Immigration in the UK

What is Howard saying?
On one hand he attacks the BNP, Then states that his party will get tough on
immigration.

What can we expect from one of Thatcher's hanbag lickers.

19:02:04 Burnley. Lancs.


Howard sets out immigration policies
Conservative leader Michael Howard has used a speech in Burnley to say he
wants to confront the BNP head on and expose their "bigotry and hatred".
The Lancashire town was the scene of race riots just under three years ago
and the Tory leader's visit has prompted accusations of opportunism.

But Mr Howard insisted that it was a mistake that no mainstream party leader
has visited since the riots.

"The BNP are a stain on our democratic way of life," he said.


He also used his speech to stress the need for managing migration and asylum
to stop extremists making capital out of the issues.

A Tory government would cut asylum seekers' benefits with any cash saved put
into policing, he said.

And all asylum applications should be processed before the claimants reached
the UK.

Since the local elections of 2002 the British National Party have gained
seven seats on Burnley's council.

Diversity

In his speech, Mr Howard said some people believed talking about the BNP
only gave the party the oxygen of publicity.

But he argued: "I do not agree. It is important for politicians from
mainstream parties to face up to extremists in any form, to tell people why
we disagree with them and why they should be defeated.

"Let's not mince our words. The policies of the British National Party are
based on bigotry and hatred. Its approach is entirely alien to our political
traditions."

He underlined the criminal convictions of some BNP leaders, labelling the
group as a "bunch of thugs dressed up as a political party".

They are pandering to the ethnic minority vote and it's cynical and
disingenuous

Phil Edwards
BNP spokesman


Asylum seekers 'sleeping rough'

Mr Howard, son of immigrants, pointed to his own father as one of the
beneficiaries of Britain's tradition of welcoming people from all parts of
the world.

And he accused BNP leader Nick Griffin of denying the existence of Nazi
death camps.

"I happen to know that he is wrong about that," Mr Howard continued. "My
grandmother was one of the millions of people who died in those camps."

'Cynical'

Earlier, Mr Howard was asked why the Tories had fielded three fewer
candidates than the BNP in the last council elections if they wanted to take
on the party.

He conceded his party was not strong in Burnley and pledged greater effort
in the future.


Burnley was hit by race riots in 2001

Phil Edwards, the British National Party's national press officer, branded
Mr Howard's allegation that the BNP promoted bigotry and hatred as "complete
nonsense".

He also attacked the Tory leader's comments about people in the BNP having
criminal convictions pointing out that Jeffrey Archer, a former Conservative
vice-chairman, had served a jail sentence for perjury.

"They have far more criminals in their party than we have in ours," he said.

He branded the Tory leader an "alien" before adding: "There are too many
people of immigrant stock telling us what to do in this country."

The Tories were "paralysed by political correctness", he argued. "They are
pandering to the ethnic minority vote and it's cynical and disingenuous."


Opportunist?


Mr Howard also urged Tony Blair to impose transitional arrangements to
handle migrants from new EU states.

Home Secretary David Blunkett is on Monday widely expected to unveil
measures to limit access to benefits - but not the right to work - for new
EU citizens from Eastern Europe.

Burnley's Labour MP, Peter Pike, urged the town's people not to be "used by
the opposition in a cheap gimmick for publicity".

Shahid Malik, a Labour National Executive Committee member who lives in
Burnley, said it was irresponsible for Mr Howard to talk about asylum in a
town which had few asylum seekers.

Lib Dem peer Lord Greaves, who lives in the nearby town of Colne, warned Mr
Howard not to "stir up trouble".

He said the main challenge to community relations and social cohesion was
"not the three-year-old disturbances in Burnley.





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