Asian Voice - Saturday 17th December 2011
COMMENT
London Chamber's warning on taxing immigration legislation The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has issued a warning to the Coalition Government on what it perceives as Whitehall's inflexible immigration laws. Talking up immigration controls may appeal to the British street, hence win votes for the Conservative party, but when the electoral dust has settled the price paid for such taxing legislation is likely to be high. And this at a time when the national economy can be likened to a guttering candle. The hard times portrayed so memorably by Charles Dickens a century and a half ago appear to be returning to London and other British cities. Poverty, poor housing, poor education and high unemployment feature prominently in the life of the UK's inner cities. Tapping into the global talent pool in order to maximise the opportunities of the global market place is one avenue to restore growth, if only the powers that be would see sense instead of surrendering to raw emotion. The LCCI has taken Prime Minister David Cameron and his government to task for their “tough” stand on non-EU immigration, when cutting the inflow of skilled migrants from India and similar places are jeopardising the capital's business prospects. The benefits of overseas workers in the London economy in particular are far wider than many policymakers realise, whilst the potential damage arising from the Coalition Government's reforms to the immigration system could be greater than first envisaged, says the LCCI in a report entitled “Migration Reform: Caps Don't Fit”
Highlighting benefits that global talent has on companies, the report shows that the latest immigration reforms are already harming businesses, and was likely to cause further damage when the UK economy picks up again and firms look to hire. Almost two-thirds of all London businesses (63 per cent) and 59 per cent of the capital's smallest firms (1-19 employees) have either employed non-EU migrant workers in the past five years or have considered doing so. Nearly a quarter of businesses (24 per cent) and 29 per cent of the smaller firms (1-19 employees) that have looked outside of the EU for staff did so because they felt non-EU migrants would help them grow into markets beyond the EU. Subhash Thakrar, Chairman of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, writes: “Our report shows that firms recruit from beyond the EU not only for reasons such as a lack of specialist skills in the domestic market, but as a means of exploring and investing in new markets overseas. At a time when investment and growth are fundamental to the future success of the economy, the government must do all it can to support UK plc, providing a framework for growth and creating an environment in which SMEs in particular can easily access new markets and recruit from a truly global talent pool. We accept that the government must balance a whole host of social, political and economic issues, but it needs to do so without damaging the principal means of stimulating the UK: its business community.” Over to you, Mr Cameron
Kolkata tragedy a wake-up call The hospital fire in a south Kolkata hospital that resulted in the deaths of 90 patients is a wake-up call for the city's fathers, the West Bengal government and the rest of India, most notably the authorities in Delhi. This was a private sector hospital – part of a chain, we are told – where patient care passed muster but patient safety from fire hazards did not. The storage of inflammable materials in the basement of the building in callous disregard of the danger this posed to life and property is a damning indictment of the ethics of the hospital's directors. Six of their number have been arrested, but this is small consolation to the bereaved. Profit was all, nothing else seemed to matter. The illtrained fire brigade arrived late, and it was only the valiant efforts of slum dwellers nearby to put out the flames and rescue those in peril that prevented the death toll rising higher. The shambles was truly pathetic. Over recent decades, fires in this teeming metropolis have been a feature of its life. The destruction of the city's oldest photographic establishment, Bourne & Shepard, to a fire was followed by a similar experience at the New Market (aka Hogg Market) in the city centre and another inferno on Park Street. The list goes on. The state's Communist administration did nothing to put things right. Amid its ritual bombast on the evils of capitalism and its exploitative ways, its own methods were cloned to a cronyism that awarded building contracts to groups willing and able to pay
bribes and perquisites for favours received in flagrant disregard of regulatory rules and procedures. Such governance has eaten into the vitals of work culture, leading to a deep cynicism among the ranks of the public. The Communist party and its Left Front cronies were dethroned in May's state elections, with every cabinet minister losing his seat. It reflected the people's pent up rage with Communist mafia rule. However, cleaning the Augean Stables left behind will be no easy task. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her colleagues in six months of office have started wielding their new broom, but as the latest tragedy shows, they have a long way to go before a new civilised order is put in place. For that to happen a root and branch change in regulatory mechanisms on new building sites and structures must replace the accustomed sloth of bureaucrats and their habits of bribe-taking and graft. This won't be easy, but it must be done as a matter of priority if West Bengal is to be restored to rude economic health. Enough has happened for investors to turn their gaze towards the state, as the projected Wipro presence in the IT sector demonstrates, But it will be a long haul to prosperity and proper governance. Meanwhile, there should be no complacency in other parts of India, where unsafe buildings are the norm rather than the exception. This is also a national problem, even though it isn't as acute as the scourge in West Bengal.
