The one thing that is really annoying me about Cameron is his and the Tories foreign policy. Even if we forget the gaff in the US (where he claimed Britain is the junior partner and always has been, even in WWII in 1940 - when the US didn't join in until after Pearl Harbor!) he is still making a complete hash of everything.
Lets take the Hippocratic policies with India as the main example. What the Tories are basically saying to them is that we really want you to trade with us, particularly buying our goods/using our services, however we really don't want you in our country. The arbitrary immigration cap was noticed by India, who have a right to be angered by it, as they are one of the sets of people who are most likely to come to the UK, work hard and add to our society. It just whiffs of the old colonial masters trying to dictate to them how things should be again.
He then decides to butter them up by implying that their rivals Pakistan actively support terrorism, just before Pakistani delegates are due to the UK, well done Dave, you're really going about getting the region to like you. Now what you really want to do is go and stir things up a bit more... I know why don't you say that Iran already has nuclear weapons... wait, oh you didn't need my advice!
The thing that angered me most in the general election campaign was the immigration row. I think of myself as a liberal person, and as such hated all of the ideas which I heard. I believe that as long as people are willing to speak our language and work in our country they should be welcome, I hope to work abroad one day and would not want some arbitrary restriction preventing me from doing so. As long as they integrate into our society then they enrich it. My policy would be to have a basic English test and English history test (in their own language) before they enter, which would provide them with a 6 month visa. After the three months they should report to a local office showing proof of work, in which case they would have an extension of 6 more months. After this time they would take a more advanced English speaking and writing test and providing they had work or had been in employment for most of their time in the UK offer them a 2 year visa, after which they could apply for residency (or further visas). But this obviously wouldn't appease the tabloids.
The only decent policy I heard in the election campaign was the Lib Dem's amnesty policy, however, by then making it harder to get in this would have created more illegal immigration as people would have thought they'd only have to hide for 10 years. I am sad to see Liberals supporting the arbitrary cap they opposed in the election although I am realistic enough to know that you don't get much your own way as the junior partner in a coalition government.
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