Politics

HMG have dreamed up another gravity-defying solution to the problem of immigrants to Britain not being assimilated into the native populace:

A new consultation document suggests that would-be Britons would take a new pledge of loyalty to the UK and observe the national anthem.

Local dignitaries - the mayor or MP, perhaps - would be invited to attend to make a speech and hand over citizenship certificates.

Small commemorative gifts could be presented to new British citizens under the plans.

Schoolchildren might be asked to perform a traditional song or dance to give a local flavour to the events.

And afterwards: “There may be an informal celebration….with light refreshments provided. This would be in keeping with the welcoming nature of the ceremony.”

NZ has voted (narrowly) to decriminalise prostitution. I’m all for it, though I baulk at the term “sex worker.”

Isn’t it interesting how liberal instincts are scattered about across the political spectrum, from left to right, from economic liberalism to social liberalism? It just goes to show that you don’t need any Third Way nonsense to adopt a politics that cuts right across the right-left divide; such a politics already exists. It’s called libertarianism.

Blair is getting seriously worried about opposition to the proposed EU constitution, if his reaction and the reaction of his government to the rising criticism is anything to go by. Let’s face it: he’s never going to convince enough people that a document publicly referred to as a ‘constitution’ has no constitutional implications for Britain. But I do like the way he keeps bringing up the exit option, even if it is to describe it as “disastrous”; this reminds people that withdrawal is an option to think about.

And I’m not even going to get started on why withdrawal from the EU would not be remotely “disastrous”, on why this is a laughable claim, and on why Blair is a mendacious creep. Because you probably know the reasons for all three.

Josie Appleton savages UK Home Secretary David Blunkett’s Criminal Justice Bill:

Defendants’ rights matter in a civilised society, which has a particular view of the individual and the state - because we don’t know if the defendant did it; because he values his liberty; and because any of us could end up on the wrong side of the dock one day. Blunkett seems to treat ‘defendant’ as synonymous with ‘criminal’, and ‘justice’ as synonymous with ‘conviction’. He needs to get his definitions straight.

From http://www.spiked-online.com/Articles/00000006DDC4.htm