Fair Bournemouth

Travelled once again today to fair Dorset to Bournemouth, the home of the English sunshine, to join the gathering of members of the Liberal Democrat party. I have fond memories of this town, which is where I enjoyed my last partaking of the sacred Communion before an untimely and, if I may say so, premature departure from the affairs of men.

I had the pleasure today of sitting in a pavilion listening to the excellent Mr Chris Huhne expound on the virtues of a liberal approach to international labour. I have been astonished to find an era that places so much store on global trade placing burdensome and excessive restrictions who wish to place their skills at the service of others. It is understood that the working man may fear for his own employment; it is therefore better that those with skills come here to assist our own industry than set up in competition elsewhere.

Indeed this was a point that Mr Huhne and others alongside him wished to emphasise: we are a nation that has always benefited from immigrant labour. And the great United States has benefited even more. It is pleasing to hear that the dominion of Canada employs progressive policies that sustain its cities. I came away with such a sunny view of the prospects for improving the flow of labour that it was hard to see what the drawbacks must be. Yet it seems the Queen's ghillie, his kilt blowing in his face, has this week placed even further restrictions on the entry of skilled individuals into this nation.

WEG