PoliticsUK Interviews Debra V Wilson

Politics UK

PoliticsUK would like to welcome Debra V Wilson. Debra is a well know blogger and tweeter.

All the questions were asked by our users.  Here we go,

What are your thoughts on 'citizenship tests' and their requirement to speak English?

Debra V. Wilson

If a person is seeking citizenship (and I am not referring to those seeking asylum) in a foreign land then I would think/hope that in part their decision includes a desire to be a part of that foreign land. Therefore I can see no problem with Britain or any nation asking prospective citizens to go through ‘citizenship tests’ and speak the language of the land; which could only help prospective citizens understand and more easily participate their new country.

Politics UK

Are we integrating correctly immigrants into society?

Debra V. Wilson

I would suggest that since the conversation over the integration of immigrants into UK society is a continual (and pervasive) and often visceral one – that there is something that has gone amiss. And at the very least there needs to be a better understanding of why the question will not go away.

Politics UK

Does multiculturalism work or should we be looking for a singular integrated culture?

Debra V. Wilson

Yes multiculturalism can work provided there is an understanding by all that whilst there will be a tolerance for one’s individual belief systems there are laws of the land that all must adhere to. And the law in secular societies has the final say. With all due respect I would say that in most cases where multiculturalism has failed is where the State has not stood its ground in establishing a common denominator – the law. In other words we can be different. We can differ. But the law of the land must be resolute in having the final say.

Politics UK

Explain why you think immigration is good for a country?

Debra V. Wilson

New citizens can bring new and specialized skills, new foods, new arts and needed bridges to other countries.

Politics UK

Where is feminism at these days?

Debra V. Wilson

There is a growing presence (albeit small) of feminists in sectors previously thought as not analogous to the ‘movement’ such as policing, conflict management and security. Next within feminist communities there is a greater desire to network with other differing feminist ideologies and men. Feminism is taking a more global perspective on women’s issues. And lastly there is greater understanding by Western feminists that there is more than one way to be a feminist. And how feminism manifests itself in Somalia maybe different than say in London or New York, but never-the-less it is still feminism and should be both respected and understood by those identifying themselves as feminists.

Politics UK

What is your opinion of aid to third world countries?

Debra V. Wilson

Third World Aid: All nations must consider the
political, security, and social ramifications.

Aid to the third world is not inherently good or bad. I would hope the UK (and indeed all nations) would carefully consider what aid to the third world does not only in the immediate but in the future. In other words how the injection of foreign money to a third world country impacts current and future political, security and sociological dynamics must always be considered when giving aid to any nation. Also in the UK (and indeed all nations) in these stark economic times a nation must consider wisely what foreign aid money does to its own nation and populace.

Politics UK

Do you think politics is an old boys club?

Debra V. Wilson

At present women make up 22% of MP’s in the House of Commons and 20% of the peers in the House of Lords. With representation of women in each House at less than 25% it suggest something endemic in the less than proportional representation of women in higher office in the UK. Label that as you chose.

Politics UK

Is religion a threat to democracy in the USA?

Debra V. Wilson

No ‘religion of any kind’ is not inherently a threat to Democracy in America. And the 1st Amendment of the US Constitution has safeguards in place to prevent ‘religion of any kind’ becoming a threat to Democracy through the separation of Church and State. However I must add that those safeguards in the Constitution only work if the US adheres to the Constitution – and that has been problematic of late. Still I maintain that ‘religion of any kind’ is not inherently a threat to Democracy in America.

Politics UK

Do you believe the conspiracy theories around 9/11?

Debra V. Wilson

I am a person guided by empirical evidence and therefore I do not pay heed to any of the plethora of conspiracies theories around 9/11 that sadly have found home in most sectors (although in thankfully minute numbers) of American society.

Politics UK

Should a Masjid be built near to ground zero?

Debra V. Wilson

As an individual I would say provided builders have secured all necessary building permits and no laws are being violated I cannot legally object to the construction of any building anywhere. However I am aware that the reality is that even when all laws are met an 'event' can be so emotive that it causes disruption through communities and if that is the case than discussions must be had to come to a rationale, legally-based solution.

Politics UK

What is your opinion of positive discrimination?

Debra V. Wilson

 Positive discrimination is a programme or initiative that aims to right historical biases against “minorities’. It can be effective in righting historical wrongs – and in my opinion it works best when it is coupled with addressing the systemic causes of the ‘historical wrongs’. For example some universities might seek to accept a female PhD candidate in science over a man when all other factors are equal in an effort to not only hire a scientist, but to also increase the number of women scientists at the university. And going forward I would hope that the reasons that there are less female PhD candidates should be thoroughly explored and addressed; with the goal of minimizing the need for positive discrimination.

