tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-97423262024-03-06T23:40:59.973-08:00David Davies MP blogDavid Davies AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322467364661604103noreply@blogger.comBlogger122125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9742326.post-12442447498436054082007-08-26T23:29:00.001-07:002007-08-26T23:44:53.896-07:00Knife Crime photo oppDesperate to prove they are doing something about the rising toll of deaths from guns and knives the government have resorted to the old idea of an "amnesty." This will enable a few aging war veterans who collected a "souvenir" and some farmers who forgot to renew their shotgun licenses to hand over guns that would never have been used for any kind of crime. Some of the younger "wannabe" gansters may also find that their weapons, usually replicas, are handed in by angry mothers.<br /><br />This will be enough for the amnesty to achieve its real objective - photos of a smiling Minister in front of an impressive looking array of guns claiming that the government have "taken action".<br /><br />But make no mistake the serious criminals will continue to roam the streets without any fear of being stopped and searched, (human rights) and knowing that even if by some chance they are found in poossession of a gun or knife the sentence will be minimal.<br /><br />The toll of death will continue to rise.David Davies AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322467364661604103noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9742326.post-7617195867377179372007-07-09T01:38:00.000-07:002007-07-09T01:39:45.963-07:00Iraq alone was reason enough to remain seated. It has been an unmitigated disaster for all concerned and it is time for politicians who supported the war to stand up explain and apologise.<br /><br />I was in the Welsh Assembly at the time, and not required to vote. But when asked I reluctantly supported an invasion believing what I was told, which was that Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.<br /><br />If the evidence looked a bit weak, like many others I assumed that the Prime Minister knew something the rest of us didn’t.<br /><br />He did. He knew that claims about WMD were at best an exaggeration and at worst plain fiction.<br /><br />When it became clear that there were none we were told that it was all about removing an evil dictator which Hussein certainly was. However if removing evil dictators were the basis of our foreign and defence policies our troops would have already invaded virtually every country in sub Saharan Africa and quite a few elsewhere.<br /><br />A bloodbath will now unfold regardless of whether we stay or go. Hundreds of young British soldiers have lost their lives as have hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians. The Iraqi “police” who we have trained appear to be little more than paramilitaries in uniform and have been involved in the kidnapping of British citizens.<br /><br />Whether we stay or go the country is doomed, why should the lives of any more British soldiers be lost.<br /><br />But let us not think that the war has led to the current bombing campaign by Islamic terrorists. Those responsible would be letting off bombs regardless because their real goal is not the removal of British troops from Iraq , but the imposition of an Islamic state or Caliphate across the Muslim World and Europe .<br /><br />Organisation sharing this aim have been recruiting in British Universities since the early 90s.<br /><br />Meanwhile decades of state sponsored support for multiculturalism have enabled many people think that they can retain their own language customs and culture and live in ghettos in certain British cities whilst making no effort whatsoever to interact with the indigenous population. This has been the crucible in which Islamic extremism has been formed.<br /><br />Governments have been afraid to tackle the Islamists for fear of being called racist. This is been made easy by all manner of government policies which will pay for the translation of documents into any language, legal aid for those who don’t like British laws about matters such as the veil, and a benefits system which recognizes polygamy. Throughout every area of public lifer there is an unwillingness to challenge minorities whose behaviour falls below accepted standards for fear of being branded a bigot so whilst domestic violence units in police forces rightly clamp down on drunks who beat their wives, honour killings and female genital mutilation continue unchecked.<br /><br />The time has come for British citizens of all colours and religions to say as one that anyone who wanting to live in Britain should be prepared to respect the culture and way of life. Those who don’t should be strongly encouraged to go elsewhere.David Davies AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322467364661604103noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9742326.post-32373590281707192122007-07-02T00:28:00.000-07:002007-07-02T00:34:40.150-07:00No standing ovation from meIt is not true that "all" Conservative MPs rose to give Blair a standing ovation. Many stood and did not clap. A few did not stand at all.<br /><br />This man has presided over the collapse of private pension funds, allowed immigration to spiral out of control, is releasing criminals from prison because he can't find enough space for them and led us into a disasterous war in Iraq on a false pretext.<br /><br />I did not stand and I certainly didn't clap.David Davies AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322467364661604103noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9742326.post-84023244343499021132007-06-19T15:44:00.000-07:002007-06-19T15:45:56.609-07:00The (Inter) National Health ServiceA few years ago my Hungarian girlfriend, (now wife) woke up needing a doctor. “How much will it cost?” she asked. I laughed at the preposterousness of the question. “This is Britain I said it doesn’t cost anything” But she persisted in asking for cash “Of course they don’t charge <em>you</em>.” She said but “I’m not British” “I don’t pay any taxes here” “I haven’t got any health insurance” and so on. In vain I patiently explained that regardless of all this, there was not the slightest chance that she would be billed for using our NHS, indeed I doubt whether our GP surgery even has a till or a means of collecting money. So certain was she that no country would be so stupid as to allow anyone to walk in and use its health service, that I had to give her twenty pounds before she walked down for her appointment.