MP to slam asylum policy

David Ottewell

June 13, 2007

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A MANCHESTER Labour MP will today criticise a 'disastrous' Government policy to settle asylum seekers, saying it has aided the far-right.

Graham Stringer (pictured), MP for Blackley, has secured a debate in the Commons and will speak out on the eve of a council by-election in north Manchester targeted by the BNP.

The party has flooded the Charlestown ward with leaflets claiming to be `a major political force' in the area after gaining almost a quarter of the vote in neighbouring Higher Blackley last month - a result that shocked and angered politicians of all mainstream parties.

The leaflets include a appeal to Liberal Democrat and Conservative voters, saying their parties 'can't win round here'.

Settled

Mr Stringer will say a policy adopted by ministers in 2000, which saw asylum seekers settled in north Manchester in unprecedented numbers, gave rise to damaging `myths'. He said he had personally investigated claims that asylum seekers were being given free transport and that certain shops in Blackley were only serving customers of a particular race.

Both were 'completely untrue', he said.

The policy, announced early in 2000 and stopped in November the same year, had seen Iraqis and Iranians housed on the same street and other groups housed with 'little planning', said Mr Stringer.

"It was completely disastrous," he will tell the Commons. "The myths it gave rise to proved a fertile breeding ground for the BNP and other nasties."

Visit David Ottewell's political blog at http://blogs.manchestereveningnews .co.uk/politics

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Ms D, Manchester (13/06/2007 at 09:09)

He has got a point. If a particular area is flooded with immigrants, that area is changed and the community is suddenly disbanded. Locals now nickname Kenyon Lane in Moston, Kenya Lane because of all the African immigrants. The BNP are exploiting this and I can see them picking up votes because local people no longer feel part of a community. Strong feelings are simmering and the Labour Goverment have only got themselves to blame because of the immigration distribution, or lack of it as the case may be.

Bejjy ex Salford now Malta (13/06/2007 at 09:43)

Graham Stringer is wrong in his assertion that asylum seekers do not receive free public transport; they do, or they did in 2002. I booked, and paid for, a return coach trip between Manchester and London in 2002 and, although I had no problems on the outward bound trip the return trip turned into a nightmare because every coach leaving Victoria for Manchester had a high number of non-fare paying asylum seekers just turning up without a reservation, jumping queues and getting on coaches to the detriment of fare paying passengers. If Mr Stringer took time out and travelled on bus's, trams and trains in the Greater Manchester area he will also find that asylum seekers are afforded free travel on local public transport services.

jimquk, longsight manchester (13/06/2007 at 10:14)

This is what happens when government policy is made up as a reaction to tabloid pressures. Stringer mught have mentioned that the main victims of NASS dispersal were asylum-seekers themselves, and that the single biggest help would be for asylum-seekers to be allowed to work to support and accommodate themselves.

The chap in Malta refers to people being bussed around the country - they were being sent by the Home Office, that hardly amounts to "free public transport". I have met sick, hungry, penniless, traumatised asylum-seekers off such buses, the people that benefitted were only the coach operators.

Andy., Bury (13/06/2007 at 10:17)

My understanding is that asylum sekers are not given assistance for day to day public transport needs. They may be given vouchers for attending interviews with Immigration etc. I think Mr Stringer may have been trying to address that misconception - I say misconception but I suspect some deliberately peddle such stuff

David,North M/C (13/06/2007 at 10:22)

If people want to vote for the BNP in Blackley its up to them.

had enough (13/06/2007 at 10:23)

Lets face it this county is on its ar*e, we have let too many people in, we do not know where they are from or their back grounds. MP's are to scared to say anything as they get labelled a RACIST. What a load of rubbish - enough is enough!

Mark, South Manchester (13/06/2007 at 12:34)

The amount of Council, Government & private money - now being pumped into East Manchester is astounding!! Other local councils receive nothing like the amount of investment that Manchester now gets for housing, education, transport etc etc. Not to mention the huge lottery grants for sport facilities, parks etc - that the area has recently got, unlike other areas.

So if the people there vote BNP, it's because they're small minded, backward, nasty bigots - end of story!