Politics UK

What do you believe are the causes of child poverty in the UK?

Debra V. Wilson

This is also not my area, but something I am trying to get a better understanding of. And any answer will of course be multi-faceted one. Briefly there is a correlation between young mothers with no qualification and poor children. Next, there are some racial factors and there is a high rate of child poverty in both the Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities (for example), and of course the Global downturn is plunging more children into poverty. Lastly there is concern in many sectors that the changing benefits system in the UK will increase child poverty and I would suggest you look at the Millennium Cohort Study: http://www.esds.ac.uk/longitudinal/access/mcs/l33359.asp, and End Child Poverty: http://www.endchildpoverty.org.uk/ for a more in dept analysis of child poverty in the UK.

Politics UK

What are your views on gay marriages?

Debra V. Wilson

All consenting adults should have the same rights.

 I believe all consenting adults should have the same legal rights to marry; therefore I am a supporter of same-sex marriage. In addition a significant portion of my activism is towards making marriage an option for all consenting adults who seek it.

Politics UK

What does she think of Diane Abbott's recent remarks: 'White people love playing 'divide & rule'"?

Debra V. Wilson

Diane Abbott’s comments no matter how politically incorrect and distasteful to some were in my opinion little more than a ‘private conversation’ Ms. Abbott had with a Black freelance journalist about racial framing, inappropriately had in a public space – Twitter. In my opinion it was poor judgment on the part of Ms. Abbott, a career politician. It was right that some were offended. Still most when amongst ‘our own’ – however you define that engage in inappropriate conversation about ‘others’ again however you define that. Still again – I would say more than anything this represents poor judgment by a career politician. I would also say that Ms. Abbott’s bad judgment illustrates yet again that there needs to be a place and space in Britain for all to safely address issues of race. And the racial discourse in Britain deserves to rise above reacting to an MP with bad judgment with a Twitter account.

Politics UK

What is your opinion of the Coalition's policy on immigration being capped?

Debra V. Wilson

 I agree with the Tory caps to the extent that they will allow for much needed discussions to be had on who is coming into the UK and the net economic impact of immigration to the UK and lastly but MOST importantly the effect of immigration on the indigenous British population (of all ethnic backgrounds). I say with all due respect that little attention has been paid to the indigenous population when it comes to immigration and that has serious sociological and security impacts. I say in this realm PM Cameron MUST slow immigration down and listen to the people he is tasked to serve. British nationals have a right to give voice to their feelings on immigration. And politicians are duty bound to hear it – be it unpleasant or not.

Politics UK

What do you believe the Occupy movement will achieve?

Debra V. Wilson

The most immediate impact of the Occupy movement is to allow for the airing and discussion of the economic hardship being experienced by so many as a result of the multi-faceted global downturn. Going forward I would hope that the Occupy movement will lead to concrete plans to address the destructive impact of the banking industry (among other factors) gone amuck.

Politics UK

Last question from PoliticsUK:

The mother of Stephen Lawrence, victim of an overt racist killing in the UK, accused the Government of running a racist country. What are your views on this?

Debra V. Wilson

That is an absolute question.

 And I cannot respond in kind. What happened to Stephen Lawrence and the response of the State – does exhibit endemic racism in the United Kingdom. And there is still endemic racism in the United Kingdom. And I will venture to say that for some time going forward there will be endemic racism in the United Kingdom. 

But I would also say where the running of the country is racist it is because the people administrating it are racist. And that is not static. Racism has no place in any sector of the running of any civilised nation. And though it may be problematic, difficult and challenging and late……very late in coming……there does exist in the UK systems for addressing people who chose to run the UK in a less than civilised (racist) manner. 

Yes there is endemic racism in the UK………but there exist challenges to that racism. And please know I am in no way minimizing the difficulty in challenging racism from the State.

Lastly my response is mine only, and is in no way meant to demise or minimize the experiences of the Lawrence family. And I am respectful to Mrs. Lawrence’s assessment of what has happened to her family.

Hex Austen

Why did you name your blog 'Dances of the World' - what is the significance of this title?

Debra V. Wilson

We all see the world from a different perspective. And understanding that perspective for me is the same as understanding the movement in a dance, and we may all hear the same song, but we each interpret the music and respond with our own dance.

Christopher Robinson Marland

 Do you think women should be allowed to serve on the front line? (Personally I understand that seeing any of your fellow colleagues dyin' would provoke a horrible psychological reaction whether they be man or woman)

Debra V. Wilson Yes.

Paul Wheeler

What is your view on the UK US Relationship

Debra V. Wilson

The UK – US relationship appears to be in flux. I am 54 years old and for much of my lifetime I remember hearing that the UK was our closest ally and friend. And I certainly think that the US still views the UK as a close ally, but I also think that the USA views the UK as a security threat. And then there is the fact that the USA is ever turning to Asia and Latin America. So I think the relationship is in flux. I have less clarity on how the UK views the relationship.