<br /><br />Herein lies a major problem afflicting the NHS, or rather the Inter- National Health Service. We will treat literally anyone in the world who happens to be passing, with not a thought for their right to receive very costly treatment, which has been paid for by British taxpayers.<br /><br />The government funded “Visit Britain” website which is supposed to generate money for our nation, actually advertises to the world that “you are eligible for free emergency treatment in the Accident and Emergency departments of National Health Service hospitals.” ! It goes on to state that foreign visitors (with many exceptions) will be charged for after-care. But of course nobody ever pays. An official might make a half hearted attempt to chase up a large debt from someone living in the third world who has given a false name and address. He or she will fail.<br /><br />Other countries do it differently. We Brits are expected to have our own health insurance when travelling outside of the EU. The travel section of the Foreign Office website makes it quite clear that even if not compulsory, for a number of countries it is “absolutely essential” as their own healthcare systems are so poor. Bizarrely we have reciprocal arrangements with some of those very countries!<br /><br />We cannot expect doctors and nurses to refuse treatment to those in need just because they have no right to it. Nobody would want to see people dying in the streets though lack of medical treatment, not even when they have flagrantly abused the system - for example by arriving here 34 weeks pregnant from the other side of the world in order to have their baby in an NHS hospital, as many do.<br /><br />A simple measure would put a halt to much of this abuse. <strong>We should insist that absolutely everyone arriving here from outside of the EU, should be in receipt of a verifiable health insurance document which could be checked by immigration officials.<br /></strong><br />At a stroke we would put an end to a great deal of freeloading on our public services.<br /><br />The idea is so simple it needs to more than a sentence to sum it up. It would be fair and would do no more than to bring Britain into line with the rest of the world. It would save the NHS tens of millions of pounds each year which could instead be spent treating British patients.<br /><br />The phrase “free at the point of use” is usually associated with the Beveridge report which led to the establishment of the NHS. Had they foreseen the era of cheap international travel those writing it would surely have wanted to add the words – “to all who are entitled.”<br /><br />I never did find out what happened to the £20 I gave the future Mrs Davies. It certainly didn’t go to the GP.David Davies AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322467364661604103noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9742326.post-83381118904904333812007-06-18T01:29:00.000-07:002007-06-18T01:30:36.267-07:00The Falklands Veterans Parade yesterday was a moving tribute to those who fought, and died for British people living on British Territory which had been invaded by a fascist dictatorship. Not only did the war liberate the Falklands but an unexpected bonus was that it led to the fall of the Junta and heralded democracy in Argentina. Yet as the BBC reported this morning more veterans of the conflict have lost their lives through committing suicide since the end of the war than in the conflict itself.<br /><br />It isn’t surprising given the disgraceful way we treat our soldiers. Those returning from Iraq with physical injuries have been put into civilian hospitals and subjected to verbal abuse from so called “British” citizens. Those bearing the mental scars of war are reliant on charities like Combat Stress. Led by former submarine commander Toby Elliot it does a superb job but a reliance on voluntary donations means that it can’t help as many as Cmdr Elliot would like. Those who return unharmed are often housed in substandard accommodation for a few months before being sent off on the next six month tour. Those on frontline duties do not even receive the equivalent of the minimum wage.<br /><br />A former member of the SAS told me last week that an injured mate of his had been treated at Selly Oak hospital alongside a wounded member of the Taliban who was claiming asylum. The wounded British soldier was eventually discharged with permanent disabilities, left the army, and struggled to find the money to have his home adapted. Meanwhile the ex-Taliban member will have been fed housed and nursed back to health by the British taxpayers and if his claim Asylum claim is accepted he will be entitled to claim for full social security benefits backdated to the day he arrived in the UK.