Lenny Henry and the Black Country vote

I have just returned from my brother's house in France. I was doing some work on the house and I did manage to meet a few of the neighbours and practice my French. If the people in his village are anything like the English, according to recent reports, then I was quite lucky that I didn't meet anyone who told me that I am taking their jobs and that he is taking their houses. In fact I received a very nice welcome.

Compare that to the former BNP voters who feel "swamped" by immigrants. Compare that to UKIP employing an Irish actor telling us that "British workers are hit hard by unlimited cheap Labour". Compare that to a UKIP candidate tweeting that Lenny Henry should emigrate to a "black country".

UKIP said it was a "non-racist, non-sectarian party whose members are expected to uphold these values". UKIP could get away with this defence if they didn't have form. I have already written some blogs about their rogues. They could get away with this defence if their policies bore no relationship to the policies of their mavericks. I have criticised many of their policies in my previous blogs but the one policy that dominates is closing the gates on immigration regardless of how important it is to keep them open. I have written blogs about this too.

You can't feel swamped by immigrants that you can't recognise. There has to be some distinguishing feature that makes people feel swamped - perhaps colour of skin. UKIP shouldn't employ a foreign worker to tell people that you shouldn't employ foreign workers. In fact the immigrant work force strengthens our economy. British workers are not "hit". Their message is wrong in practice and wrong in meaning. Why should it strike a chord and allow UKIP to top polls for the European election?

UKIP has a leader that doesn't know it's last manifesto and he finds the idea that he should know party policy irrelevant. Their party is a farce but still they will get votes. At least they won't get Lenny Henry's vote. Wouldn't it be nice if we gave a warm welcome to immigrants who are strengthening our economy - a bit like the welcome we would like to receive in another country?

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