Christopher Robinson Marland

Do you think Feminism and Masculism in non-radical forms are actually fighting the same battle from different angles?

Debra V. Wilson

Feminism in my opinion is “simply” working towards full participation and rights in society for women. And Masculism seeks to do the same in its ethos. My answer would be there should be parity for all. But other than that I cannot define or make a comparative analysis between the two movements.

Sarah Whittaker:

Did you hear of the slut marches that happened all over last year? What do you think of them? Were they beneficial to women?

Debra V. Wilson

The "slut marches" in 2011

I understand the Slut Marches, but as a Black women (like some other women of colour) I have not participated owing to the verbiage of the campaign. Still I hope that the women (of all colours) who do participate find that this is a successful tactic in addressing violence against women and sexism.

Hex Austen:

How well do you think discipline in Muslim schools integrates with our society in general?

Debra V. Wilson

It is not acceptable for any academic environment to resort to physical means in the disciplining of its students and it has no place in the 21st century.*

* Please note my answer to the question about Muslim schools and discipline referred to the documenting of physical disciplining of some students in some Muslim schools. My answer in no way implies that I believe all Muslim schools physically discipline (which I am opposed to) their students. Indeed I oppose the use of physically disciplining children in any academic (or any) environment. - Debra V. Wilson

Paul Wheeler:

Who is the most important British PM of all time and why?

Debra V. Wilson

I would say Churchill was a pivotal PM for your nation as he led you through a most difficult war. On a personal note and as a feminist I say in all due respect and with no sarcasm – John Major. Under John Major’s tenure feminists in the UK gained resilience and forbearing that has served both the movement and your nation well. Again with all due John Major taught many British feminists (and those of us visiting Britain) how to stay strong, how to stay the course, and how to navigate and work with those we were in complete opposition to.

Hex Austen:

Who do you think is the most important female politician today?

Debra V. Wilson

Oh I have two – and it is impossible for me to shorten the list down to one. Harriet Harman and Theresa May. Both women serve their nation well and continue to in all manner of ways shatter the glass ceiling.

PoliticsUK would like to thank Debra V. Wilson for her contribution in this Q&A.

We would also like to thank our users for their question.

Debra's blog is at http://thedancesoftheworld.blogspot.com/

And she can be followed on twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/DebraYankUK

PoliticsUK Question & Answer with The Muslim Council of Britain

Politics UK

We are now approaching the beginning of the Q&A so I would like to take this moment to introduce Dr Faisal Hanjra to the community of PoliticsUK.

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

Hello and welcome :)

Faisal Hanjra

Hello! Thank you for having me.

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

Not a problem and thanks for being here. If you are ready we will shortly begin by asking you a selection of questions our contributors have sent in over the last couple of weeks.

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

First Question:

There are 1.6 million Muslims in the UK. What are the main aims and objectives for the Muslim Council of Britain?

Faisal Hanjra

Our primary aims consist of the following:

i To promote cooperation, consensus and unity on Muslim affairs in the UK.

ii To encourage and strengthen all existing efforts being made for the benefit of the Muslim community.

iii To work for a more enlightened appreciation of Islam and Muslims in the wider society.

iv To establish a position for the Muslim community within British society that is fair and based on due rights.

v To work for the eradication of disadvantages and forms of discrimination faced by Muslims.

vi To foster better community relations and work for the good of society as a whole

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

Thank you. Our second question:

Do you believe that the Muslim community position within British society is a fair position?

Faisal Hanjra

Dr Faisal Hanjra,
Assistant Secretary of Muslim Council of Britain

Quite what a fair position is, is difficult to define. As with any community there are numerous challenges we face, which subsequently has impacted on our 'position in society.' Since the tragic events of 7/7 and prior to that 9/11 as a diverse community I think our challenges have been far more complex and much more intricate. Rather than dealing with relatively straight forward issues we’ve had to tackle the more complicated issue of terrorism. That has, I believe, to some extent raised challenges. Britain remains a fantastic place to live in as a Muslim but there are increasing number of Islamophobia incidences which we all, as a society, must be worried about.

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

Probably a related question then: What disadvantages and forms of discrimination are being faced by Muslims and how can the MCB eradicate them?

Faisal Hanjra

The most pressing issue we face as mentioned above is probably the issue of Islamophobia. The number of physical attacks on Muslims and institutions they attend have increased over the last few years. These attacks range from simple graffiti being sprayed on mosque premises to actual attempts to blow some of these places up, quite shocking when you think that this is Britain in 2012. The causes for this increase are numerous and range from poor media reporting to blatant racism. But it’s something which needs to be looked at urgently. The MCB continues to work with a variety of organisations, both Muslim and non-Muslim, to urgently redress this issue.

