Deportation of Sakchai Makao (Mark II) - ** News Thread **

[cali]

Black Eagle wrote

 

Please forgive the long post...

I finally found the article from the Daily Mail on Saturday 17 June.

I don't know if the Shetland library has access to this resource, but Aberdeenshire library members can get into this site.

If we still need it, is there any way we can get it down to his lawyer?

 

Shetland library members, and anyone who comes into the library, can call up any newspaper article using the NewsUk resource. Articles can be printed off or emailed to anyone you like along with an accompanying message. There are many articles in many papers on Sakchai, and you can view them all. Library members can do this on any computer, non members need to do it on a library computer. It's a great way to see everything that has been written, even includes some letters of support. All national papers are covered as are many local papers. But not Shetland Times. If you need any help with this let me know.

[montfield man]

Do we have an update with the number of folk that have now signed the e-petition, as it would be good to have the current figure for tonight's rally?

[trout]

It is 2309.

 

You can check from

 

http://www.shetlink.com/modules.php?name=ePetitions

[BlackEagle]

Received this in today's email:

 

Dear...

Thank you for your email. I attach a copy of the speech I gave in the Scottish Parliament on race equality on 28th June 2006.

Kind regards

Jamie McGrigor MSP

Highlands & Islands

 

His speach re: immigration and racism in Scotland included the following paragraphs:

...We recently witnessed the encouraging example of many Shetlanders campaigning vigorously to prevent the deportation of Sakchai Makao, who was arrested and detained and has now been released on bail. Sakchai is widely accepted as a Shetlander and has even competed as a Shetlander in the island games. It is outrageous that the immigration system is so shambolic that a person who has lived in Scotland for 13 years—most of his life—and who is integrated in the community should be told, "You're no longer welcome. Go back to where you came from." That is dreadful. I hope that the Westminster Government will see common sense and rescind the order to deport Sakchai Makao.

Col 26973

There must be something wrong with the immigration system under Labour, if it is necessary to make dawn raids on people who have been living peacefully in Glasgow for more than five years, who have integrated into communities and whose children have integrated into schools. If the system was fair and efficient, such situations would seldom arise, but unfortunately there has been a series of Westminster Government blunders on immigration and asylum under Charles Clarke, who presided over 1,000 cases of wrongful release....

 

PS If the Saturday Mail article posted above is not needed I or one of the moderators could remove it. Please let me know. Thanks.

[Sam]

Do we have an update with the number of folk that have now signed the e-petition, as it would be good to have the current figure for tonight's rally?

 

It said 10 thousand on Radio Shetland tonight, thats almost half of all Shetland which is amasing

[montfield man]

Thanks for the e-petition update trout

[cazzie]

Got a response from my MP Anne McGuire Labour (Stirling) tonight

 

Thank you for your email on EDM 2373. EDMs are instruments for

backbench MPs to raise matters of concern or interest. However, as a

Government Minister, I am not able to sign them.

 

I will however, raise your concerns directly with the Minister

concerned.

 

Thank you for contacting me on the matter of Sakchai Makao.

 

 

Anne

[BlackEagle]

I emailed the Conservative list this evening (167 names), and to date have received the following:

9 auto responses to say they are busy but will tend to the matter as soon as possible (sounds like the muzak on hold interrupted by periodic "your call is important to us..."); 24 returned failed to deliver (2 with full mailboxes); and 3 real replies.

 

I found the link interesting, but did not find the history set out. Could you summarise?

Oliver Heald MP

 

Thank you for your email.

I am afraid that I do not know enough about the case in order to sign the EDM. I am sure that Alistair Carmichael is doing a good job in representing his constituent's interests. Just as we all work hard on behalf of our constituents.

Best wishes

Philip Davies MP

 

Thank you.

Can you let me know your home address so I can check to see if you are one of my constituents.

Many thanks.

David Lidington MP

[Polarbear]

EXCELLENT NEWS ... LEAP IN EDM NUMBERS...ALMOST AT 100!

 

EDM DAILY UPDATE

Total now up to 98

14 more registered supporters today. Thanks are due to:

 

Salter, Martin

Huhne, Chris

Brake, Tom

Brooke, Annette

Clegg, Nick

Cook, Frank

Gerrard, Neil

Gidley, Sandra

Beith, AJ

Strang, Gavin

Webb, Steve

Williams, Hywel

Willis, Phil

Wood, Mike

Howarth, David

 

5 Labour (inc 1 Scots); 9 Lib Dems (not many left to go!!); 1 Plaid Cymru

 

Page 30 updated.

 

Keep up the pressure...all your sterling efforts are paying off.

 

Glad to hear farewell rally went well.

 

Best wishes,

[Polarbear]

Got a response from my MP Anne McGuire Labour (Stirling) tonight

 

Thank you for your email on EDM 2373. EDMs are instruments for

backbench MPs to raise matters of concern or interest. However, as a

Government Minister, I am not able to sign them.

 

I will however, raise your concerns directly with the Minister

concerned.

 

Thank you for contacting me on the matter of Sakchai Makao.

