One man and the 'immigrants go home' advertisement.

[NicholasTeakozy]

Pukkah Punjabi asks the Home Office to pay for his taxi from Harrow to Willesden. What an enterprising chap! :o

[Chubfuddler]

I don't read the guardian. I've always voted conservative acutally. And I see this campaign for exactly what it is. A sop to the voters the Tories fear will vote UKIP/BNP .

[Chubfuddler]

The guardian endorsed the Tories the day before the last election so I think it would quite a good idea to try to appeal to their voters Tabitha.

[Episode]

Chubfuddler agrred!

Public funds should not be used as part of a party campaign which is what this is!

We should be angry about that

[TabithaStephens]

I thought the Guardian endorsed the Libdems?

[TheFallenNinja]

And "people like me" are what. I understand your "it's not rocket science" means you believe me to lack intelligence.

You can rant all you like with stock phrases and talk about cost but I support this activity, I'm happy for it to be centrally funded and I believe its purpose is exactly what it says on the poster. If you are here illegally, go home.

[MelanieCheeks]

The gubmit "shouldn't" be appealing to anyone - they should be enacting policies that are actually effective.

Now where's that unicorn?

So - immigration is a problem, sticking messages on a billboard isn't going to solve it. But it reassures people that "something is being done"

Likewise the useless proposals on internet porn filters, the bedroom tax that penalises the disabled but doesn't actually solve any housing problems....none of it will improve matters, but potential voters can "see" something.

[MrTumblesBavarianFanbase]

I propose billboards reading "If you stole something - give it back or face arrest! 106 people were arrested last week for shop lifting! Text STOPNICKINGSTUFF to 54321 today!

That'll stop petty crime then, won't it? :D

[TabithaStephens]

Shops do have signs up saying "shoplifters will be prosecuted" and those cardboard cutouts of policemen designed to make people think twice.

[Forgetfulmog]

I think a lot of people (in RL as well as on this thread) are completely missing the point.

Illegal immigration is, well, illegal - it's wrong. Whilst I completely get why a lot of people do it, it's still wrong. I can understand why some people commit murder, doesn't make it right though. I think (probably) the vast majority of people can be in agreement about that, no?

The problem with this campaign is two-fold. Firstly it uses the slogan "Go home", which is synonymous with the 70s & 80s racist slogans that were hugely banded about at the time. This invokes unpleasant memories for those at whom these slogans were yelled. It also tells of a much less intolerant society (& one in which I have no wish to return).

The second problem is that the Government is making out that Illegal Immigration is this massive problem that costs x,y & z, huge, blah blah blah. Like I said before, it's exactly like the benefit Scroungers. Big Dave is deflecting our interest onto these "issues" away from the really important things - like the privatisation of the NHS, FSMs being ended, etc etc (vv tired & struggling to think of more, so hopefully someone else will help out here!).

These types of campaigns are purely a PR exercise & it saddens me to think that some people fall for them.

[TheFallenNinja]

Yet another post claiming that some of us don't understand and because we are so dull have been hoodwinked by the government and their wily 'pr' activities.

It's pretty clear , if you are here illegally, you have no business here and if it's all the same we'd like you to go home, either on your terms or the laws.

It has nothing to do with race, it has everything to do with immigration status.

I would stand shoulder to shoulder with anyone legally entitled to be here in defence of their rights, equally I would happily drive the bus of illegal immigrants to their home.

[Forgetfulmog]

You've just proved my point fallen.

[TabithaStephens]

Do people have unpleasant memories invoked everytime ET is shown on TV? The phrase "go home" should not be banned because at one time racists used it. As far as intolerance, what is wrong with being intolerant of people who have no right to be in this country?

[TheFallenNinja]

Pleased to hear it.

[MelanieCheeks]

ET home phone?

[NicholasTeakozy]

I want to live in a country that is so hard in illegal immigrants that the only way to consider coming here is legally and honestly.

So said TheFallenNinja at 10.19. You want Australia then. They've got islands they stick illegal immigrants and asylum seekers on. I wonder whether they see the irony in this.

[TheFallenNinja]

Quoting me will not change my position, telling me what I want(incorrectly) will not change my position, using the word 'irony' completely incorrectly will not change my mind.

So what is the purpose of your post?

[TheFallenNinja]

Thank you but I won't be accused of racism by you or anyone.

[Lulabellarama]

Yes it would be great if everyone that is here was here legally. But they're not. If you think a poster campaign, with inflammatory language is going to help you are majorly deluded. If you recognise that it won't help then you have to question the motivation for it, which is clearly political posturing.

It's also worth mentioning that illegal immigrants cost this country next to nothing. The conditions in the camps they held in if caught are dreadful, due to the very low investment in running them. Those who aren't caught are obviously costing us nothing. Many of them are failed asylum seekers, who have been rejected on very suprious grounds, making a return 'home' still essentially unviable.
Is your desire to have them 'go home' purely because you want to uphold the law to the nth degree?

[Forgetfulmog]

Good point Lula about Illegal Immigrants costing us nothing.

[TheFallenNinja]

But where does it end? Do we get to choose the laws we obey? What about taxes? Can we choose? We can't even parked legally taxed and insured cars where we want to.

To be fair, the OP posted so that anyone who disagreed with it could be labelled racist, which I have, which I am not.

[Forgetfulmog]

Not entirely sure that was the OPs reason for posting Fallen

[TheFallenNinja]

Yes it was.

[Episode]

We are all giving valid reasons for thinking this campaign is crap and you have said it is not but with no reasons?

Its been established that you have no issues with financial waste so I and many others would think it is down to racial grounds.

I am not calling you a racist but I think your lack of reasoning displays otherwise!

You are free to defend/evidence your points of course, perhaps you should!

[TabithaStephens]

How much does this campaign cost? How much does illegal immigration as a whole cost Britain?