Cameron's Pyrrhic victory Prime Minister David Cameron's performance at the EU summit in Brussels was hailed as a long awaited British triumph, the best naysayer his country had ever produced. He had vetoed the Sarkozy-Merkel plan for closer fiscal integration in the eurozone and the wider European Union. He had stood up for British interests in the face of Continental perversity, said the cheering Conservative party's legion of Eurosceptic backbenchers in the House of Commons during a robust if somewhat noisy debate. Patriotic zeal often skews political judgement. Truth is that Mr Cameron's was the sole dissenting voice at the Brussels conclave; 26 of the other EU leaders voted against him. In his bid to defend the City, whose interests he equates with the country, Mr Cameron has emphasised Britain's not too splendid isolation. The diplomatic fallout of this quarrel will become evident in the fullness of time. But
Europe is a divided house, lurching uncertainly from crisis to crisis with no endgame in sight. France and Britain are tarnished by their military adventure in Libya. Colonel Gadaffi's gory end was scarcely a tribute to the civilised credentials of his executioners, all bearing the stamp of approval of their Anglo-French handlers. However, the general lack of wisdom in the EU leadership, their proneness to indecision, could turn out to be the bell that tolls for the European idea itself. Mr Cameron has no panacea for Britain's economic revival. The Eurozone economic crisis has done much to hobble the UK economy. He is the toast of the Tory shires, but that is no guarantee to an enduring economic or political future for Britain. Mr Cameron has at best won a Pyrrhic victory in Brussels. Such victories come at a cost. The damage to Britain's relationship with Europe should be repaired without further ado.
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Thought for the Week
It is not our abilities that truly define us - it is the choices we make. - J K Rowling (1998)
Priti Patel Member of Parliament for Witham
Report from the front line This week I had a tremendous time campaigning for Mark Bowen, the Conservative Party candidate in the forthcoming Felton & Heston byelection on December 15th. Mark is a local campaigner which in a by-election makes a huge difference. He has been a local councillor for nine years, and on the doorstep people commented about his local links, his community work and it seemed clear to me that he is well-known and wellrespected amongst local people from all backgrounds. In my time as a party activist and in particular on by-elections, there are many candidates who have no ties with the area which is why Mark is a breath of fresh air. The issues on the doorstep were unsurprising; people frequently commented on how Labour left Britain in a mess with public spending and the deficit, all of which was made worse
by the banking situation. Many people raised the issue of Labour’s something for nothing culture and the failure to tackle welfare so that it was easier not to work, issues of immigration came up as did concerns over the Eurozone and what it means for our economy. E n c o u r a g i n g l y, many spoke about the fact that Government understands these problems and is getting on with sorting out the serious failures of the past; paying down the deficit and making work pay all seemed to resonate with those I spoke to at the start of the week in Felton and Heston. People were interested in hearing about what we are doing to support growth, improve fairness and help families with the cost of living where we can. I was encouraged by the responses on the doorstep and wish Mark well in the final week of this election campaign.
Feltham and Heston by-election to be held The Feltham and Heston by-election is a forthcoming by-election for the Parliament of the United Kingdom’s House of Commons constituency of Feltham and Heston in the London Borough of Hounslow. It is scheduled for 15 December 2011. The by-election was caused by the death of its Member of Parliament Alan Keen. On the 24 November 2011, the UK Independence Party chose Andrew Charalambous, a former nightclub owner and Conservative Party
electoral candidate. The Conservative candidate was named as Hounslow Councillor Mark Bowen on the same day. Labour chose Seema Malhotra as their candidate on 27 November 2011 after a quick-fire selection from four other candidates. Seema is the Director of Fabian’s Women Network and was a Chair of the Fabian Society. Dave Furness was selected by the British National Party on 29 November 2011, Continued on page 6
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