<br /><br />The brave young men and women who put their lives on the line for their country deserve far better from their political leaders.David Davies AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322467364661604103noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9742326.post-3855242640187342822007-06-06T08:56:00.000-07:002007-06-06T10:38:43.576-07:00Pots and kettlesNo doubt the Prime Minister enjoyed delivering homilies to African leaders on the importance of holding fair elections, rooting out corruption in high places, and not declaring war on your neighbours. I wonder how many despots hid a wry smile as they thought of the political rows Blair left behind him - such as anger at widespread postal vote fraud, honours being handed out for cash and the ongoing disaster in Iraq.David Davies AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322467364661604103noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9742326.post-31766257460419505072007-05-31T15:01:00.000-07:002007-05-31T15:07:57.086-07:00The Blair LegacyAs our Prime Minister tours Africa in a desperate bid to ensure that he is remembered for something other than anarchy in Iraq he may care to consider the following random headlines which I have spotted in the last two days:<br /><br />Overweight prisoners will be receiving their own personal fitness instructors, (paid for by the taxpayer of course)<br /><br />Prolific thieves will be let off scott-free if they say “sorry” and promise not to rob for “a month or two,”<br /><br />The lights in an abandoned school are being kept on 24 hours a day because the local council are concerned that burglars might injure themselves if they break in at night,<br /><br />Millions of pounds are being spent paying the salaries of civil servants who don’t have a job, although some have now found work in special unit which has been set up to think of jobs to give the to the others,<br /><br />“Academics” have decreed that schools which teach the benefits of marriage are “anti-gay”.<br /><br />In light of all this (and much else besides) it is not entirely obvious to me why my own political party wish to make such a big show of attacking grammar schools.David Davies AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322467364661604103noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9742326.post-88059302572772277682007-05-16T05:35:00.001-07:002007-05-16T05:35:16.626-07:00Well done JohnYou will not hear me praising the Home Secretary very often but the decision to increase the number of police officers who can use tasers is good news all round.<br /><br />Good news for the police because if you are confronted with somebody threatening violence you need to be certain that you can deal with the threat. Officers currently have to rely on CS gas and batons which are not 100% effective.<br /><br />It is also good news for the criminals because being dealt with by a taser is far safer than being hit over the head with an iron baton or being sprayed in the face with CS gas or pepper spray.David Davies AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322467364661604103noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9742326.post-80671800575217113912007-05-15T14:57:00.000-07:002007-05-15T15:00:32.859-07:00Copy of Mail on Sunday article.<em>For those who don't read Mail on Sunday I have decided to put online a copy of an article </em><br /><em>which they published last week.</em><br /><br /> I put my hand into the rucksack and pulled out a metal object concealed in a sock. Before the thought “what’s this” had flashed through my mind I realised. “Gun” I yelled putting it down. I ran over to the youth who we had just pulled over for a ticket offence. My partner had already turned him around to face the wall and I grabbed him while the cuffs were snapped on. Police officers are taught to deal with finding guns and knives, but I hadn’t expected to be finding firearms just a week after completing initial training to be a Special Constable with the British Transport Police.<br /><br />Shootings and stabbings on the streets of London have now become so commonplace that the press only bother to report the worst examples. Burglaries muggings and other violent crimes are simply a fact of life. I believe that the breakdown in law and order in Britain is one of the biggest issues to confront us.<br /><br />Like most MPs I regularly call for something to be done but admit that I have been a little vague as to what the “something” should be. Debates rage about “red tape,” the need for more officers on the beat, and levels of arrests. Few MPs have ever been police officers so the level of debate has not always been as high as it should be.<br /><br />Becoming a Special Constable has enabled me to see policing from a first hand perspective. I hope to use this knowledge to improve legislation and raise the level of awareness about policing matters amongst colleagues in Parliament. In return I have committed to doing two eight hour shifts each month as an officer. I have a busy life and a family and two young children, but I believe that eight hours is a small price in time to pay for the knowledge which can be obtained. After three months in uniform and a month on patrols I cannot pretend to have all the answers to dealing with crime but I can certainly offer some insights.<br /><br />The first thing I have learned is to forget any notion that the justice system is “victim focused” as the jargon likes to put it. In reality the only people who appear to have rights are the criminals. One of my training days was spent in the custody unit of a busy London police station where my duties alternated between helping other officers to wrestle violent suspects into cells, without hurting them and answering their frequent demands for cups of tea, coffee or hot chocolate. Of course the paper monster still had to be fed so each request was written up in a special book noting the beverage requested followed by another entry to confirm that it had been supplied.<br /><br />On another occasion I arrived at Kings Cross to search and remove a family of East European bag snatchers. Until my arrival they had claimed to speak no English but as I began searching him, bag snatcher number one began to complain in fluent English that he had been hit by the lady whose handbag he had tried to grab, and that it “wasn’t fair” !! Back at the station his English was forgotten so an expensive translator was found for him, along with a lawyer who will doubtless ensure that he is not put to any inconvenience by the British justice system.<br /><br />This leads me on to the next lesson learned. We could double or triple the number of officers on the streets but it will have no effect on crime unless the courts are prepared to deal with persistent offenders by locking them up.