We're All safe With Woolas

Stung by Henry Porter's criticism of the Government's new border restrictions and the Border Agency's inept handling of them, especially when it comes to artists and writers, etc, Immigration Minister Phil Woolas replies Our Border Controls Are Firm But Fair.

As opposed to being a load of crap.

And let me repeat Henry Porter's intro:

There are no words in the thesaurus of insult that quite do justice to the UK Border Agency and the minister for borders and immigration, Phil Woolas.

Lovely stuff.

Labour Strangles The Arts; More Rope, More Lamposts, Please

The ridiculous new rules introduced by the Border Agency last year concerning visiting artists and academics from outside the UK are already having a disastrous effect.

Musicians, dancers, academics and artists are finding it too expensive, too difficult or just impossible to get visas to come to the UK to deliver concerts, workshops, talks or in the case of Chinese artist Huang Xu to attend the opening of his own exhibition.

The Manifesto Club have issued a report detailing the whole fiasco, with examples. They also have Facebook group.

The government no doubt think that these draconian rules will help prevent crime, though there's absolutely no evidence that visiting artists and academics have actually been involved in any criminal or terrorist activity.

The result of these restrictions will be to turn the UK into an artistic and cultural backwater and a laughing stock among other countries.

Rope and lampposts.

UK Border Stasi Twats

The UK Border Stasi now want to turn academics into unpaid snoopers, keeping an eye on overseas students to make sure they attend their courses, and to report anyone they think may be involved in terrorism. Comment from Longrider.

The University and College Union has decided to boycott these new rules. Quite right.

The Border Agency can go fuck itself. I'm certainly not acting as an unpaid little stooge for their nasty little racket.