Dear Theresa May,
I was very disheartened to read about your proposals at
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jun/10/tories-nasty-party-immigration-families
and
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/jun/10/theresa-may-human-rights-lawyers
Both my wife & I work very hard running our business in Taiwan, and have done so for many years. We have never sponged off the state; and my wife has worked ever since she left high school.
I was shocked to learn that such hard working people such as my wife (who’s only crimes are being born abroad, marrying me, and working hard in a job she loves that doesn’t pay so well) will be discriminated against because of this proposal.
Quotation: ~MPs are to be asked in the next few weeks to approve a Commons motion advising the judges that the right to family life is not absolute and should be overridden if doing so is in the national interest. May also said she would set out on Monday an overhaul of the rules on family migration that will mean UK citizens earning less than £18,600, depending on the number of children involved, will not be allowed to bring a foreign husband, wife or partner into Britain to live with them.
The gross income threshold is lower than the minimum £25,700 figure that May tried to persuade Nick Clegg to accept, according to a letter leaked in March. The home secretary said a minimum gross income of £24,800 would be needed if there were two children involved, with a further £2,200 for each extra child. It is believed that as many as 25,000 families a year could be affected by the changes.~
Unfortunately, this proposal will mean at least several unintended consequences:
- one, it will likely be challenged as denying or discriminating against individuals, on the right to family life enshrined in article 8 of the European convention on human rights; and
- two, internationally, I wouldn’t bet on many top trading partners introducing similar legislation in a tit for tat battle with Britain, when they find out that their own citizens are being discriminated against unfairly. Hasn’t the PM just finished visiting India & China?
That I supported the Tory Party in recent elections is now causing me shame. Now I have to explain this to my wife and her friends about why blatantly xenophobic legislation is proposed by senior members of your party. I will forward a copy of this letter to the Deputy Prime Minister, as well.
Given that the Tory Party now no longer upholds the universal human right to family life, as enshrined in European law, it will be difficult for me to voice any support for any other policies, regardless of their validity. After all, the Tory Party now no longer practices what it preaches on this most important of issues. Why should it be trusted with any less important issue?
Yours sincerely
Kenneth Dickson
To voice your dissent: http://www.dpm.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/content/contact and http://www.tmay.co.uk/contact
Further Thoughts
Yes, this seems a bright move to really consolidate your right wing while alienating all those middle of the road voters. Perhaps this is why http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/ shows the majority of voters now support Labour again. And if Nick Clegg stands again, his party will fare far worse as their traditional support risk deserting to the Labour camp in protest.