<br /><br />A gang of robbers operating out of a London station were recently arrested and bailed. The police argued that one of their bail conditions should be that they could not enter a railway station. This was deemed to be far too onerous so the gang were released and the robberies continue.<br /><br />We neither lock up nor deport foreign criminals. At present there are organised gangs of pickpockets from various countries working on the London Underground system. As a police officer I can log on to the force intranet and see their names addresses and long lists of previous convictions. The fact that it is possible to have so many convictions and still be free to walk the streets tells you all you need to know about justice. As for deportation forget it. Even those who commit the most heinous crimes are rarely sent home – too many public ally funded lawyers are readily available to argue that it would breach their “human rights.”<br /><br />One of the insights I have gleaned is the shocking depravity which some are happy to live in. At quite a few stations you will be treated to the spectacle of able bodied youngsters, presumably on benefits, consuming alcohol day and night. In some areas where a by-law prohibits public drinking we remove their booze and pour it away. A few weeks ago I did just this to a particularly obnoxious group of punk rockers. As I poured their confiscated cider into the gutter one of them came over shouting wildly at me. But instead of the expected tussle followed by an arrest he got down on to his hands and knees, and with his tongue out he began licking cider up from the gutter of a street in one of the less salubrious parts of North London.<br /><br />But what has shocked me a lot more than the actions of individuals like him is the realisation that the current wave of shootings and stabbings is a direct result of rules made by fellow MPs, which have made it all but impossible for the police to stop and search suspicious individuals.<br /><br />Partly as a result of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry the police have to have “reasonable grounds” to search someone for drugs or weapons and the grounds have to seem reasonable to a court not the PC.<br /><br />To give an idea as to how difficult it is to find “reasonable grounds” take the following example. A youth is stopped at a tube station for trying to push through the barriers without a ticket. We radio through his details and are warned that he has recent convictions for dealing drugs and carrying weapons.<br /><br />You might think that there are reasonable grounds for searching this person, after all he has just broken the law, but as we have no evidence that he has a weapon or drugs on him we have no grounds to search. If the youth was arrested then a search could take place but these days, a growing number of crimes such as fare evasion and shop lifting are dealt with through “process” not arrest. This means that the offender is written to and asked to pay a fine or appear in court. (many don’t and little is done but that is another story) As there has been no arrest there can be no search.<br /><br />The youth I stopped with the gun was only arrested because he refused to answer a few simple questions. Had he been a little savvier he would have been free to continue his journey through central London with two firearms<br /><br />When a search does take place it has to be accompanied by a laborious process of form-filling, which I have described in detail on my blog.<br /><br />As a result youths know that they can arm themselves with knives and guns with little risk of being caught. Black youths are being murdered at a horrendous rate on the streets of London, usually by other black youths and nothing can be done because we have made it almost impossible for the police to carry out searches in areas where knives are routinely carried.<br /><br />We should trust those officers to carry out their duties properly. Scrapping the stop and search paperwork would be a good start. The police should be able to go into “no go” areas in large numbers to carry out stop checks of suspicious youths targeting those with any previous convictions.<br /><br />However arresting criminals is pointless if the CPS fail to prosecute, or the courts are simply going to put them back onto the streets with some laughable community sentence.<br /><br />The prison population urgently needs to be doubled to ensure that all persistent offenders are taken off the streets. Sentences should be served in full without any remission. This would allow the public some respite and give the police an opportunity to carry out preventative work rather than simply reacting to crimes. It would also enable the prison authorities the chance to spend time getting criminals off drink and drugs and helping those who want to gain useful qualifications.<br /><br />The most important lesson I have learned is that the horror stories which one reads about the collapse in law and order on the streets of our major cities are, if anything, an under-exaggeration. Things are far worse than people realise and much of the blame can be laid at the door of politicians like me who have slowly been tying the hands of the police in bureaucratic red tape and preventing them from doing their job.<br /><br />There is some good news. The vast majority of police officers want to be out on the streets catching criminals not tied to their desks. I want to help them achieve this by improving legislation which goes through Parliament. If the government don’t want to listen then I have learned one other very important lesson. Any fit and able person who can commit eight hours of spare time once a fortnight can do something to make their streets a little safer, by joining the Special constabulary.<br /><br />ENDSDavid Davies AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322467364661604103noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9742326.post-12100680151839123982007-05-07T23:11:00.000-07:002007-05-07T23:24:29.647-07:00Coilitions PR and DemocracyIf it hasn’t achieved anything else, devolution in Wales and Scotland has at least acted as a visible demonstration of the follies of adopting any system of proportional representation.