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Every day I’m called a racist - Woolas
Reporter: Lobby Correspondent
Date online: 03 February 2010
OLDHAM MP Phil Woolas has revealed he is accused of being racist every day in his role as Immigration Minister.
The Oldham East and Saddleworth MP said it was racist not to raise the issue of immigration because it was patronising, and any MP representing a constituency similar to his would agree.
Speaking in an immigration debate he said: “I sympathise with those MPs who say that they have been attacked as racist for raising the matter, because that happens to me by the hour, and not just in liberal forums, but in communications from members of the public.
“This is the nasty underbelly of the debate.”
Mr Woolas said it was important and right that immigrants were made to learn English to help them integrate, a policy he pushed for following the Oldham riots in 2001.
He said it was important to debate the issue at a time when extreme parties were starting to gain popularity.
He added: “It is showing the British public that migration policy is managed which is what enables us to better talk about how we can diminish discrimination.” Mr Woolas made the comments in a Westminster Hall debate where Tory MP Nicholas Soames said annual immigration must be slashed by three-quarters if the UK population is not to reach 70 million by 2030.
Mr Woolas said Government policies were working and said Tory policies to cap net migration were “confused”.
Comments
oh shut up phil! you wont get any sympaty. infact who's calling you racist.
i actually think its probably the indeginous people, the gurkha's and previous immigrants who've lived here for decades who are calling racist you for doing nothing on immigration. its not coming from the latest influx of immigrants. they know they're onto a great thing here coming to britain!
It is time that the UK government made a new criminal offence- 'making a flase claim of racism' whereby if someone accuses another of racism, then an investigation MUST take place, and if there is not enough evidence to bring a prosecution for racism, the other is prosecuted automatically.
We don't go round accusing each other of rape or fraud, etc and it's unacceptable to wrongly accuse people of racism.
Sorry Phil but Nulabour have been in office long enough to have done something years ago and to say the tories are "confused" is treating poeple as if they are as stupid as you take them for.
Hey Woolass you'd better get on to Southampton Council who are branding taxi drivers as racist for putting signs proclaiming they can speak English in their cars.
How can making customers aware that you can speak the native tongue be considered racist?
I se your time as a press officer for the trade union is now being put to use with all these stories you are getting in the press. You won't fool us though Phil, not again anyway.
Strange that Woolas complains about being called racist; that's the accusation the Labour party levelled at anyone wanting to have a sensible discussion about immigration. It's also Labour who were the party of vicious emails, "a good day to release bad news" etc. he & his party are complete and utter failures.
'Every day I’m called a racist.'
Every day I call you a lot, lot, worse than that, owd lad!
How I hate these people who have convinced themselves that they can't talk about race and immigration in public debate. Of course you can. Just do it politely.
Of course migration policy should be managed, how we can "better talk about how we can diminish discrimination", is another matter ! Hopefully this is a transcrypt error and not "confused" as the Tory policy on capping net migration is said to be ?
Immigrants should be law abiding, decent citizens, and European people that are allowed to work and stay in the UK should be, also, Is that too much to ask Phil ferrari?
Have Your Say
Welcome to modern Britain Mr Woolas. Every day most white people are called racists for simply trying to call them selves english and retain english standards. You can't even fly the country's nationalflag, the Union Jack in this country without being labelled racist. It is all the fault of Nu Labour with it's avowed intent to destroy the culture and heritage of England.
By Old_Mancunian @ 03/02/2010 12:27:54