Election Year or Fear!

[MadAmster]

According to David Willetts, President of the resolution Foundation and a Member of the House of Lords, pre Brexit, there were no illegal boat immigrants.

“There were no small boat crossings bringing in migrants until Brexit. They began in 2018. In the words of a study by Professor Thom Brooks of the trends “There are no records of any individuals travelling by small boat to claim asylum in 2017 or before.” Before Brexit illegal migrants could be and some were returned to other member states of the EU. That was how the migrant camp at Calais was closed. But the returns policy was abandoned as part of the hard Brexit deal.
Brexit also meant we lost access to data in other EU member states about criminal records of migrants coming to the UK. We have also lost access to the EU fingerprint data-based of migrants so tracking their history is more difficult.
Brexit was based on a promise to bring back control. Instead it has weakened our control of our own borders by ending the collaboration with our neighbours. The populists brought us Brexit with promises of taking back control, but it has had the opposite effect. So Farage helped create the conditions in which small boats come here, and now blames the out-of-touch political class for the consequences of a populist cause he promoted.”

It all seems to follow things we know about what happened. Due to the appalling decisions to drop the returns policy, stopping collaboration with our EU neighbours on migrants, dropping access to the fingerprint database, all part of the awful Brexit deal, the UK now has the "boat people problem".

Ergo, started with the lies of the Brexiteers and compounded by Johnson making stupid decisions with regard to the deal he "negotiated". Oven ready deal my arse.

I wonder how they'll respond to this in the Blue Tories and Reform?

[ramAnag]

I think the crime is down to the remaining 3.1% "other" that rA has failed to account for! Maths again, old chap, maths

Wasn’t in the business of ‘accounting for’, GP. The remainder, which I didn’t think I needed to make clear…old chap, are a mixture of black and mixed race.

My point was that, in his own largely white constituency, Farage is confronted by a somewhat disturbing trend towards violent crime and se* offences which is significantly above the local (Esse*) or national norm. Perhaps if he backed Labour’s attempt to restrict online access by youngsters to such material - instead of scoring political points by opposing such measures - things might improve.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Dont think I want to visit Clacton then, no Chinese ergo no decent Chinese food

[Geoff Parkstone]

Wasn?t in the business of ?accounting for?, GP. The remainder, which I didn?t think I needed to make clear?old chap, are a mixture of black and mixed race.

No point visiting Clacton then - wouldnt be able to get a decent Chinese takeaway in the place

[Andy_Faber]

Clacton residents complain that their MP doesn't hold surgeries. It's repeated in interviews with them on the news. It's repeated in the newspapers reporting those interviews...

Of course, it might just all be a load of bolleaux but I'm trying to work out why all those interviewed would lie about there being no surgeries? Why Farridge doesn't go all pantomime on the subject by exclaiming "oh, yes there are [surgeries]". Might that be because... there haven't been surgeries?

I know my anecdotes ‘trigger’ some on here, but (until earlier in the month when I closed the business) I had a fairly substantial customer base in Es*** generally and Clacton well represented amongst those. Every single one that has expressed a view is an NF fan and of those, any who’ve discussed his whereabouts couldn’t care less about lack of attendance. They just love the TV coverage he gets! I’m not suggesting my sample is any more representative than yours but is ‘direct’ ie not filtered through a media bias

[Geoff Parkstone]

but Andy, you know the only media bias is that repeatedly displayed by the right wing media.... so any sample provided by the anti-farageists must be beyond question.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Sorry about duplicate posting above which I cannot delete, but I have a strain of MA-itis as reproted earlier - please kill one of the posts

[ramAnag]

I know my anecdotes ?‘trigger?’ some on here, but (until earlier in the month when I closed the business) I had a fairly substantial customer base in Es*** generally and Clacton well represented amongst those. Every single one that has expressed a view is an NF fan and of those, any who?’ve discussed his whereabouts couldn?’t care less about lack of attendance. They just love the TV coverage he gets! I?’m not suggesting my sample is any more representative than yours but is ?‘direct?’ ie not filtered through a media bias

I don’t think it’s your anecdotes that trigger some on here, AF, it’s their occasional transparent lack of accuracy imo.

In this case it would seem that, through your business dealings, you may well have a more informed insight into any typical Clacton mindset than most, but I don’t know why you mention ‘media bias’. If anything I’d suggest Farage is sadly more of a media darling than a villain.

P.S. Technical issues taking the site to hell in a handcart again.

[SithHappens]

Farage definitely media darling, the amount of airtime the BBC gives his party over the greens or even lib dems is very disproportionate compared with the tiny number of seats they hold.

[SithHappens]

Dont think I want to visit Clacton then, no Chinese ergo no decent Chinese food

Does anywhere do decent Chinese food anymore? Takeaways at least seem very poor these days.