<br /><br />No “government” has been formed in Edinburgh or Cardiff because no single party has overall control. In most future elections this will be the norm. A long drawn out process of haggling over who can have the most ministerial seats will now ensue.<br /><br /> One Plaid Cymru spin doctor has suggested a novel solution for Wales - all of the parties going into a grand coalition together. This would be excellent news for the politicians and a disaster for the public.<br /><br />Our system of democracy is based on the idea that while one or more party governs, one or more party will provide opposition. Asking difficult questions and exposing waste and incompetence.<br /><br />If every party is in government there will be no opposition except from a few independently minded back benchers who are prepared to put their principles before their careers.David Davies AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322467364661604103noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9742326.post-66826800580898225952007-05-03T01:58:00.000-07:002007-05-03T02:28:39.161-07:00The fall of Lord BrowneTelling lies in Court is something that cannot be condoned under any circumstances and the position of Lord Browne as Chief Executive of BP became untenable when it became clear he had done so. Yet I am surely not alone in feeling some sympathy for him. I have never met Lord Browne, and as readers of this blog will know I have no time for the ridiculous antics of the militant gay lobby who demand, and get, large sums of public funding in order to promote their agenda.<br /><br />But Lord Browne has never gone around acting like Dafydd from Little Britain. He has spent much of his life building one of Britain’s most successful companies. He has never commented on his own private life, or anyone else's, so it is beyond me why anyone would have a genuine interest in the people with whom he spends his rare moments of free time.David Davies AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322467364661604103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9742326.post-60512061336587572782007-04-30T10:18:00.000-07:002007-04-30T10:22:19.119-07:00Time to talk to IranThe history of the Cold war between 1945 and 1988 is a powerful demonstration of how talking to one's sworn enemies can eventually result in peace. Nixon talked to China in the 70s, Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher extended the hand of friendship to Gorbachev in the 80s.<br /><br />In the 90s, and against all odds, South Africa made a peaceful transition to majority rule when De Klerk and Mandela started talking. More recently a fragile, if somewhat imperfect, peace has descended in Northern Ireland following the decision by the British Government, encouraged by the Americans, to talk to the IRA.<br /><br />Could some of these lessons now be applied to Iran?<br /><br />In 1953 Britain and America organised a coup which removed their democratically elected President, Mohammed Moussadeq. Our respective Governments replaced him with the Shah who ruled as a hated dictator for the next 26 years. The Shah was thrown out in a revolution and replaced by Ayatollah Khomeini. Shortly afterwards Saddam Hussein invaded Iran. During the ten year war which followed both Iran and Iraq received military supplies from Western governments. It is therefore not surprising that the Iranians distrust the West. Yet following the attacks on the Trade Towers the the Iranians made overtures of support to the US which were subsequently rebuffed.<br /><br />With Iraq on the brink of self destruction and Afghanistan descending further then ever into lawlessness, the time has surely arrived for Britain and the US to review their hostile relationship with Iran by offering to talk to them without any preconditions.<br /><br />Iran is far more complex than the religious theocracy run by a President and an Ayatollah which is the image usually portrayed. In their Parliament and elsewhere powerful voices call for change. Many in high places want peace with the West and better working relationships. Seventy percent of the population are under the age of 30 and are showing signs of becoming increasingly distanced from religious hardliners. It is imperative that we reach out to those who want better relationships with the West instead of playing into the hands of the hardliners on all sides.David Davies AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322467364661604103noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9742326.post-51820626268296443712007-04-18T09:56:00.000-07:002007-04-18T09:59:49.601-07:00Claim your Harem AllowancePolygamy may be illegal in Britain but apparently that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t recognise it and give financial support to those with multiple wives. This is the view of the Department of Work and Pensions who have been forced to <a href="http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23393028-details/Polygamous+husbands+can+claim+cash+for+their+harems/article.do">admit</a> they pay out an allowance to each “wife” in a polygamous marriage.David Davies AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322467364661604103noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9742326.post-16507292323121918612007-04-09T12:10:00.000-07:002007-04-09T12:12:22.818-07:00Why knife crime is out of controlIt was so easy a few years ago. A police Officer sees spots a suspicious looking youth, perhaps someone with a conviction for carrying knives, and asks him (usually it is a male) to turn out his pockets. If nothing is found the youth is free to go on his way.