Questioning the "benefits" of mass immigration. England is full - there is no room.

Clive Lavelle of the English Democrats had this letter published in the Western Daily Press on the 10th of October 2015.

England is full - there is no room.
At the Conservative Party’s conference, Theresa May made a speech in which she questioned the “benefits” of mass immigration.

The following day, in a national daily, this headline appeared. “What have migrants ever done for us, Theresa?”

It went on to list the numbers of doctors, nurses, etc who come from immigrant stock.

Now, the journalist who wrote the headline has either, not bothered to listen closely enough to what was being said, too thick to know the difference between the words “immigration” and “immigrant”, or content to misquote people for his own political ends.

Mrs May was talking about immigration – the process whereby foreigners come to settle in England.

Last year, these numbered a third of a million.

The immigrants themselves are, no doubt, all nice people. But to house them all will involve building a town the size of Doncaster. There’s another third of a million on their way.

Another town the size of Doncaster will be required to house them and this building process will involve concreting over yet more of England’s “green and pleasant land”.

England is full. The population per square mile of France is about 270; of Germany, 550 and of Scotland, 175. The population per square mile of England is about 1,070 and rising.

It’s time to hang up the “no vacancies” sign.

Clive Lavelle

Weston-super-Mare

Can any reasonable person disagree?

On a similar theme this letter was published in the Western Daily Press four days later on the 14th October.

No more beauty of English countryside?
The Conservative government’s new National Infrastructures Commission chairman Lord Adonis, a former Labour Cabinet Minister, has said that 40 towns and cities in southern England must double in size even if it means building on the green belt. As Clive Lavelle of the English Democrats pointed out in his letter “England is full – there is no room” ( Western Daily Press, October 10) any such building will involve losing much more of England’s green and pleasant land.

It seems rather bizarre that a Conservative government apparently no longer believes in conserving the English countryside in general or the green belt in particular.

S.W.

Ilminster, Somerset

Barrington Court near Ilminster in South Somerset. The remarkable restoration of a Tudor manor house.

Barrington Court, a Tudor manor house built of Ham Hill stone and completed in the 1550s, is situated near the village of Barrington in South Somerset.  It is approached along country lanes signposted from the B3168 and A303 South Petherton roundabout.

The Tudor manor house at Barrington Court.

By the early 19th century the house had fallen into disrepair having been used as a tenanted farm.  In 1912 it was described by Edward Hutton (Highways and Byways in Somerset) as being: "a farmhouse going to ruin - the great Hall, a cider cellar, and all spoilt."

However, the house, the first to be bought by the National Trust, was turned around in the 1920s by Colonel A.A.Lyle of the Tate & Lyle Company.  Having taken the lease he refurbished the court house and renovated the adjacent Strode House, originally a stable and coach block built in 1674 by William Strode ll: the Strodes owned the estate from 1625 until 1745.

The west wing of the manor house with its barley twist chimneys and finials.

The Long Gallery runs the length of the top floor.  During the English Civil War it was used to billet 500 Parliamentary troops.  The panelling is from Colonel Lyle's collection. 

Barrington Court House, although unfurnished, is well worth visiting if only to view the outcome of such a remarkable restoration - which also incorporates Colonel Lyle's collection of oak panelling - and, of course, there are the gardens to enjoy.

The English Democrats National Council.

As today is Trafalgar Day I will quote Nelson and say "England expects that every man will do his duty".

I am sure this dedicated group of English patriots will do their political duty by putting the English first and relentlessly campaigning for an independent English Parliament.

A further thought.  After a closer look at the English Democrats National Council photo it might be just as appropriate, with the anniversary of the beginning of the Second Battle of El Alamein almost upon us (October 23rd), to quote from one of General Montgomery's wartime speeches: "We've got far the best men, and women too - far the best!"

Forde Abbey Estate in Dorsetshire and its Red Ruby Devon Cattle.

I had read somewhere that at this time of year Forde Abbey's garden and arboretum are well worth a visit for their autumnal colours so I decided on a short hop over the border into Dorsetshire.  I followed the well sign-posted route from the A30 at Cricket St Thomas. The final mile or so takes you down some narrow lanes - some caution is needed - I met an oncoming truck and tyre marks on the road suggest some heavy braking has been required!

Forde Abbey.

The Cistercian Monastery at Forde Abbey on the banks of the River Axe was established in 1148.  It prospered until 1539 when it was handed over to the Crown at the time of Henry the Vlll's dissolution of the monasteries.

