But.....I bet you have nice knees?

Yeah, this government is doing some weird shit lately, what with the 'gagging' law being passed too now :-(

The gagging law is also appalling. In fact, the general atmosphere of appeasement-of-terrible-attitudes towards many things by the elected government is terrible.

I agree. I'm not a great fan of the media/press, but I don't think a lot of people realise how far this gagging law goes and will affect them.

As a UK citizen I guess you'll be able to vote now (whereas you couldn't before)?

Yes, I can now vote. The question is...who to vote for when everyone seems to be focused on appeasing the more radical (and highly distasteful) attitudes toward immigration, privacy and poverty?

I have no idea, tbh. I think people voted Labour out because they seemed to be screwing things up, and just wanted a change, so voted the Tories back in almost as a reflex, just to have someone different, while forgetting their track record.

Next time around as people are so hacked off with this lot I wouldn't be surprised if we go straight back to a Labour government..

As (I think) The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band once sang/wrote, 'no matter who you vote for, the Government still gets in'.

I don't like it when people don't bother to vote, but sometimes it's not surprising, really.

Ugh. It seems to be happening everywhere. As of September last year, we have a super conservative government with a real hate-on for refugees, poor people, and education, who have just today approved dredging on the Great Barrier Reef...

I know!

They closed 7 of 9 Canadian federal scientific libraries and dumpstered (what wasn't saved privately) the bulk of the research materials in them.

@nanila: I feel your pain. I've been having trouble with my residency status here and every time I get a letter from the government I'm expecting a "Get out of our fucking country, foreigner," letter.

*hug* You are an asset to the UK and they would sorely miss your considerable contributions to their nation!

Yes. It's depressing. The elected governments in many places presently seem determined to champion the cause of Very Short-Sighted Thinking.

Ugh, that's awful :( Being a naturalized citizen myself, I can *so* understand the insecurity and the fear. Somewhere in the back of my head there is always the feeling that I did screw something up in the process and that it's going to come out in the most inappropriate moment - there is no reason to think so and still the though is there. There is always the feeling of being ... second choice, less than the others, whatever. And who knows what comes next, after the terror suspects?

*hugs*

Yup. I don't know that you ever feel "secure" as a natrualised citizen, especially when the prevailing attitude towards immigration only ever gets as warm as "indifferent", and usually tends a lot more towards "vehemently opposed".

Well that is... disturbing.

Yes, yes it is. My one hope is that the Lords strip this amendment from the bill. And it makes me sad to think that I'm looking to the Lords to save us from the vagaries of the present elected government.

Quite.

This is at least partly in response to Theresa May being told by the high court she can;'t strip someone of their citizenship and then her turning round and doing it again the day after the verdict - anybody else who did that would be done very rapidly for contempt of court (and IMHO May should be done for it as well - let's see how she thinks of prison after a month or two in Bellmarsh).

It's also against international treaties against making people stateless.

It's a stupid law, emerging from special cases, and I hates it. But it's all part of how the Home Office has become the nasty ministry for anybody who is, thinks or does anything unusual, in this and the previous several parliaments. Time to sack the entire ministry if you ask me.

Let's replace it with the Ministry for Administrative Affairs.

Oh my god. That is so, so wrong.

:(

I am sorry.

Yes. There's still hope that the Lords will strip that amendment from the bill before it becomes law. But it's still a pretty revolting reflection of currently prevailing attitudes towards immigration.