<br /><br />Those days have long gone. Partly as a result of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry the police are unable to stop and search someone for a weapon without “reasonable grounds” for suspecting they have one. If reasonable grounds exist (and they must seem reasonable to a Court not the police officer) then the PC has to decide under what powers of the law he is legally entitled to carry out the search and inform the suspect. Then a long form will be filled in. It should take eight minutes to do so, but if the suspect is not cooperating, or doesn’t understand English or it is belting down with rain and the paper and biro have got wet the whole thing will take much longer. Then the search. Then when the officer is back at the station the information on the form has to be re-entered onto a computer system. Then the officer responsible for looking after completed stop and search forms must be found, wherever he is, so that the completed form can be handed over to him. Both officers may require signatures to prove this has happened. The nominated officer will have to ensure that the form is passed onto another office where it will be kept handy for 12 months in case the person searched exercises their right to a copy of it. This isn’t all. The entire process of searching form-filling, computer entries, hand over, will all have to be recorded in the Officer’s notebook.<br /><br />The result is that the phrase “turn out your pockets” is no longer heard. Black youths are being murdered at a horrendous rate on the streets of London, usually by other black youths and nobody appears able to do much about it. The only hope is that the many responsible members of the black community, the youth club workers, church leaders etc stand up and demand an end to the stop and search restrictions which were put in place by white politicians responding to allegations of police racisim and have led inevitably to carnage in the midst of the communities they thought they were helping.David Davies AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322467364661604103noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9742326.post-59003588546401436732007-03-24T15:26:00.000-07:002007-03-24T15:27:13.371-07:00It is quite right that we should remember the abhorrent slave trade. We should also remember that British democracy abolished it and that the Royal Navy enforced abolition at the cost of many British lives. I support groups like Amnesty International which are using the bicentenary of the abolition of slavery to raise awareness of people smuggling but I cannot join the self-righteous politically correct “apologies” for slavery which are being demanded by and from people who had nothing to do with it.<br /><br />Why not demand that modern day Germans make an annual apology for Hitler? Or that the French apologise for Napolean and Louis the 14th? Meanwhile present day Turkey could apologise to most of Eastern Europe for the Ottoman Empire and perhaps the North Africans to the Spanish for Andalusia. Not least of all various Africans – the present day descendents of those who sold slaves to British traders, should also be apologising, though to whom I am not sure.<br /><br />It would all be too ridiculous for words if it were not for the fact that many African governments, and their western apologists, are playing on this collective outburst of false guilt to try and divert attention from the fact that Africa’s current diabolical state is not due to slavery, but to corrupt dictatorial nature of its present day leaders.David Davies AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322467364661604103noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9742326.post-2835044909903489652007-02-18T15:57:00.001-08:002007-02-21T09:14:43.430-08:00Leaving on a jet planeHere is a <a href="http://www.downingstreetsays.org/archives/002619.html">link</a> to a website which reports on what is being said each day by Tony Blair through his spokesman at the morning press conference. On 3rd May last year it was a litany of pathetic whining to try and justify the failure to deport dangerous Somali criminals back to their country.<br /><br />Specifically the spokesman said it was to dangerous to fly planes into the country. Personally I would have thought it would be incredibly easy to deport people to Somalia. You simply fly them to Kenya and drive them North to the border then wave them across. Better still pay a Somali driver to pick them up on the border and take them to the nearest town. Easy.<br /><br />Basically I would have readily accepted the excuse about not flying people into Somalia in planes and looked for alternatives.<br /><br />How naïve of me, because when they needed to the Government had no problem flying a plane straight into Somalia at very short notice. Unfortunately they weren’t deporting rapists muggers or other violent criminals (human rights etc etc) Instead at a <a href="http://www.express.co.uk/news_detail.html?sku=1213">reported</a> cost of £50,000 the plane was sent to rescue a number of young “Britons” who had voluntarily gone into this benighted country and were apparently fighting with terrorists linked to Al Qaeda.<br /><br />Safely back in Blighty they were released after a bit of perfunctory questioning. They are now able to organise their next sojourn to a Jihadi frontline safe in the knowledge that our government will willingly go to great expense to charter a jet to fly then home at the drop of a hat if they get into any difficulties. Doubtless they will also be entitled to generous backdated benefits claims for the time spent away.<br /><br />Ah well at least we have now established that the Foreign Office can fly planes into Somalia. No doubt we will now see some of its citizens who have come here and broken our laws being deported back there.<br /><br />Or am I just being naïve again…..David Davies AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322467364661604103noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9742326.post-1168900923899823182007-01-15T14:30:00.000-08:002007-01-17T11:10:54.026-08:00IND ScandalAnother scandal concerns the Immigration and Nationality Department who are answerable to, yes you guessed it, the Home Office.<br /><br />I was told nearly a year ago that the IND have paid out vast sums of money to Asylum Seekers and the lawyers who lodged spurious compensation claims against it.