Illegal immigrant on Hazel Blears team!

When Gordon Brown says immigration is a problem he means a problem for him to understand it. He doesn't connect with the people of England over the issue, he doesn't know how many come and go, he doesn't know who has what status. In fact, all he can do is shrug his shoulders.

Being a politician suggests you have one thing going for you. An ability to think about issues and any problems that might arise from them. Hazel Blears has just been caught out having an illegal immigrant working as a volunteer on her election campaign. I don't blame the immigrant except to say "What on earth were you thinking about trying to get "that woman" elected?". (That woman being the new political buzzword). No, I blame Hazel Blears. Surely she hasn't lost all sense of political common sense and nous? Look, if a person she doesn't know, who is from Nigeria (could be anywhere outside the EU), and who sounds eager to help, it beggars belief that it wouldn't pass her brain to think first. "Hey, could this person be an illegal? I'm in enough shit as it is. Better ask her first, before she starts stuffing envelopes".

Hazel never thought for one minute. Kind of cabinet minister you want, really, isn't it? Hazel burbled, "I had absolutely no idea of this woman's immigration status until she informed me... yesterday afternoon. As soon as I was made aware, I took immediate action to instruct her to leave the campaign and I got in touch with the Borders Agency and told them about it (sneakily, no doubt). Neither I nor any candidate from any other party would be in a position to vet the immigration status of the hundreds of people who come in through the door to offer to stuff envelopes or deliver leaflets. I had never met this person before she came in and offered to help. She was not a campaign worker, she was a volunteer and she was not paid."

Poor answer, Hazel. Shows you up as incompetent politically. Immigration is an issue. Your rehabilitation as a politician is an issue. This shows an insight into your rapidly failing political skills. All you had to do is ask the Nigerian woman. Simple, really! It's not racist, it's just practical. If you hired a gas fitter you didn't know, would you just let him get on with the job or ask to see his credentials? This is not about vetting or entering into convoluted correspondence with the Borders Agency. Just ask to see her passport and papers. If you had, you wouldn't have seen her the next day!

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