Calamity (13/06/2007 at 13:44)

I bet the majority of the asylum seekers do not speak English and most will not bother to learn it as long as the government keep paying out for interpreters. They have been making noises about tackling this, but I bet not much will get done. They only have themselves to blame if people vote BNP. It must be very alarming for the residents to have such numbers of people moving into their area, who have a completely different culture.

Andy., Bury (13/06/2007 at 14:22)

The issue of language is a separate one but if you want to criticise Calamity you might want to ask why the government is withdrawing funding for courses in English for Speakers of Other Languages. Not a very constructive move.

Saint, Middleton (13/06/2007 at 18:44)

Its the Goverments responsibility to act on this but there stood about with there thumb up there ***** because of Political Correctness and don't know what to do, this is causing the friction in society because we've got to sit about and WATCH! as our country slowly but sureley gets used and abused untill we see the total breakdown in society that is beginning to happen, and when there' s nothing left they'll probably go home.
At least we'll be known as a tollerant country Oh woopie doo

trueblue, manchester (13/06/2007 at 19:23)

I am not a skin head racist nutcase but yes I would now vote BNP as the only way I can protest to Govt that they have made this Country unrecognisable from the one I grew up in.. Did they ask me if I wanted to live in a muti-cultural society -No. We are that bothered about everyone elses creed,language,& culture that our own is vanishing faster than is healthy.

David,North M/C (13/06/2007 at 19:58)

Mark,South Manchester,Why are you ranting on about the Goverment pumping money into East Manchester,are you insinuating that Blackley is located in East M/C...oh dear.As for labeling people that vote BNP must be small minded,nasty bigots ect,have you met these people,have you had an inteligent conversation with them,obviously not because you dont know where Blackley is.Judging people you have never met.....talk about small minded.

charles ward (14/06/2007 at 10:22)

I don't see why there should be a problem with Iraqi's and Iranians living on the same street. Surely they have come to the UK to enjoy freedom and intergrate [smile]
Fellow countrymen, smell that coffee, doesn't it smell good?

Calamity (14/06/2007 at 13:07)

Yes Andy, I agree with you. As I said the government are trying to make it look as if they are encouraging learning English, but they will not put the money where their mouth is.

David, Manchester (14/06/2007 at 13:10)

I think the shift to the BNP is more about crime and disorder than race, although immigration abuses and the financial transfers to the EU are an issue for some. Parents want disciplined schools not schools where a boy carrying a knife can't be expelled but the politicians never listen and take the action that people want. No, they just carry on and the madness has no end. If the BNP do make a comeback then it will be the fault of the politicians for not taking action and being so defeatist on a range of issues of concern to ordinary people.

Max Speed, Cheshire (14/06/2007 at 17:04)

Will the last British person to leave these shores please turn off the lights !!

john white (15/06/2007 at 12:36)

Do the people who call the bnp nasties actually know any of their policies?.I'm a black guy born and bred in manchester and i'm worried about the amount of asylum seekers in the area.None of the bnp policies would affect me in anyway other than in a positive note.

PW, Manchester (15/06/2007 at 19:28)

Monsieur Le Penn, the equivalent leader of the French Nationalist party has already stated that if he gets in, present "immigrants" are welcome and will stay. but the door will be controlled more stringently. There should be no question of any existing ethnic people being "thrown out", certainly not if they were born here. It's the present mass immigration that is worrying both White British and existing ethnic groups. This government is simply taking things too far. I have heard complaints from Asians and Afro-Carribean people who are worried about their own futures and livelihoods. All present residents of the UK need to be concerned. I don't vote BNP, but there is a danger that ordinary people will turn to them, and their policies may not be what they were originally advertising. That would most definitely be the fault of the current Labour regime.

gato (16/06/2007 at 17:59)

If I dare mention the name, Enoch Powell's prediction will come true unless the Government get a grip on this serious threat to our beloved country. I suspect it's already too late and more and more people will vote BNP

Colin W, Abroad (17/06/2007 at 08:54)

Gato, Enoch has already been proven to be right many years ago. If it wasnt for a local election you would heard a peep out of Labour on this issue. I really hope the BNP get somes seats just to given labour the kicking they have long deserved

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