NOVEMBER 22, 2012

Hello everyone,

Not much happening on all the sites, I fear that everyone has lost hope in our fight. I ask you to read the transcript of what happened on October 23, 2012 in the House of the Lords. One Baroness Smith spoke to the House to explain how these rule changes are un-necessary as immigrants do not have access to public funding and so how will the rule changes protect the tax payers. She did a wonderful job, unlike Baroness Browning who explained she felt the income requirement was justified as the average income is well enough to meet the income criteria.... I ask her to do a bit of homework before she talks and makes herself look foolish. My husband can only find work that pays minimum wages, we would be lucky enough for him to find work where he brought home over 15,000 let alone the 24,800 he needs to sponsor me and our 2 kids.

Baroness Smith has put forth another hearing on November 22, 2012, I beg each and everyone of you to write to your local MP's .... all of them, even the MP to the EA in your area. Make this a big problem fresh in their minds before the hearing on November 22, 2012. Please every let's fight this every way we can. I have attached the link to the transcript from the October 23, 2012 for you all to read. Good luck to you all

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/?id=2012-10-23a.178.2

Yes it was a light at the end of what is a very long tunnel. I was impressed by LibDem Lord Teverson - sadly the only LibDem who bothered by the look of the House to have attended. He said:

"I say to the Minister that I believe this matter comes down to two important issues. Those are fundamentally moral and ethical, with human rights perhaps coming third. First, it must be fundamentally in the DNA of the UK that its citizens can marry whomever they want. That has to be a basic right of our citizens, who have one of the greatest and deepest histories in terms of being able to exercise individual rights. I also say to my Conservative colleagues-perhaps not the ones who are here but some of the others-that it is absolutely wrong for the state to intervene so strongly in deciding whom you are able to marry and live with. It is wrong that the state should be able to intervene to that degree. If the marriage is a real one-and that is always the important question-then people should be able to marry exactly whom they like and to live exactly where they like."

The full Hansard text is at

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201213/ldhansrd/text/121023-0002.htm#12102355000231

The video is at http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=11559 - scroll to 17:34:30 on the timeline

Baroness Smith spoke up in the House of Lords (Grand Committee) again on Monday about the changes to the immigration rules. This time, she questioned the legality of how they were passed in the House of Commons. At the end of her debate, she successfully put forward a motion calling for a further full debate in the House of Lords to discuss the implications of the new rules. Good to know there is still someone in such a position prepared to speak up for us all.

Here is the full transcript, her motion begins at 4:28pm:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201213/ldhansrd/text/121126-gc0001.