site seem to be those stated above. As to enforcement, I would further note that it was asserted in the Lords in June 2004 that ‘The current policy of not generally enforcing the return of failed asylum seekers to Zimbabwe makes provision to enforce the return of those whose presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good.’ Since Boris has gone into the matter in detail, perhaps he could explain what the actual situation is? Or is he simply complaining that while the hares might assert equality, the goverment has claws and teeth?

So often I find that the rules that have been established are wise and fair, but that their interpretation is biased and prejudiced. Blair’s Britain demands vigilance from us all, but most especially our representatives. We must not allow our television saturated society to produce a government which can interpret a rule requiring one grandparent to be British to mean that all grandparents must be British. Otherwise the country might as well be governed by Brown as Cameron, or as well from a lunatic asylum in Liverpool as from Downing Street.

Best wishes,

Anecdota

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Bloggers, please follow this example in Curly’s Corner Shop.

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All Nature seems at work. Slugs leave their lair–
The bees are stirring–birds are on the wing–
And Winter slumbering in the open air,
Wears on his smiling face a dream of Spring!
And I the while, the sole unbusy thing,
Nor honey make, nor pair, nor build, nor sing.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

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Should we deport people threatening to kill britidh people, no no lets deport those who might actual contribute something, back to a country where their life will be in danger. Shall we tackle dangerous driving, no no we will target exhaust emissions instead. Shall we tackle the problem of violent crime, nope lets spend millons trying people for saying something that could possibly be offensive. I could go on for day, but you get the picture

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