This was originally posted on facebook on the 9th Feb 2016 as a follow up to Refugee Blues
I'm going to start with an apology. I really don't want to become the sort of person people have to remove from their facebook because they rant on continually, at great length, on boring, troubling subjects. Facebook is meant to be an enjoyable experience not a lecture on global issues.
However, there is some stuff being done, in our names, by our government that is not acceptable. And frankly, if we keep quiet they will take that as a tacit green light to continue with their narrow minded little policies that will leave us greatly diminished as a nation.
So, apology over, this is a follow up to yesterday's rant, because, as we all know from our mothers, sometimes you do have to say the same thing twice...
Here is how the Guardian is reporting the fallout to the decision to abandon the Dubs Amendment
Not withstanding the importance of the Brexit vote last night in the House of Commons, it was disheartening to see that government tactics to bury the bad news were in danger of succeeding as the Guardian was the only paper to feature this story on its front page this morning.
Lord Dubs has today been speaking in the Lords regarding the governments decision to abandon the amendment bearing his name.
"My lords, I must confess I’m slightly puzzled because if the government says there is a specified number of children, then after that total has been reached, the scheme has been closed
It was not long ago that I remember the prime minister when she was home secretary told me that the government was prepared to accept the amendment. It was on the same day that the then immigration minister said to me that the government would accept the letter and the spirit of that amendment. I believe in arbitrarily closing down a scheme without any good reason for doing so the government is in breach of its own commitments."
"My lords, I must confess I’m slightly puzzled because if the government says there is a specified number of children, then after that total has been reached, the scheme has been closed
It was not long ago that I remember the prime minister when she was home secretary told me that the government was prepared to accept the amendment. It was on the same day that the then immigration minister said to me that the government would accept the letter and the spirit of that amendment. I believe in arbitrarily closing down a scheme without any good reason for doing so the government is in breach of its own commitments."
Members of the Conservative party have also been speaking out against the decision. This is from David Burrowes, MP for Enfield Southgate and vice chair of the all-party parliamentary group on refugees. He said:
I am deeply disappointed that both the government and local councils have shut the door to more “Dubs” child refugees. This was not what parliament intended. It looks like they have cut and run from child refugees. Our legal and moral obligation to child refugees has not been fulfilled. The government need to keep the door open to lone child refugees in Europe particularly with family in UK, and help keep others safe from slavery. Local councils need to work with the local community who want to find ways to provide more places for vulnerable child refugees"
Sadly such compassionate concepts seem to have been abandoned by the government, however we can still stand up for them. I know people don't come on facebook to be lectured and harangued continually but this stuff is important.
If you want to be heard, like I said yesterday, you need to contact your MP. If their inboxes fill up with messages on a certain subject they very quickly start to pay attention. The links to find your MP are on my previous post on this subject.
Thank you to those who have bothered to read all the way through this...., i'm off to go and find a fluffy cat picture to post next to cheer things up.
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