In 1649 the estate was purchased by Edmund Prideaux, MP for Lyme Regis, an ardent supporter of the Parliamentary cause.  He turned the Abbey into a private residence.  Prideaux was Oliver Cromwell's Attorney General and also the architect of the first national postal service.

Prideaux's son,  also called Edmund, was unlucky enough to have once entertained, in 1680, the Duke of Monmouth.  Hence his arrest on a charge of high treason  after the Battle of Sedgemoor in1685.  The notorious Judge Jeffries demanded, and received, £15,000 to save him from the gallows.

In 1702 Edmund's daughter Margaret inherited the Abbey and moved in with her husband Francis Gwyn, a politician who became Queen Anne's Secretary of War.  The Gwyns ownership of the Estate lasted until 1846.

Mrs Bertram Evans bought the Abbey and Estate in 1863 and it remains in the hands of her descendants to this day.

The Great Pond.

While enjoying a stroll around the gardens, arboretum and lakes I came across the estate's herd of Red Ruby Devon Cattle in the adjacent fields - they certainly are a striking colour.  I can't recall ever seeing such cattle before I moved to South Somerset yet now I have spotted them at Knightshayes Court in Devonshire, in fields around Chard and also grazing in the shadow of Brent Knoll further north.  According to the Devon Cattle Breeders Society: "Grass fed Red Ruby Devon beef simply can't be beaten for marbling, texture, flavour and tenderness".  I will have to try some!

Red Ruby Devon Cattle on the Forde Abbey Estate.

I did not have time to tour the Abbey itself so a second visit will be needed - another chance to view the beautiful Centenary Fountain in action!

The British Government's relationship with Saudi Arabia. A letter NOT published in the Western Daily Press.

The Western Daily Press has always seemed happy to publish letters submitted by English Democrats activists.  However, this letter highlighting Saudi Arabia's attitude towards religions other than Islam and questioning its relationship with the British Government was, apparently, not published.

Has Saudi Arabia bought Britain's friendship? 

Sir,

Saudi Arabia has offered to pay for the construction of 200 mosques in Germany to cater for the religious needs of Muslim refugees fleeing war ravaged countries in the Middle East.  The British Government should follow that example in similar fashion and, using money from its huge foreign aid budget, offer to fund the building of churches in Saudi Arabia thus enabling Christian refugees taking shelter there to follow their faith.

On second thoughts that idea is a non-starter: Saudi Arabia refuses to accept refugees and does not allow public worship by Christians or of any religion other than Islam.

Despite such prejudice the UK Government website reports that, earlier this month, the British Ambassador in Riyadh said: "Saudi Arabia is . . . an important player in the world and a close friend and partner of the UK.  I am looking forward to celebrating the anniversary of 100 years of relations between our two Kingdoms . . . " 

It is, to put it mildly, deeply regrettable that British politicians and diplomats seek to be so chummy with such a religiously intolerant state - has Saudi Arabia's oil riches bought the British Government's friendship?

Yours faithfully,

S.W.

English Democrats, Somerset,

Letter in the Western Daily Press. England should be treated in the same way as Scotland, with its own government and First Minister.

"England should be treated in the same way as Scotland, with its own government and First Minister." writes Clive Lavelle of the English Democrats.

I agree wholeheartedly!

Letter in the Western Daily Press 5th October, 2015.

England should be the same as Scotland.

Back in 1997, the Scots and Welsh were offered a referendum on devolved government.

The referenda were duly held and the two peoples voted in favour – resulting in the setting-up of the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly. These institutions enable Scotland and Wales to function as quasi-independent countries.

Following the Scottish independence referendum, the British government has sought to pretend that it is now in favour of English devolution.

We need to be clear. English devolution can only be the same devolution settlement as Scotland’s – namely a national parliament for England with an English First Minister.

Sadly, what the British are seeking to foist on to us is de-centralisation, posing as devolution.

So now, the chancellor, George Osborne is setting up, without any referenda or by-your-leave, ‘city regions’.

He simply rocked up in Manchester, invited various local councils effectively to merge and gave these ambitious councillors control over the national budget allocated to their ‘region’.

It needs to be repeated. This is not devolution. It is de-centralisation and pits parts of England against others.

George Osborne is railroading regionalisation through with no democratic mandate. England should be treated in the same way as Scotland, with its own government and First Minister.

Clive Lavelle

Worle, Weston-super-Mare