Home Secretary

[Quizmonster]

"Does Theresa May know what day it is?"
That's today's headline over the Times Online's article about the latest Abu Q farce. (I've decided to call him A Book At Bedtime from now on.)
Well, does she?

[sunny-dave]

Over the years I've met quite a few senior politicians of all three parties - I have to say that Theresa May is right up there in the "who on earth gave this person a job" stakes - profoundly unimpressive ...

... and before anyone goes off on a "dave, the well known tory basher, would say that wouldn't he" reply, I am no respecter of party lines when it comes to commenting on individual competency (or lack of it). One of most impressive ministers I ever met was Caroline Spelman - I may disagree with her policies, but she radiates ability.

On the other side of the Commons, I had profound respect for Clare Short - searingly honest (perhaps overly so at times) and also very competent. Whereas I've met all three Labour MPs for Coventry (two whilst they were government ministers) and have yet to find a redeeming feature in any of them.

[anotheoldgit]

Our politicians should get a back-bone and act like the French.

They expect our armed forces to lay their lives down on the line fighting their wars for them, but they won't risk their own backs by 'Cocking a snook' at their European masters.

[d9f1c7]

Jake is correct but he fails to explain how it that the French seem to be able to ignore the law when it suits them.

[ludwig]

// I've decided to call him A Book At Bedtime from now on. //

I always want to sing his name in the " 'ave a banana" tune.

[Gromit]

Not sure why AOG, d9 and others are going out of their way to run down Britain and praise the French.

We deport thousands of criminals every year. We do it rapidly, without any publicity and without bother from the courts. For some reason, when the French do the same they are brave and some posters are in awe. Last month the French deported people to Algeria, Morocco and Turkey. The people were not destined for arrest and torture or the death penalty when they reached their destination country. If they were, France would also have found themselves mired in Human Rights legislation.

Qatada and Hamza are the exception. They are not typical. Typically we have no bother deporting anyone we like. There are a few with unusual circumstances out of tens of thousands. We should not bash Britain and the Government for these highly unusual cases.

[anneasquith]

i do wonder if ms may will be in " post" this time next week ?

[carolegif]

I wonder if the fact that it was a leap year has anything to do with the dates. If you count the days, then the 29th Feb will put an extra day in which means that Strasbourg got the day wrong. If it is 3 months to the date, then the government has got it wrong!

[TheNovice]

well said Gromit, couldn't agree more. It is important to say it is not our politicians (current or past) who are preventing these deportations happening - it is those experts in Justice (albeit of differing levels in different countries) at the ECHR who are responsible.

[jno]

a surprising numbr of people seem to want our politicians to break the law when it suits them. Funny, that's not what they were saying during the expenses scandal.

[TheNovice]

correct JNO

[sunny-dave]

^^^^ quite so jno ^^^^

The rule of law is not pick n mix - you either have it or you don't.

[d9f1c7]

I'm only asking how the French seem to be able to do it, just to understand that's all. I remember in the early eighties when the farmers were burning lorry loads of English lamb with the Police watching. A journalist went up to a French copper and said "It it legal to burn lorries in France", he replied "Non", "so are you going to arrest them then?" - "Non"! So what mechanism do the French use to selectively enforce laws? Perhaps someone can tell us.

[TWR]

They have the bottle to say NO as they have proved.

[naomi24]

jno, the law that allowed politicians to steal from the public purse was bad for the country - just as the law that applies in this instance is bad for the country. The law doesn't need to be broken - it needs to be re-written - and the sooner the better.

[Gromit]

d9, AOG and others.

In 2010 there were 39,030 foreign nationals deported from within the UK, an increase of 3% from 2009. There was no fuss. No interference. Little publicity. We should applaud that. Unfortunately just a handful of cases are not straightfarward and those are the ones you choose to dwell on. You are bashing Britain for no reason, and you are praising the French undeservedly.

[TWR]

1 £MILLION + + + to sort this case out Gromit, remember who is paying this money.

[d9f1c7]

so no explanation then Gromit??

[Gromit]

TWR

I will be glad when both Abus are gone. But we must do it within the law or their is no point in having laws. The Home Secretary of all people should be lawful. Criminals ignore the law. Anyone saying we should ignore the law because it is inconvenient is no better than a criminal.

[naomi24]

Gromit, if in 2010, 39,030 foreign nationals were deported from within the UK, an increase of 3% from 2009, there was no need to make a fuss. Job done. However, in this instance the job isn’t done – and it needs to be.

[Gromit]

Naomi

And it will be.

In her haste to give her party a poll boost before the elections, the Home Secretary has messed up big time. This has caused a delay which would not have occurred if she had waited just a couple of hours.