Speeches

Speech by Stephen Watson, Parliamentary Candidate for Caerphilly, to the Welsh Conservative Party Conference at the Millennium Stadium, Saturday 5th March, 2005

"On 24th January this year, Michael Howard delivered a very significant speech. In time, I believe this speech will become known as the 'firm but fair' speech. It was a speech devoted to the subject of immigration.

In doing so, he has done what no party leader has done in years. He has tackled the issue of immigration head on. Because, this is the issue that dare not speak it's name. It's been off limits for fear of being labelled racist. But it is not racist.

And Labour run a mile. They can't deal with it and their party has neither the sense of history or the gravitas to face up to it.

But immigration does matter and it's too important an issue to trivialise with simplistic and prejudice arguments.

Britain has benefited enormously from immigration, both economically and culturally. We have a stronger and more successful country as a result.

But at the same time immigration is something that must be managed. Nearly 160,000 people settle in Britain each year. That's bigger than the town of Newport in South Wales.

Under Labour, this has doubled.

Under Labour, our boarders have disappeared.

Under Labour, no one, least of all the Government, has a grip on immigration.

Who, how many and where?

Even the United States, whose evolution as a country and into a superpower and which is the product of two centuries of immigration, takes the greatest care on controlling who and how many people settle in that country.

The same cannot be said of Britain.

In a few weeks, I am fighting as the Conservative Candidate in Caerphilly. Caerphilly has issues about jobs and the provision of public services. And my constituents are wary of an uncontrolled influx of people who could compete for those jobs and those public services.

Does that make the people of Caerphilly racist? No! Are people in Caerphilly anti immigration? No! But they do know what makes common sense and they want a firm but fair immigration policy that works in their interest and the national interest.

And they are very clear about that!

Precisely the initiatives we have been brave enough to articulate:

• Controlled immigration
• Limits on numbers
• Policed borders

And an intelligent and effective entry system, based on points, that will secure the most skilled - those that will help build our country and our economy and add to our culture - and not those who have been turned away elsewhere and who will add little but to be a burden.

This is a pragmatic policy. This is an effective policy. This is a policy about which we can be proud and I look forward to campaigning on this policy in the General Election!"

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