Deflection

It seems to me that those supporting that thug and fraud, 30p Lee, are focusing their anger in the wrong place.

• They generally, although reluctantly (probably to deflect charges of racism), seem to agree that genuine refugees should be accepted, although a good proportion believe we should house our own homeless first - which no government has ever done nor ever will, as there are no votes in it (as an aside on the this point, they keep asking those who have a bit of compassion how many refugees they've housed, but they resolutely refuse to answer how many homeless British veterans they have housed - given a choice between higher taxes to house homeless Brits or lower taxes, they would almost unfailingly vote for lower taxes).
• They don't seem to be able to accept the official government statistics that 73% of asylum applications are approved at the first stage, which gives the lie to their assertion that they're all economic migrants. They're overwhelmingly NOT economic migrants - and that's not an opinion, yet the government refuses to clarify the matter.
• They insist refugees are illegal, oblivious to the fact international law that is signed up to takes precedence over domestic law, and the UK is signatory to the ECHR legislation.
• They don't seem to realise that both sides of the argument are in agreement that the backlog in applications is unacceptable.
• However, they are reluctant to attribute the blame for that where it should lie - with the government that's been in power for 13 years.
• Both sides agree that those who game the system need to be returned to where they came from; however, a proportion of those against the Tories believe even economic migrants should be allowed in. They are, however, a minority.
• The 30p Lee supporters bemoan the cost of housing applicants in 4 star hotels, but none are actually kept in 4 star hotels - they ceased having whatever stars they had when they became refugee acceptance centres. Refugees don't get 4 star (or even 2 star) service. They will not get room service and valet parking, for a start and most of the staff have been let go. The government purposely uses this 4 star language to enrage its supoprters.
• Apropos of the above point, the government staunchly refuses to release the cost of housing applicants in the Bibby Stockholm. One wonders why?
• The government is also pressing ahead with its Rwanda plan, which costs £168k per person. They might as well give each applicant £100k and tell them to get a flat and a job - the saving would be massive and they would be contributing to the country and the Exchequer.
• If the hotel costs are too high, I'm sure the government could offer their mates in the hotel trade lower rates - take it leave it. It's a free market and hotels aren't faring that well at present.
• There's no doubt that there are sectors of the economy that would benefit from having an influx of workers. Why not use these applicants while they're waiting for their cases to be considered, thus reducing the cost dramatically?
• As for the barge itself, Lee's supporters appear to have no issues with a barge designed for 200 being filled with 500 souls, and that multiple agencies have declared it unsafe, including the the Health and Safety Executive and fire brigades. The government, which seems to lack any expertise in any area, disputes that without any supporting evidence.

So, the 30p Lee supporters are being encouraged to direct their anger at the refugees, rather than the actual architects of the current situation. 30p Lee is using the inflammatory language of 1930s Germany and a favoured populist tactic, dehumanising refugees while hoping to deflect anger away from where it belongs. The debate is now around his F word and not the iniquity of 13 years of failed policies.

Don't forget that the misinformation around refugees is brought to you by the same people who brought you the Brexit benefits. One wonders when 30p will become the new face of the UNHCR......

I wonder if stoking up hatred comes under election expenses?