 

Anne

 

Hi Cazzie

 

This is true (hence Group 7 -but the lobbying does no harm at all!!)

Technically, the same also applies to some of Group 6 too, as Parliamentary Private Secretaries to Ministers are also effectively disbarred by the Ministerial Code from supporting EDM's

 

Unless there is an unpublished internal Lib Dem Party rule, I can see nothing whatsoever that precludes Sir Menzies Campbell QC from supporting Alistair Carmichael's motion.

 

Ming claims that he cannot sign EDM's as Leader yet the EDM Database lists him as a signatory of many EDM's since taking over from Charlie Kennedy. Perhaps he cannot bring himself to steep so low; wishing only to propose EDM's and not merely support those proposed by his minions. Who knows. Checking the database, no other opposition party leader suffers the restriction he claims he is under...eg. David Cameron, so it would be ironic if the LibDem's had such an illiberal rule.

 

With all bar five of the Lib Dem MP's at Westminster 'signed up' now, I do hope that this is not a case of the Duke of Plaza-Toro, who "Led his regiment from behind! - see: http://math.boisestate.edu/gas/gondoliers/html/gn_03.html

 

The bold Sir Ming is at:

 

Sir Menzies Campbell, Fife North-East gradys@parliament.uk;

 

and the other 5 LibDem's who have so far not been registered as supporters are:

 

Edward Davey daveye@parliament.uk;

Evan Harris harrise@parliament.uk;

Mark Oaten oatenm@parliament.uk;

Adrian Sanders sandersa@parliament.uk;

Roger Williams williamsr@parliament.uk;

 

So if you're really short of time, try just them! They should be sympathetic, and would take us over the 100 quickly.

 

Best wishes,

[cazzie]

Thanks - I'll send off emails to these ones this morning.

 

I thought the message from Anne McGuire was a standard brush off to be honest, but emailed her back thanking her for responding. Got this in reply which is more heartening...

 

Will get back to you if there is anything further I can add.

 

Anne

 

 

Anne

 

many thanks for the response. Any help you can lend to this campaign

will be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks again

 

Carole

 

My faith in politicians is being restored - helped greatly by the impressive work AC is doing!

[alistaircarmichael]

EDM 2373

 

Just to let you know that we have 98 MPs signed up so far to the Sakchai EDM and I am pretty confident that we can top the 100 mark before the morning is out.

 

With regard to Ming Campbell's position on signing EDMs, there is a convention that the three party leaders don't sign EDMs. The Leaders of the Conservatives and of the Liberal Democrats do, however, table EDMs from time to time where their party is seeking to "pray against" (ie have annullled) some government regulation. That is why Ming's name will appear on the list as having signed EDMs since he took over as leader. Hope that is clear..... or as clear as anything else that happens in this place.

 

It will doubtless come as no surprise to know that I have discussed Sakchai's case with Ming. He is supportive and in fact has given me some very good advice about different avenues to take in pursuing the case.

 

Alistair

[Polarbear]

Indeed. He's magnificent...I'm sure many of the LibDems votes (and a fair few of the other votes too!) are down to his personal efforts and charm.

 

But even within parties there are factions so a very public campaign helps pressure those less inclined to sign up to a colleague's EDM to do so.

 

Also, the e-mail campaign is reaching all MP's and raising the profile of the case relentlessly, so government and opposition alike are at the very least aware of it (and of the adverse PR that it is generating for them in the Govt's case). A groundswell of backbench and/or ministerial feedback - and 30 Labour MP's are now open supporters - to the HO behind the scenes can create latent pressure for change to the system to the benefit of all. Let's hope so, anyway!

[Polarbear]

EDM 2373

 

 

With regard to Ming Campbell's position on signing EDMs, there is a convention that the three party leaders don't sign EDMs. The Leaders of the Conservatives and of the Liberal Democrats do, however, table EDMs from time to time where their party is seeking to "pray against" (ie have annullled) some government regulation. That is why Ming's name will appear on the list as having signed EDMs since he took over as leader. Hope that is clear..... or as clear as anything else that happens in this place.

 

It will doubtless come as no surprise to know that I have discussed Sakchai's case with Ming. He is supportive and in fact has given me some very good advice about different avenues to take in pursuing the case.

 

Alistair

 

Thanks for the clarification, Alistair, and the welcome news of Ming's strong help for the case - his honour is unimpugned!

 

I thought that there might be such an unwritten convention in existence, but when I saw that David Cameron had tabled some 'ordinary' EDM's too: 1052 and 1582 it appeared unlikely that that was indeed the case.

 

It seems that young David has ignored the convention!

 

Best wishes,

[montfield man]

I have not received many replies from MPs, however David Cameron's office was one that I did receive a response from.

 

Dear Mr

 

Thank you for your further email,

 

As Leader of the Opposition, David Cameron follows the convention of only signing Early Day Motions which have been tabled on behalf of or in cooperation with the Conservative Party.

 

Thank you again for writing.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

David Beal

Correspondence Secretary

David Cameron's Office

House of Commons

London SW1A 0AA

 

Seems like he didn't sign it because Alistair did not table it on behalf of the Conservative Party!!