While this remains perhaps the most pressing issue, we do need to look at other problems, such as why certain elements of the Muslim community come from some of the most socially and economically deprived parts of the county.

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

Does the UK’s current immigration policy help promote good community relations?

Faisal Hanjra

In the context of resource limitation, strain on resources etc, it is important that the debate around immigration is sensible and balanced. And far more importantly it's centred around facts rather than emotion. To that extent anything which puts pressure on local communities can lead to tension and immigration is one of the issues that can have that sort of impact. So it's important that any policy is balanced and rationale.

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

OK a difficult one. How can the MCB combat Islamophobia in the UK?

Faisal Hanjra

It's important that politicians lead the way on the issue and not a shy away from addressing legitimate concerns. But we shouldn't allow the far right, sensationalist media reporting and irrational fears skew the outcome of any debate.

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

Which Party does the MCB support and why?

Faisal Hanjra

Sorry the post above was regarding immigration. In regards to Richard's next question about Islamophobia. In the first instance we need to ensure we’re working hard to highlight the issue and bring it to the attention of wider society. The UK has a strong history of opposing racism and discrimination. Then I think we need to look to some of the underlying causes of racism. At the Leveson Inquiry recently the Editor of a tabloid newspaper was grilled around how her newspaper poorly covered issues relating to the Muslim Community. Just yesterday another tabloid newspaper ran a headline exclaiming ‘Strict Muslim raped 4 women at knife point’ as if his religion had anything to do with this vicious and despicable crime. The judge pointed out explicitly that the actions of this individual was in direct contradiction to the ‘strict’ Muslim lifestyle his family had adopted. The significant attention sections of the media gives to small and controversial organisations, Muslims Against Crusaders for example, also continues to perpetuate this myth that somehow the Muslim community is alien and anti-British. So I think this should be looked at in terms of addressing the wider issue of Islamophobia.

Internally as a community we need to do more to ensure that we’re getting the message of Islam and what it means to be a Muslim out to wider society. We need to ensure we’re not allowing small fringe Muslim organisations to hijack our ‘cause.’ We need to be working harder to challenge the myths that racist organisations like the BNP and EDL pump out, and ensuring that racism wherever it is, is highlighted and tackled appropriately.

Faisal Hanjra

 In regards to which political party the MCB supports, that's an easy one - none in particular! We work with everyone and anyone on issues of common interest.

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

Next question: What are the MCB roles both inside and outside of politics? And how would you respond to the argument that there is no place in politics for religion?

Faisal Hanjra

The MCB works with all three main political parties to represent issues that are of particular concerns to the Muslim community. And that can be anything from the state of the economy to the need to address Islamophobia, or from issues around climate change to issues of young people doing well at school. It's very broad. Within the Muslim community we work with other organisations to ensure greater democratic participation and awareness of rights and responsibilities.

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

The MCB have set up a programme called The Footsteps, involving establishing role models for the Muslim youth. How is this programme progressing?

Faisal Hanjra

Religion has been a force for good in this country, the Queen remains the head of the Church of England, so it's been central to much of the workings of our various systems. Just yesterday the Church played an important role in defeating elements of the govt's welfare bill based on their views around social justics. So religion plays an important and positive role in our democratic workings.

Faisal Hanjra

Footsteps was a programmed launched in 2007 around mentoring young people, it's unfortunately come to an end but was a positive initiative which we'll look to review in the future in regards to its potential to be pushed out again.

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

Thank you Faisal:

What is your response to groups like EDL and BNP and should they be allowed to participate in the political process?

Faisal Hanjra

The EDL remain a problematic organisation because of the racism they espouse. Their marches, in various towns across the country, bring fear to communities and to that extent it's important that the police and government recognise them for what they are - a racist organisation. I'm not aware of a definitive position that the MCB has on the issue, banning any organisation from the political process is problematic and contrary to our way of life in this country and the values we stand for, and that's whether it's a Muslim or a non-Muslim organisation. Often the best way to counter and defeat the sort of bigotry these organisations espouse is to show them publicly for what they are rather than ban them and drive them underground. But certainly no community should have to fear going out of their own homes and the police and CPS should prosecute aggressively any individual or organisation that falls foul of relevant legislation, and where legislation is poorly defined or non-existent, the government should look to tighten that up.

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

Next question: What future role will moderates have in helping to deal with dangers of extremists and do you feel that there is enough support from the state in helping moderates combat extremism?

