ELECTIONS 2015 �
Tackling the thorny issue of illegal immigration
5
GENERAL ELECTION 2015: THE CANDIDATES
PARTY
CANDIDATE
� CONSERVATIVE
Greg Clark
� LIBERAL Democrat
James MacCleary
� LABOUR
Kevin Kerrigan
� UKIP
Colin Nicholson
� GREEN
Marie Jones
� INDEPENDENT
Graham Naismith
THESE ARE THE LOCATIONS OF THE POLLING STATIONS ON MAY 7
ILLEGAL immigration has been thrust into the election spotlight in recent days after the deaths of 800 migrants whose boat they were being shipped in sank off Libya. Here in Kent, the issue has been in the news for almost two decades. The tragic loss of life has prompted an international outcry and a hastilyconvened response by EU member states. We asked all six candidates’ views on the subject of illegal immigration and how to deafeat the evil of people-smuggling. Here are their responses… JAMES MACCLEARY, LIBERAL DEMOCRAT, SAID: “I was
angry when they scaled back the rescue missions last year. I felt it was short-sighted and likely to cost lives. What James has happened has been MacCleary absolutely tragic. What worries me is that it takes these deaths of all these poor people for it to be put on the agenda. “The EU does not have a response because the member states are not prepared to be brave and take a unified stance on this. “It is not realistic for us to pretend that we can build a wall around a country and that these people will not continue to try and get in.”
INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE GRAHAM NAISMITH SAID:
ON L STIVE AG E
“This is a very hard subject in the light of such a terrible tragedy. We have been too lenient in the past on illegal Graham immigration and it’s not Naismith something that can be easily regulated on. “If we wanted to stop or disrupt people trafficking we could have a system which is far more proactive. But stopping the demand for people traffickers’ services will take far greater international will than shown so far. Foreign aid could help. “This is a political football this week because of the awful tragedy but will the politicians be quite so eager to deal with it on May 8?”
UKIP’S COLIN NICHOLSON SAID:
“This should not just be Italy’s problem but all the countries’ responsibility. We need to ask ourselves Colin how we solve the issues Nicholson before they come to Europe but we need to be toughest on the people traffickers. “You can often only deal with the ones you catch and they must be given the highest penalty. Preventing smuggling in the first place is better than dealing with the end result. “I wish there was a simple answer but there isn’t. What we do know is that there are some undesirable people who take advantage of this situation and they have to be a target.”
LABOUR’S KEVIN KERRIGAN SAID: “We
St Matthew’s Church
The Function Room, Royal British
Southborough Community Centre
Legion
St John’s Methodist Church Hall
Hawkhurst Sports Pavillion
St John’s Methodist Church Hall
Sandhurst Village
St Philip’s Day Centre
Speldhurst Village Hall
St James’ Church Hall
Brenchley Memorial Hall
The Salvation
Matfield Village Hall
Army Hall
Capel Village Hall
United Reformed Church Hall
Arnold Cooke Hall
St Mark’s Church Hall
Horsmonden Village Hall
Claremont CP Primary School
Lamberhurst Memorial Hall St Andrew’s Church Hall - (Winter Hall)
CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATE GREG CLARK REFUSED OUR REQUEST FOR A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW BUT SENT THIS STATEMENT:
Marie Jones
“The tragic scenes that we have seen in the Mediterranean have been sickening. A number of important actions are needed: rescuing the victims of these crimes; go after the human traffickers who are running this wicked trade and throw the book at them and, with other countries, use our aid budget to promote stability in the countries from which people are fleeing.”
St Barnabas Hall
Langton Green Village Hall
have got to provide a basic humanitarian response and I was not in favour of Kevin withdrawing the rescue Kerrigan ships in the way it was done last year. More people have been dying since they stopped the rescues last year. “People traffickers profit from poor people’s misery and we should all work together to defeat it but at the same time not pretend it’s an easy solution.”
Greg Clark
Hall
Bidborough Village Hall
Day Centre Dowding House Pembury Village Hall Pembury Baptist Church Goudhurst Parish Hall Kilndown Village Hall
GREEN PARTY MARIE JONES SAID: “It’s a
global problem. The biggest thing we can do is to try to go straight to the source of the problem - that is the community that is suffering by giving international aid and trying to resolve conflicts. “We cannot know how many people have lost their lives trying to escape persecution, conflict or famine in the way we have seen in recent days. “Some of their situations are so appalling that they are prepared to risk their lives and those of their children to get away from it.”
The Tiger Who Came to Tea ���� The Times
Based on the book by JUDITH KERR
SUNDAY 3 MAY & MONDAY 4 MAY Box Office 01892
���� Mail On Sunday
530613 assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk Wednesday 29th April 2015