Dave

This from the Standard

This is
LONDON
25/01/05 - News and city section
Threat to block Howard asylum limits
By Joe Murphy Political Editor, Evening Standard

The European Commission has threatened to block Michael Howard's plans
to cap
numbers of asylum seekers coming to the UK.

The Government did this a few months ago, they claim, when it agreed a
European
Commission directive cementing current policy INTO phpbb_national law.

The claim provoked surprise, coming hours after the Tory leader put tough
immigration controls at the heart of his election campaign.

Under Conservative plans, Britain would withdraw from the 1951 UN
convention on
refugees and impose a ceiling of 10,000-20,000 a year on asylum claims.

But that is now impossible because the Government has accepted a series
of EU
laws on the issue, the Commission says. The change is legally irreversible.

Among the measures it says were agreed is the Qualifications Directive,
signed
last year. This is binding on all EU members and obliges all EU states
including
Britain to accept asylum claims from anyone fitting the criteria.

Frisco Roscam Abbing, spokesman for EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini,
told the Daily Telegraph that Britain had given up previous opt-outs
from EU law
covering migration since 1997.

The rules could not be changed even if Mr Howard won the election, he
insisted.
"There is nothing

in these protocols that allows a British government to opt back out so
Britain
is bound by them."

Mr Roscam Abbing said Mr Howard could expect legal action from Brussels
if he
attempted to curb asylum numbers.

"Say they set a quota of 10,000 a year," he said. "Well, the 10,001st
case could
say to a British judge, 'Your government is bound by EU rules and is not at
liberty not to consider my claim.' "

David Davis, the shadow home secretary, said a Tory government would seek to
overturn the EU agreements.

"We had a pretty good idea we would have to renegotiate because the Blair
government has been opting INTO phpbb_more EU treaties," he said.

The Government will now come under pressure to say whether the
Commission's view
of the law is correct - and whether ministers took the implications
fully into
account before signing the directives.

Labour is on the back foot over Mr Howard's proposals. Tony Blair
branded them
"unworkable" but ministers are wary of attacking them directly.

A five-year plan for immigration is to be announced shortly by Home
Secretary
Charles Clarke. <END>


Have you noticed everything Labour announce is a five year plan, Stalinist isn't it, yes because the false socialist eutopia will be running everything after those five years.

Dave

Biscuitman

5 Year plans;-

Before the last election B-Liar announced that every new born baby would get a £250 quid voucher with which to start an investment/savings plan.

Before the June 10th elections B-Liar announced that the vouchers would be issued shortly.

The gov. are about to issue the vouchers at the start of the next financial year, to be backdated two years.

So a couple of weeks before polling day 400,000 plus families are going to get a check for £250 through their letter box, perhaps on the same day as their election address goes out!

So for the same give-away they've had three electoral boosts and a bloomin big bribe at the end!

__________________
IF THE EU WAS THE ANSWER, IT MUST HAVE BEEN A STUPID QUESTION!

Biscuitman

I reckon if you pick the right street on the right night you could pick up a few grand in vouchers for the price of a six pack and a fiver.

__________________
IF THE EU WAS THE ANSWER, IT MUST HAVE BEEN A STUPID QUESTION!