At this year's UKIP conference, the UKIP Leader said that both the Conservative party, Labour, and Liberal democrats are the same. It is ironic how the leaders of these parties in their recent disgraceful immigration speeches proved him right, by all engaging in xenophobia, and/or anti immigration rhetoric.
First, it was Ed Miliband and his shadow home secretary who started pandering to xenophobia by apologising to the British public for being good to immigrants in the past, and for having welcomed immigrants from Eastern Europe, earlier than they should have done in 2004. Then came the Prime Minister, who threw caution to the wind, and gave an immigration speech reminiscent of the "rivers of blood speech", crucify immigrants, stop them, deport them, deny them health service, deny them benefits, they are scroungers. Then appeared the deputy prime minister, as it was his turn to malign immigrants, and he did not disappoint. Crucify them, crucify them, and let them pay a mortgage, and/or lump sum and/or bond to be used to reduce our deficit if they fail to return home at the end of their visa.
Before I forget, all of them started their speeches with some sort of- do you know what; my father and/or grand parents came into UK as immigrants running away from persecution, and do you know what again; immigrants contribute......... to the British economy, but this small Ireland is now full. It reminds you of racists who start their racist chants with, "how can I be racist all my friends are black and my cousin married an Asian woman". Just like Di Canio-"I am a fascist not a racist".
The fallacy and paucity of their ranting are so glaring. United Kingdom can only minimally control immigration from EU member states, as she is signed up to the freedom of movement rights. The target of achieving net migration by reducing immigration from hundreds of thousands to tens of thousands is also unachievable without recording all emigration from UK. So if these parties cannot really control EU immigration, who are the immigrants that are the subject and object of these ranting? It is definitely not American immigrants whom Yasmin Alibhai Brown indicated in a recent article, that their population in UK is more than that of Somalis and Jamaicans put together. They cannot also be referring to the white immigrants from Australia and New Zealand. So who are the targets of these attacks? They are citizens of the commonwealth. They are the only ones who can be threatened with punitive bonds and considered as members of risky nations. They are the last to be hired and first to be fired. They are the easy targets for deportation and least with financial resources to resist abuse. They are the first to be hired for menial jobs, and the unsung heroes of UK's growth and development.
I hate consistently voting inconsistent Labour; I am disappointed by the Liberal democrats, and I am clearly not thinking what the Conservatives are thinking. The UKIP may eventually be the winner after all.
Austin Aneke is the Editor of Uk Immigrant Magazine, and author of Technology and Corruption.