Disgraced former Home Secretary David Blunkett was interviewed on Sky News today, electioneering in Rossendale, Lancashire, and came out in support of Sir Ian Blair's controversial interview with disparaging remarks for Blunkett's peculiar definition of "libertarians"
He also repeated his dubious theories on the mythical "clean database" of biometric ID cards, which he somehow thinks would apply to the 6 billion foreigners from outside of the UK.
Partial transcript of the Sky News interview:
Asked about the Kamel Bourgass case:
"Sky Interviewer (missed her name):Do you accept any responsability for that ?
David Blunkett:
No, I don't, and I always accept responsibility, when I'm responsible
He claimed asylum about a year before I became Home Secretary, he was refused asylum about 3 months after I became Home Secretary.
Had we had Identity Cards for Asylum seekers, which we now have, because I introduced them"
Who were the incompetents in power before this change ? Nu Labour with Jack Straw as Home Secretary.
"and had we had Identity Cards with a, "clean database" that the Police and those who arrested him, because he was apprehended for shoplifting, could have refferred to, then, of course, his, err, illegal status in our country, would have been ascertained, and action would have been taken against him,"
Rubbish ! the Police and Magistrates court knew of his Asylum, status ! They tried to contact the Immigration authorities but that Home Office department, "on David Blunkett's watch" failed to act.
How would even an Asylum ID card have made many difference ?
How could a national ID system of the UK population include details of all the other 6 billion foreigners in the world ?
"but none of that existed and he used 4 different identities"
Names or aliases are not identities ! It is perfectly legal to use multiple names, provided that tthere is no fraud involved. Is Blunkett claiming that the alleged 4 "identities" would all have been on either the Asylum or ID card systems ?
"identity cards with a clean, [indistinct - "bi" ?] , biometric database, would have ensured[background noise]
I hope the listeners, the viewers can hear me
Sky Interviewer:
Yeah, it's gone now, that big truck [chuckle]
David Blunkett:
Haha [chuckle]err, wi, wi, with 4 different identities, that he was using, ONLY an identity card scheme with a clean, database could have picked up. the fact, that he WAS using those multiple identities that is why the, err, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, yesterday, Sir, Sir Ian Blair has come out strongly in favour of ID cards and I'm really sorry the opposition parties, wouldn't allow the legislation to go through when Parliament was prorogued."
[more comments on aslyum, border control, immigration, belated attempts to negotiate safe repatriation agreements with foreign governments etc].
"Sky Interviewer: Err, ok, What about err, the ID Cards ? umm, Sir Ian Blair getting involved with that particularly, and saying they were a good idea. What do you think about the Met Police Commissioner getting involved in politics ?David Blunkett:
Well, when he's asked a question"
During the General Election, he should say, "It would not be appropriate for me to comment during the General Election period"
"the, the real issue, do, do people want him to keep quiet ?"
During the General Election - yes !
"If he's asked a question, and he backs, what is , ah, agreed, Government, policy, and he's honest about it, I can see no, danger, in that, whatsover.If we want to go round, with Libertarians, saying "don't say a word", err, if we disagree with you, what sort of election campaign, what sort of debate, what sort of, democracy, would that be ?"
Blunkett has a very peculiar, possible unique, idea of what the term "Libertarian" means.
"I mean if he'd said he was vehemently against them, or he believed that the Tories were right in saying crime had risen, when he knows that crime has reduced, I presume he'd get applause from that quarter"
No he would not, he would still be rightly criticised for meddling in the General Election campaign when he should be seen to be acting as an independent, non-political, public servant.
"What he's done, is been simply honest, and if people want to ask senior police officers questions, like, "has crime reduced ?" and they say "yes", like "are ID Cards a good idea ?" and they say "Yes", like getting tougher in the Courts, and they say "yes""
This was not an off the cuff interview, it was a pre-arranged and edited TV interview at his Scotland Yard office, with a major political interviewer Sir David Frost, slap in the middle of the General Election campaign.
"Well I'm up for that, that's Labour Party PolicySky Interviewer:
Ok"
Exactly - blurring the distinction between what should be the separate roles and powers of civil and public servants, with those of party apparatchniks, just like in totalitarian regimes run by authoritarian communists, that former marxists, like David Blunkett himself, so resemble.
[rest of interview about what job he would like or might get in a re-elected Labour government]
Leave a comment