Faisal Hanjra

The language and terminology used around dealing with the issue of terrorism has been problematic - in so far as different people meaning different things when using the same language! The various Muslim communities’ remains a key partner in tackling the tiny number of individuals who think it's acceptable to commit criminal actions in the form of terrorism. And the MCB plays a crucial role in that.

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

Thank you: In which way(s) can the MCB promote cooperation, consensus and unity on Muslim affairs in the UK?

Faisal Hanjra

We remain an important platform via which different Muslim organisations, that represent different aspects of our large and diverse community, can come together and tackle common issues. We work hard to act as a catalyst to bring a common voice to some of the most difficult and divisive issues, not always with success I might add! But we try! :)

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

A sensitive one now:

What is the MCB view of Al Qu’eda?

Faisal Hanjra

 I think it's common sense really. As any right minded individual or organisation, we condemn terrorism in any form and those organisations that seek it commit it.

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

So what are your thoughts on the Arab Spring uprising?

The Arab Spring has been so inspiring

Faisal Hanjra

The Arab Spring has been so inspiring. If someone told me a year and a half ago that at the beginning of 2012 Gaddafi would be gone, Mubarek of Egypt on trial, and Ben Ali of Tunisia would be gone, I wouldn't have believe them. I think there is a lot we can learn here in the UK from what has taken place across the world, in particular the sheer power of the people to achieve something when they set their minds to it, democracy in its purest sense!

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

Do the MCB think that “hate laws” are divisive?

Faisal Hanjra

Not particularly. Often this sort of legislation has arisen out of a real need to address an underlying problem.

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

Thank you. What is the MCB stance on publications which promote bigotry?

Faisal Hanjra

 I think we need to always strike a balance between the freedoms we enjoy in this country, freedom of speech etc, and the need to ensure we don't create division, incite hatred and cause fear amongst vulnerable communities, and that's a difficult balancing act. We would always come out strongly against anything that causes the later, while working hard to protect the former!

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

An interesting fact that I have learnt is that although Muslims make up just five per cent of the population they consume an estimated 20 per cent of all lamb and mutton produced in Britain. On that note, can you explain the importance of Halal meat?

Faisal Hanjra

I'm not aware of actual statistics around the issue, that is an interesting fact! The importance of halaal meat, like kosher in the Jewish tradition, is to ensure that animals are treated humanely and with dignity while alive, and on being killed for food, are killed in a way that spares them suffering.

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

Is there ghettoisation taken place within the UK and what are you views on “Muslim-only” areas?

Faisal Hanjra

Ghettoisation - carries a lot of bagage! There are obviously areas where a lot of Muslims live, just like there are a lot of areas where Korean or Chinese or Indian people live, people tend to gravitate to where they are most comfortable and that is often where there are other people like them! We see migratory patterns often, so in the East End of London initially there was a large Jewish community, they then settled, and moved out, now we see the Muslim community predominantly, as they become more affluent more and more of them are moving out to other areas, I'm sure in thirty years time the East End of London will look very different.

Faisal Hanjra

And I have yet to visit a Muslim only area!

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

Is Poverty prominent in the Muslim Community?

Faisal Hanjra

That's a difficult question and I don't have a lot of information to hand regarding the facts and figures. There are areas of significant poverty within the community but that's countered by areas of quite some wealth. But I guess a straight answer to your question is probably no, I don't think poverty is prominent in the Muslim community.

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

Last of the presubmitted questions:

What do the Muslims of Britain have to teach the rest of the UK about family values?

Faisal Hanjra

We're well placed to remind, perhaps more than teach, society just exactly how important family values are. Family values have always been an important part of British society, but we're losing that fast within society as a whole. Within the Muslim community the centrality of the family structure and values has remained an integral part of life.

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

Thank you for sticking through them. Some were tough questions I'm sure

Faisal Hanjra

Happy to move to contributors questions

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

Brilliant - First question: Is there much support for (Scottish) independence amongst Scottish Muslims?

Faisal Hanjra

Scottish Muslims, that I've met, are very defined by their Scottish nationality and are patriotically Scottish! So, anecdotally, I think their views wouldn't be much different to what's trending in wider Scottish society.

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

Why did MCB state on their website that Muslim women who don't wear headscarves are not proper Muslims?

Faisal Hanjra

I have honestly never seen that posted or that link in particular. If you were just to attend one of our meetings, or looked perhaps through the pictures of some of our events, you would see a fairly diverse expression of clothing worn by everybody and anybody there! To directly answer the question, the idea that Muslim women who don't cover are not 'proper' Muslims is certainly not our position or a view that we would condone!

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

I live in Newham in East London and we have a reasonably prominate Muslim member on our e-democracy forum who claims that as the borough is mainly inhabited by Muslims all the schools should be treated as Islamic faith schools that allow none muslin students - Howe do you and your fellow council members go about moderating such extremist views within the community to enhance social cohesion and is their anything that we in the non-Islamic community should be doing to assist in this?

