GGG I'll be on your side but possibly even more to the left. Def agree with the free milk for schools - I remember it too.
Immigration is an interesting one - half my family is Jewish and we're from Lithuania and Poland so for me immigration is ok. I was listening to a programme on Radio 4 the other day and apparently British farmers are calling for easier laws on short -term migrants looking for work as despite repeatedly advertising fruit-picking opportunities in the local job centres only about 30 or so British people took up the work. I think part of the problem here is that Blair's government did not prioritise training for jobs like electricians, plumbers etc (although we now have LOTS of plumbers as people saw the opportunity and got the training) so people in the UK now despise physical work. It also means our university standard education is falling which is a real shame. My government would provide good education across the board and provide real opportunities for all sectors not just university based education although naturally this would be improved also.
It's only within the last few years that immigrants into the country have outnumbered emigrants out of it, and I think most of that is because we are now getting lots of short-term immigrants in looking for work and picking up the jobs that are not being picked up in the job centres. I do agree there is probably a problem with some employers wanting short-term migrant labour to avoid paying the minimum wage and this should be addressed. Genuine asylum seekers in my opinion should always be given refuge - having read stuff by Liberty it seems that an awful lot of those seeking asylum are usually very well qualified Also we could probably do with people with great qualifications as our university system needs propping up so much....
I would say that the law of the land must be stuck too and that immigrants (short or long term) must be taught English. My lot had too and I think it helps integration, plus provides the migrant with a degree of autonomy. It would hopefully stop some the abuses of migrant labour mentioned above and in turn if there isn't a source of labour for easy abuse would make it better for British workers too. I would allow for cultural differences but where these rule against British law like honour killings then this would be an offense.
Women would def be able to receive some form of financial support for looking after their children but then they also wouldn't be penalised for taking 5 years out of their career to have them which often happens effectively here even if it's not often acknowledged. In my field of archaeology all the top lecturing jobs go to men as women simply cannot keep up with the academia the way it is currently structured. Child-rearing would receive much greater praise in my gov and wouldn't simply be seen as a second-rate life which I think sadly it often is.
I would keep same-sex marriages as I have lots of gay friends who will now be really happy that they can show their love for each other in this way
I figure most of the above probably keeps me out of the beret-wearing party, but I could form a coalition on booby-feeding?