<br /><br />Keen to find out if this could be true a tabled a question on the matter last June. After some fudging I was told in October that a Minister would write to me soon.<br /><br />Needless to say I never heard another thing.<br /><br />The House of Commons library rang and asked for the statistics but were told they could not have them so in December I submitted a Freedom of Information request which has not even been acknowledged.<br /><br />I shall update readers on my progress.David Davies AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322467364661604103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9742326.post-1168900182624602652007-01-15T14:15:00.000-08:002007-01-16T06:33:46.503-08:00New Home Office blunderIt would be easy enough to regurgitate the news of the latest Home Office scandal brought to you by the government who were going to be tough on crime etc. Instead I shall draw attention to some more scandals which have not yet come to light.<br /><br />The hundreds of escaped prisoners who the Home Office can't find (last week's scandal)are not living out in wilds like nineteenth century Australian outlaws. I predict that most are back in their old haunts claiming the full range of benefits which the government makes available to those who don’t wish to work. How could this be you ask? Surely when National Insurance numbers are handed over by someone seeking benefits a check is done to ensure that they have not escaped from prison? <br /><br />At the very least the authorities would have thought of checking the NI numbers of escaped convicts to see if any had re-entered the system as benefits claimants wouldn’t they? <br /><br />I have written to Ministers to ask this obvious question. I believe the answer is that checks are not made.<br /><br />Stand by for headlines about a captured prison escapee who was found to be openly living at his old address and claiming a wide range of benefits whilst doing so. <br /><br />More law and order blunders on the next blog.David Davies AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322467364661604103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9742326.post-1168899278129318242007-01-15T14:10:00.000-08:002007-01-15T14:14:38.213-08:00An amusing story reached my ears today. Last Saturday the Conservative Party in Wales held a conference at the Metropole Hotel in Llandridnod Wells in Mid-Wales. Delegates arriving at the hotel were greeted with a sign welcoming members of the Conservative Party and the “Chopper club.” It transpired that a motorcycle gang had also booked an event in the hotel for the same day.<br /><br />I am told that this led to some unlikely scenes in the bar in the early hours with leather clad bikers and besuited Conservative activists putting the world to rights over a few ales.David Davies AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322467364661604103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9742326.post-1167951759054413682007-01-04T15:02:00.000-08:002007-01-04T15:02:39.070-08:00Happy New Year Happy New Arrivals....I have just returned from two weeks with the in-laws in Hungary where we all had a good laugh at claims that Romanians and Bulgarians won’t want to flock to Britain. £300 per month is a typical wage in Hungary or Poland for a young person so it's not surprising that Poles and Hungarians have flocked to the UK in their tens of thousands. <br /><br />However the standard of living in Hungary and Poland, although lower than the UK is far high than in Romania or Bulgaria. The Romanians have been pouring into Hungary for years looking for a better standard of living which is why we all laughed at the suggestion from the UK government that they won’t want to travel further West. Contrary to what the government thinks we can expect many thousands to come to the UK.<br /><br />The CBI is pleased. Their spokesman made two points. Firstly that the vast influx of low paid workers doing menial jobs is keeping down inflation. This is certainly true. Wages are kept low therefore keeping production costs lower. No doubt this is a very good thing for the CBI. She also said that "Their (migrants) taxes help pay for our public services and our pensions, long after many migrants have returned home"<br /><br />This is patently ridiculous. Every individual to some extent places a burden on the state. We use the NHS, our children have to be educated, we make use of roads, litter collection services and a range of other services which are paid for by the state out of taxes. To contribute so much in taxation that you make a net contribution to state finances "long after (you) have returned home" would only be possible if you were earning an enormous sum of money. Far more than the £5-£6 per hour the average Eastern European barman is likely to be on.<br /><br />The plane from Hungary was full and Romanian accents were much in evidence so presumably the rush to get to Britain has already started.David Davies AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322467364661604103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9742326.post-1166737569454674432006-12-21T13:45:00.000-08:002006-12-21T13:47:07.206-08:00Christmas MessageIn spite of the frantic last minute shopping, the Christmas parties and much else besides, most of us are at least vaguely aware that there is a deeper religious significance to Christmas. <br /> <br />Many figures in positions of authority seem rather troubled by this. The Government play down Christmas sending out cards wishing people “seasons greetings.” Thousands of pounds are spent on government celebrations of Divali or Eid but nothing on Christmas. <br /> <br />Where government leads Councils often follow. Some discourage Nativity plays in the schools in case adherents of other religions are “offended” or rename Christmas “winterval.” <br /> <br />It is not just the politicians. Last month British Airways were put on the spot when it was revealed that they had suspended a Christian employee for wearing a small crucifix. Meanwhile various theatres were happy to mock Christian beliefs by holding performances of “Jerry Springer – the opera” even though we all know that not one would have dared showing a play mocking other religions in the same way. <br /> <br />We shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking that the pressure to play down references to Christianity comes from other religious groups. Indeed some Muslims have been more vocal in defending the right of Christians to celebrate their faith than some leading churchmen. Instead it is the British establishment in all its various forms which is behind the attacks on the religion which, like it or not, has shaped this country and which still exerts a positive influence on those brought up here – whether Christian or not.