Faisal Hanjra

It's difficult to comment on the specifics of the question, but commenting more generally it is important that just because there happen to be a lot of Muslims in a particular area that somehow the needs of the non-Muslim community are not put on the backburner. If there is anything we can do at the MCB to help with this situation specifically do drop us an email.

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

What is your opinion about the Church of England's official role in British politics? Would you like to see this reformed in any way? And if so would you like to see religions not being so directly involved, or would you prefer to see other religions also involved, such that representation matches the demographic makeup of the UK?

Faisal Hanjra

I have a lot of respect for the Church of England and I think it's an important organisation in the workings of our national politics. I think religion generally, and this is a Christian country so it's right that this is manifested through the Church of England, has a huge amount to offer to society. And that should be recognised.

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

Does your association protect just Muslims or do you mean to represent the people generally of this country? Because according to your religion, people who do not follow Allah should be 'hated' by Muslims. Not a personal hate of course - but how do you think this division is going to help you to integrate with a non Muslim community?"

Faisal Hanjra

 Our organisation is a membership body and to that extent represents fundamentally our affiliates. While we work primarily to represent these organisations we know that the problems faced by the Muslim community are problems which are faced by many non-Muslims in this country. And so when we work on particular issues we work to benefit, hopefully (!), wider society. So our work on crime, or mentoring young people, or work around addressing social inequality, should be something that benefits everybody.

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

Islamophobia" can stem from the perception that Muslims create their own communities within a community, thus cutting themselves off. Are Muslims doing enough to integrate into the wider community?

Faisal Hanjra

I think there is certainly some truth in that, and as I mentioned earlier we need to work harder to tackle some of the issues within our own community. I think the issue of not going out and doing more to engage, is something which isn't just unique to the Muslim community, but is common across various minority communities. I think the issue has been highlighted within our community primarily because of issues around counter-terrorism etc. So there are amazing examples of Muslims integrated, you see that in the City of London, at Banks, large accountancy firms, hospitals, etc but there are some examples where more needs to be done. And we're committed, with our limited resources, to working on that!

Faisal Hanjra

With partners and friends of course!

Sofi Couvot What do you think of the movement 'occupy the mosque' that fights for more empowerment of Muslim women as per Tehmina Kazi's description in the Guardian (dated 13-01-2012) and generally speaking about feminism and gender equality?

Faisal Hanjra

In regards to the status quo of mosques and, gender equality and women participation, there has been significant progress over the last few years, and we can see that for example in the building of a multi-million pound section at the East London Mosque, dedicated specifically for women (on top of the current prayer space), more though needs to be done.

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

Thank you for all your responses.

Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK

Well I would like to say a massive thank you to Faisal and his team at MCB for allowing this event to happen and we wish you all the best in the future

Faisal Hanjra

And I'm hopeful we'll see further change over the next few years.

Politics UK THIS SESSION IS NOW CLOSED.

**********************************

Matthew Elliott - The Taxpayers' Alliance.

Politics UK

Q&A SESSION - TAXPAYERS ALLIANCE 

Politics UK

We would like to welcome Matthew Elliott from the Taxpayers Alliance. Good evening Matthew. The Q&A is now in session

The TaxPayers' Alliance

Hi there - it's Matthew Elliott here - founder of the TaxPayers' Alliance

(also Campaign Director of NOtoAV)

Politics UK

The TaxPayers' Alliance is a British pressure group and taxpayers union formed in 2004 to campaign for a low tax society.

Matthew Elliot spoke to PoliticsUK

What was your motivation in 2004 to start the TPA and did you expect that the TPA would be as big as a success as it has been?

The TaxPayers'Alliance
My motivation for starting the TaxPayers’ Alliance was the fact that I felt that there wasn't a voice for taxpayers in the UK...

There were plenty of groups arguing for higher government spending – and there was a consensus in Westminster amongst the three main parties that government spending should go up – but there wasn’t a campaign saying...

 “Hang on; can we really afford higher government spending? What about the growing national debt and the increasing deficits? Should we really be spending, in boom times, more money as a country than we earn?”

Politics UK

The mission of the TPA is "to reverse the perception that big government is necessary and irreversible; to explain the benefits of a low tax economy; to give taxpayers a voice in the corridors of power; to oppose EU tax harmonisation."

Can you explain how “big Government” affects the average UK taxpayer?

The TaxPayers' Alliance

“Big government” means big government spending and a big tax burden! (And lots of regulations)

It is big government that has got us into the fiscal mess which we now find ourselves in.

