Gary's News and views

Gary Streeter MP for South West Devon

Gary writes a weekly article which appears in the Plympton Plymstock and Ivybridge News in South West Devon. The articles are published here.

 

Thursday 14 January 2010

BRITISH POPULATION
The church has many roles and sometimes it is to give cover to politicians to be bolder. After all, if the established church has already said it, you can hardly be accused of being too extreme in agreeing with them.
In the past week the call by the last Archbishop of Canterbury that immigration should be limited to a maximum of 40,000 a year in stead of the 200,000 plus we see today, was greatly to be welcomed. This will help politicians of all parties push for a more robust system on immigration, which I have long advocated. This is a small island and we cannot allow our numbers to grow without limit, nor for our traditional British way of life to be diluted by an influx of those who seek to live in a dramatically different way.
At the last general election, 5 years ago, any attempt to suggest a cap on immigration was roundly derided as being racist. The mood of the nation has changed and politicians are catching up with it. About time some of you will say. Agreed.
The world population has risen from 3 billion 30 years ago to 6 billion today. To put it another way, since England won the world cup, the world's population had doubled. It is predicted to rise to 9 billion over the next two decades. This is untenable. Never mind climate change, we need some kind of international consensus on achieving a more sustainable way forward. With global resources obviously finite and running out, at some stage world leaders are going to have to grasp this nettle.
Meanwhile here in the UK we must give a lead. Our current level of population seems sufficient in both urban and rural areas. Let us pursue policies that severely restrict non-EU immigration, at the same time encourage more buy-in to the British way of life, rich in diversity as it is.
One principle of British culture has traditionally been that when our brave armed forces are fighting for us overseas, we support them. The anti-troop demonstrations in Luton last year were a disgrace, as were the more recent plans by some to parade through Wootton Basset with mock coffins. I am all for freedom of speech but it is time to say very clearly to who seem to hate this country and all it stands for – if you don't like it here, please go and live somewhere else.

posted by Gary @ 09:25