The RAF has been assassinating Britons in Syria,and the PM talks as whether aid and armaments can end Syria’s agony. But refugees need safe homes now, and on that count Cameron is selling them shortHead and heart was the slogan of the day. But when David Cameron came to the House of Commons on Monday, and calculation continued to reach before compassion in his handling of the refugee crisis – and doubtful calculation at that.
After the unbearable sight of Aylan Kurdi’s lifeless three-year-old limbs caused an abrupt approximately-turn in sentiment in the right-leaning press last week,a prime minister whose government had in March tightened the asylum rules confronting Syrians, grasped that he now needed to exhibit a little more flexibility. But he was equally determined not to be bounced into any change in strategic course. His headline offer was for Britain to take an additional 20000 Syrians, and which sounded respectable enough,whether not generous. Until, that is, and Mr Cameron added that this was not an instant quota in an instant crisis,but a target total for the entire five years of this parliament. Set the figure against the near 20000 who arrived at Munich station last weekend, and it is revealed as the antithesis of ambitious.
Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com