Towards the end of 2013, there were many voices warning of a great tide of immigration from Romania and Bulgaria that was about to wash against our shores. They told us that millions were about to arrive. These voices, as had been the case at other times in our history, sought to make people fearful of the ‘foreigner’ and to blame them for their problems. Well, the New Year came and this great tidal wave failed to materialise.
We have to have firm, fair and clear rules on immigration into this country. That is why we have tightened up the regulations to restrict people coming here to claim benefits rather than to work, and net immigration has falled by one third since 2010. The Immigration Bill before parliament this week will also close some loop holes that have allowed people to stay in the UK by making multiple appeals against being required to leave the country. However, whilst we must stop abuses of the immigration system, we should welcome people with skill and talent who want to invest in Britain, and create wealth for themselves and others.
On Friday I chaired and spoke at a meeting of the Shepway heritage forum about the First World War centenary, which starts in August. Whilst there has been considerable interest in the Step Short memorial arch in Folkestone, there are also many other projects being delivered locally to mark the centenary period. These also include the National Army Museum exhibition at the Town Hall in Folkestone, an exhibition in the Sassoon Room at the Folkestone library, and a project being led by the Dymchurch heritage group, marking the contributions made by the servicemen and women from the village.
The Heritage Lottery Fund can provide funding to help and communities mark the Centenary by exploring, conserving and sharing the heritage of the First World War; from memorials, buildings and sites, to photographs, letters and literature. You can find out more about these grants, which can range from £3,000 to over £100,000 at their website www.hlf.org.uk.
Last Saturday I was invited to chair the judging for the Youth Speaks debating competition at the Tower Theatre. The competition was organised by the local rotary clubs from Folkestone and Hythe, and was open to local secondary schools to compete. The competition was of a very high standard and saw the students debating a great range of subjects with great skill and insight; these included the power of governments to gather information about its citizens, the importance of protecting the environment and whether terrorism can ever be justified. Everyone who took part deserves credit for their performance, but I would particularly congratulate the team from Brockhill Park School which won the junior competition, and the Folkestone School for Girls who won the senior competition.
The Folkestone School for Girls has also been recognised as the best school in Kent for its academic results, ahead of over 120 secondary schools from across the county. The school has also been marked as the tenth best in the whole country, out of over three thousand schools. This is a fantastic achievement and is down to the hard work of the teachers, students and the families who support them.