Kelly Strikes Again

Posted in Janine's blog on ,

Ruth Kelly is determined to fight the rise of the BNP. The problem is the method by which she aims to do this – by treating foreigners in a way that the BNP would heartily approve of!

Kelly wants immigrants to learn English. Problem is, she intends to achieve this not by, erm, teaching them English, but by stopping Councils from providing translation facilities. How, exactly, will that magically enable someone to speak a language they can not speak at present?

Councils provide documents that enable people to access public services – housing and other benefits, libraries, adult education, electoral registration, parks, pre-school playgroups, school admissions, health services and more. Unless you can read about these services in your own language, how can you possibly access them?

And how are non-English speakers supposed to access the few decreasing opportunities to learn the language if they can not read the leaflets advertising them? And what if they are on a course, but are not yet fluent (it takes a while, you know)? Are they to be denied the opportunity to read Council documents in the meantime?!

Hot on the heels of the loathsome announcement by Jim Murphy that he plans to cut benefits to people who can not speak English, this is yet another ‘stick’ where the ‘carrot’ of ESOL courses would be much more useful. Worse, it is a stick that will whip up racism and save the state money where ESOL courses involve spending it.

Those remaining Labour councillors with principles should resist this appalling policy. They should refuse to cut translation services and to implement the budget cuts that will come from Kelly’s proposal. Local Labour Party branches should pass resolutions instructing them to do so. And Council and other trade unions should be up in arms.

Meanwhile, I look forward to globe-trotting British politicians refusing translation facilities at meetings and conferences in other countries, and instead making sure they can speak the host nation’s language before they board the plane. But I won’t hold my breath.

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