Sorry for the lack of postings, I'm exhausted and simply didn't manage. And this won't be a great posting, just an outburst of anger. Yes, it's pure anger now, look at what Tom Harris, MP for the cartside covering constituency of Cathcart has said, and please remember, he's Labour:

"Glasgow Cathcart MP Tom Harris said: 'The rantings of Robina Qureshi, of Positive Action in Housing, adds nothing to this debate and instead cranks up the levels of ignorance that must exist for her arguments to be taken seriously.

'To claim that the Scottish police are doing the dirty work of the Home Office and the far right is confirmation that neither she nor her little private army of self-appointed guardians of the public conscience have any credibility.' " [Scotland on Sunday quotation, http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/politics.cfm?id=2310802005 ]

So, alongside the thousands of campaigners that Robina Qureshi brought together, I'm therefore also not credible, just a little unimportant private soldier of a self appointed conscience. I mean, I don't agree with every word Robina says, or every single word other people involved in this campaign say (Tommy Sheridan, I'm not your sister. I'd know if I was). BUT: at least there is a campaign of people who are disgusted with what's happening in the name of immigration control, with the inhumanity of dawn raids, detention of people who are suicidal and what not, and we're not a private little army, we're hundreds, thousands of people. No radicals, just people who care. We don't hide between well wrought politician speak. We speak out according to how our beak has grown.

I also received a letter from Mr Harris claiming (without evidence - I know that because there can't possibly be any) that I would be asking for every failed asylum seeker to remain in the UK. I never, ever, said anywhere that I even ask for one failed asylum seeker to stay. It wouldn't be the end of the world if they did, but that's not what asylum is for. It's for refugees who have a well founded fear of persecution, and that is what I work on, nothing else. I do not want refugee status to be given to everyone, I do not want immigration control to stop removals. I do want detention to be used wisely and VERY carefully, and if possible, not at all. I would like to see voluntary return to be the only way people are removed, because they feel safe that they will be returned to safety. I also want the asylum system to be fair and those people who have a well founded fear of persecution to actually get refugee status, and this isn't happening at present. So we need to work towards improving things, and such statements do absolutely nothing towards making anything happen.

I'm starting to lose faith in my politicians. That should worry you, Tom Harris and Co. Yes, in fact it should. How about that for a rant?  Am I even less credible now? I don't have an army, but at least I do have a conscience, and Ahm no' gonnae apologise fae i'.

I think Mr Harris should apologise for being disrespectful to Robina, the campaign and myself, for suggesting I said things I never did, for labelling me a radical just because I don't agree with him and wrote him a letter explaining why. Maybe he reads this and this is why he labelled me a radical? That would be funny now. Next thing I'll get a fine for blogging in this oh so free country.