<br /> <br />I have decided to make a stand. As a regular Church goer I do not seek to impose my beliefs on anyone else but I am not going to hide them away either. My new years resolution is simple it is to do more to stand up for my own religion.<br /> <br />On that note may I begin by wishing everyone a Very Merry Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.David Davies AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322467364661604103noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9742326.post-1166381056978739862006-12-17T10:39:00.000-08:002006-12-18T07:19:45.503-08:00High level talks with leaders of UK and Hungary !<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1929/723/1600/744035/IMG_0513.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1929/723/320/829516/IMG_0513.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />It’s a nice headline but the truth is a little more mundane. With a Hungarian wife and a knowledge of the language I was quickly made vice-president of the Anglo-Hungarian Parliamentary group and was nominated to stand in the line- up to greet the Ferenc Gyurcsány PM of Hungary on his recent visit to Westminster. “It would impress my mother-in-law if I could have my photo taken with him” I said “help yourself he won’t mind at all” I was told. To my surprise he walked into the room with our very own Tony Blair. Not to be put off I launched into a Hungarian greeting then, in English, turned to the small group and said that I was just going to have quick photograph with the “Prime Minister.” Everyone assumed I meant Mr Blair who looked a bit surprise when I headed for Ferenc. He in turn diplomatically insisted that we all pose together. Thus I have a wonderful photo with no real story to attach to it.<br /> <br />However I was not alone in the line-up for there is one other Parliamentarian who can speak Hungarian - Baron Anderson of Swansea otherwise known as Donald Anderson - Labour MP for Monmouth between 1966and 1970. What are the chances of the only two Hungarian speakers in the Houses of Parliament having both represented the same constituency?David Davies AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322467364661604103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9742326.post-1165696827253317322006-12-09T11:49:00.000-08:002006-12-09T12:40:28.086-08:00Missing in action:Defence Minister Derek Twigg has <a href="http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2006-12-06a.106062.h&s=speaker%3A11719#g106062.q0">admitted</a> that a dozen weapons have been stolen during the last year including six 5.5m rifles which are the standard issue automatic weapons used by most British troops. This is more than a little worrying especially as over 200 rounds of ammunition have also been purloined. I wonder if Mr Twigg would now care to tell us what he intends to do about it.David Davies AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322467364661604103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9742326.post-1165528770529296382006-12-07T13:55:00.000-08:002006-12-07T13:59:30.550-08:00A world gone madFor those who still feel that the British establishment are not completely bonkers <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6219608.stm">here</a> is the story of a convicted child rapist from Somalia who can expect up to £50,000 as "compensation" because he was "wrongly" held in prison while the authorities tried (and failed) to deport him.<br /><br />For once words fail me.David Davies AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322467364661604103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9742326.post-1162579989194884422006-11-03T10:45:00.001-08:002006-11-03T10:53:09.210-08:00Agriculture cuts and civil service gobbledygookAccording to the Wales Office’s Annual Report, the Welsh Assembly has cut spending per head on agriculture on Wales to £64 a year, a massive drop from the £106 reportedly spent in the previous year.<br /><br />I raised the matter with Welsh Secretary Peter Hain MP, in the Welsh Affairs Committee last week. Mr Hain told me that the anomaly was down to the new payment scheme. I pointed out that the scheme should not have led to any reduction in spending in the first few years, let alone one of nearly 40% in a single year.<br /><br />At this point, a civil servant interjected to give the explanation I needed. Here is the quote from Hansard:<br /><br /><em> “when the Government issues resource accounts as opposed to statements of cashflow, it recognises liabilities, future liabilities when they occur. The effect of that is that when you get a change in the scheme, there appeared an item which was the recognition of future years more than one year ahead and that, therefore, gave an artificial increase in the year in which that was recognised, not affecting the cash payments, but affecting the recognition of the future liability looking more than one year ahead. This is the difference between accruals accounts and cash accounts.”</em>So that’s clear enough!<br /><br />Actually I wont pretend I understood the answer but one thing is clear.<br /><br />Either the original figure of £106 per head was simply there to mislead the public or the agricultural budget has been severely cut.<br /><br />Whichever it is this is bad news for Welsh farmers.David Davies AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322467364661604103noreply@blogger.com0