High taxes hit hard-working taxpayers in their pockets, and big deficits rack up bills which future generations of taxpayers will have to pay off.

Politics UK

Why does the TPA oppose EU tax harmonisation?

The TaxPayers' Alliance

We oppose EU tax harmonisation for a number of reasons....

The main one is that we believe that tax rates in the UK should be under the sole democratic control of UK voters. Whether you’re from the right or the left, this is an important principle to defend.

Politics UK

Can you explain the benefits of a “low tax economy”?

The TaxPayers' Alliance

Low tax economies have higher growth rates, which means more jobs, a bigger tax take, and everybody better off.

Today’s unemployment figures show why we need tax reform, to get the economy going again.

We'll be publishing our Tax Commission report in April, which will explain how this can be done.

Politics UK

The TPA has been compared to the Tea Party in America, What are the similarities and difference between the TPA and the Tea Party?

The TaxPayers' Alliance

Good question!

Since the financial crisis, there have been taxpayer rebellions in many countries....

German taxpayers are sick of giving so much of their money to the profligate Greek government...

British taxpayers were sickened by the way in which MPs abused their expenses in the last Parliament...

And US taxpayers revolted against the bank bailouts, which lead to the rise of the Tea Party movement. Unfortunately, social conservatives seem to be gaining ground in the Tea Party movement, something which I regret and disagree with.

Politics UK

Tim Horton from the Fabian Society has said that the TPA is “fundamental to the Conservative political strategy”. Is the TPA affiliated with any political party either officially or unofficially?

The TaxPayers' Alliance

They would say that wouldn't they!!

The TaxPayers’ Alliance isn’t affiliated with any political party....

We have praised and criticised each of the parties for their policies. The TPA Pin-up of the Month has been awarded to both Conservative and Labour politicians – as has our Pin-head of the month. The TPA wants all parties to recognise that government spending is unsustainably high – and we’re pleased to now have Ed Miliband as a new recruit to our way of thinking :-)

Politics UK

From 1-10, How would you rate the present Government?

The TaxPayers' Alliance

Giving one single score to cover all policy areas might be a bit disingenuous, but...

Before the general election, we produced a TPA manifesto, which outlined the policies we hoped the new Government would implement. Last May – on the anniversary of the creation of the Coalition Government – we analysed how well they were doing. You can see the manifesto (and our ratings) here: http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/m1yo.pdf

If we had to give an overall score though, I'd make it 6 out of 10

Politics UK

John Prescott complained to the
Charity Commission.

The Guardian reported in 2009: “The charitable arm of the Taxpayers' Alliance is being investigated by regulators after the Guardian revealed the Tory-linked campaign group may have used the charity to gain tax relief.”

Can you comment on that allegation?

The TaxPayers' Alliance

A very Paxman-esque question!

To give PoliticsUK readers the context for this question, The Guardian published a front page article on 29 December 2009 asserting that the Politics and Economics Research Trust (PERT) was being used as a vehicle to channel funds enhanced by gift aid to the TPA

This was followed up by a complaint to the Charity Commission by John Prescott. The Charity Commission carried out a very thorough investigation, including requesting The Guardian to provide further information. The journalist who wrote the article confirmed that they had no further information to provide.

The Commission published its report on 21 February 2011, and concluded: "The Commission had not seen any evidence to support the allegation made that the Charity had been used as a vehicle to channel funds enhanced with gift aid from the Midlands Industrial Council, to the Alliance. Further the Investigation did not identify any evidence to support this allegation more generally." Case closed!

A front page of that Guardian article may or may not be framed on my office wall though!

Politics UK

The TPA is a leading proponent of "Google government". Can you explain to our users what a “Google government” is and how it would benefit taxpayers?

The TaxPayers' Alliance

We are big believers in transparency – this is why we file so many Freedom of Information requests to find out how taxpayers’ money is being spent...

This information should be freely available to taxpayers, which is why we’re pleased that the Government has brought in measures to promote spending transparency. Less work for us to do - no need to research/publish any more Public Sector Rich Lists!

The next battle is tax transparency, which is why we’re so pleased that Ben Gummer MP is introducing a Private Members Bill next week to improve tax transparency.

Politics UK

What is the TPA’s view on the 50p Tax rate?

The 50p Tax rate is "the supreme act of cutting
our nose of to spite our face".

The TaxPayers' Alliance

We’re for the abolition of the 50p tax rate. Bringing it in was a supreme act of cutting off our nose to spite our face. After an initial increase, the income tax take will ultimately fall as a result of the 50p rate...

And other low-earning taxpayers will have to make up this shortfall. Also many jobs won’t be created that would have been, as entrepreneurs put less effort in. And it won’t help growth - the Holy Grail of politics at the moment.

