Former Archbishop George Carey wants to limit immigration in order to protect this country’s Christian heritage and restrain the far right. Yet it is his jaundiced view of the state of this country that gives comfort and succour to the bigots and racists.

Rather than looking honestly at issues of integration, extremism and community cohesion, he repeats misconceptions about immigrants and yearns for an unattainable, simpler, imagined past. It is his prescription of curbs on immigration, curbs on the rights of immigrants, curbs on the expression of immigrant culture, and, crucially, limits on population size that will help not hinder the nightmare future of a Britain ruled by dogmatic extremists.

Quote:

Democratic institutions such as the monarchy, Parliament, the judiciary, the Church of England, our free press and the BBC also support the liberal democratic values of the nation. Some groups of migrants, however, are ambivalent about or even hostile to such institutions.

Aside from the fact that the monarchy is not a democratic institution, ambivalence and hostility to these institutions is common among members of the general public. Disinterest in the affairs of Parliament is evidenced by ever-decreasing turnout at elections and hostility to MPs was evidenced by the over-reaction to the expenses affair. Judges are invariably slated in the tabloid press for being too lenient. The Church of England faces hostility from its own bishops – some even going so far as to request being received by the Roman Catholic Church. If immigrants are hostile to “our free press” it is because this “free press” routinely whips up fear and suspicion of immigrants with fanciful stories – stories to which Lord Carey is here giving credence. The Daily Mail and the Sun regularly chastise the BBC – not on principle but because they want to see it cut down or privatized and prevent it from being so liberal.

These issues are not limted to, particular to, or even relevant to immigrants. But Lord Carey wants to use these as a stick with which to beat immigrants anyway.

Quote:

The proposed antiwar Islamist march in Wootton Bassett is a clear example of the difficulties extremists pose to British society.

This proposed march is a publicity stunt by extremist loons who represent no-one but themselves. Groups like this Islam4UK (formerly known as Al Muhajiroon) did not come to this country pre-packaged as the extremist loons that they are now. Curbing immigration isn’t going to make them go away.

Quote:

But what I am saying is that those who seek to live in this country recognise that they are coming to a country with a Christian heritage and an established Church.

Who doesn’t recognise that Britain has a Christian heritage? Answer: No-one.