Politics UK

The TPA manifesto states that you wish to abolish a range of Quangos and reform others. Which Quangos should be scrapped or reformed in your opinion and why?

The TaxPayers' Alliance

We produced a paper on this a couple of years ago: http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/OrganisationCuts.pdf

The organisations we advocated abolishing were... *deep breath*

Local Development Corporations; Regional Development Agencies; Standards for England, the Office for Fair Access and Aim Higher; National College for School Leadership Saving, British Educational Communications and Technology Agency; School Food Trust; Football Licensing Authority; Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment; British Waterways; Sustainable Development Commission; Office of the Children’s Commissioner; National Policing Improvement Agency; and the Government Equalities Office...

 (The reasons why are given in the paper)

Politics UK

The TPA advocates that the Post office should be privatised. How would privatisation increase value for money for consumers?

The TaxPayers' Alliance

I think someone blogged about this in the past, but it's not a major issue for us. But, for what it's worth, the German post office is far better than ours...

And the German post office is private. Also, Royal Mail's top guy heads up our Public Sector Rich List!

Politics UK

Why should the UK abandon the 2020 renewable targets and the EU emission trading scheme?

The TaxPayers' Alliance

The EU renewable energy targets require huge investment in our energy sector which will significantly increase energy prices for families and businesses in the UK. The ETS also increases bills and has proved dismally ineffective. It is going to become an even worse deal for us when the new floor price comes in.

Given Britain emits less than 2% of global emissions, and the major emitters aren’t following our example, these policies would have little effect anyway. We would do better to focus much smaller amounts of money on directly putting scientists and engineers to work finding more affordable alternatives to fossil fuels.

Worth reading Matt Sinclair's (TPA Director) book, Let them Eat Carbon, on this subject

Politics UK

Matthew Elliot would vote
to leave the EU.

The UK and the EU. Should the UK hold a referendum over the UKs membership in the EU and how would you vote?

The TaxPayers' Alliance

On a straight In/Out referendum I’d vote to leave the EU

Yes, they should hold a referendum on our relationship with the EU

Politics UK

What reforms does the NHS need for an aging population?

The TaxPayers' Alliance

To be honest with you, we haven’t focused much of our research time on NHS reform, but we did produce a paper last year called ‘Wasting Lives’. This paper found that in 2008 (the latest year for which data is available) 11,749 more deaths occurred in the UK than would have if the UK had matched the average mortality amenable to healthcare rates of European peers. Here's the paper:

http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/wastinglives2011.pdf

The paper also found that the amount of money invested had little effect on the performance of the NHS. This suggests reform is necessary, and an aging population only makes this more urgent...

Here's a video about the report, as the concept's a little technical: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fF03yKDEn1U

Politics UK

What are the future plans for the TPA?

The TaxPayers' Alliance

As mentioned, we’re publishing the report of our Tax Commission in April, which will show how we would like to see the tax system reformed. This is a joint project with the Institute of Directors, and a dozen or so experts have worked hard over the past 18 months to write it. Watch this space for more details nearer the time.

Also, from a personal perspective, I hear there may be some more referendums around the corner!

Politics UK

This concludes the active Q&A session. We would like to thank the Taxpayers Alliance for attending this interview.

This thread is now open to PUK members to post their questions.

Politics UK

Robin French: Do you think that No2AV would have gotten away with the claims they made in the run up to the AV referendum if it had been covered by the rules that apply to parliamentary election campaigns?

The TaxPayers' Alliance

Robin: The referendum was covered by the same rules as general elections, and we were given a clean bill of health by the Electoral Commission, Advertising Standards Authority etc, so yes...

Tam Raymond

Hi, where did your “sister” organisation, “Taxpayer Scotland” get the numbers indicating their view that “Scotland's debt could be as high as £189bn, even before taking into account its share of the national debt.”?

The TaxPayers' Alliance

Tam: I'm not familiar with the details of that report, but you can read it here: http://www.taxpayerscotland.com/news/StateofScotland_Debt_Jan2012.pdf

Politics UK

Richard Frazer: How difficult will 2012 be?

Will it be worse than 2013?

The TaxPayers' Alliance

Richard: more difficult than 2011, I think. That's the feedback I'm getting from supporters, especially small businesses

I think it's their financial obligations - current debt, liabilities, etc

Politics UK

Sophie Louise: Is this a government of taxation. Is it different to the last government?

The TaxPayers' Alliance

Sophie: Unfortunately taxes have gone up, so it is a 'government of taxation'

Politics UK This session is now closed. Thank you for your questions.

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 PoliticsUK would like to thank Matthew Elliot & Andy Whitehurst. For more information on The Taxpayers' Alliance, please visit http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/

PoliticsUK would also like to thank William MacDonald and Hex Austen.