Mail Human Rights Paranoia

With the holiday season in full swing, it seems the inmates of the Northcliffe House bunker have been supping something rather stronger than usual, as not only has the frothing and ranting over the refugee crisis in Calais and the surrounding area continued, it is being blamed on the Human Rights Act (HRA). This enables the Dacre doggies to lambast Young Dave, then dump the responsibility not on him, but elsewhere.

So while today’s headline blasts the Government, telling “A few sniffer dogs, better fences … and that’s it! PM attacked for ‘sticking plaster’ response to Calais crisis … HOW FEEBLE”, it actually isn’t Cameron’s fault. At least the paper came clean about why they were ranting: “The Prime Minister came under attack as one of the biggest holiday getaway weekends of the year began with scenes of bedlam in France and England”.

Yes, never mind all the hauliers and businesses needing to transport goods between the UK and mainland Europe, it was A Very Bad Thing because people like, er, those who work at the Mail who were being inconvenienced. Then came the advice: “Tory MPs said that, if the Prime Minister was serious about getting a grip, he should have immediately scrapped the Human Rights Act which makes it harder for Britain to take firm action against illegal immigrants and failed asylum seekers”.

And to that I call bullshit. The HRA does not prevent a Government from taking action against illegal immigrants and asylum seekers. It merely accords human rights to all people. That, though, is enough for Daily Mail Comment to go off on one: Britain, it proclaims, is “A nation imperilled by the Human Rights Act”.

“Another day, another insult to common sense courtesy of the Human Rights Act and the lawyers enriched by this toxic piece of legislation, which allows them so profitably to ride roughshod over the wishes of Parliament and the British public” it tells readers, while not telling them that their pals at the Sun are using it to stop Police snooping.

There’s more: it’s down to “legally aided British solicitors … Backing up the lawyers … are the countless charities and quangos that have been hijacked by the Left. Together, many could be forgiven for thinking they form an insidious Fifth Column who are giving succour to Britain’s enemies and undermining at every step all attempts to make our streets safer”.

Then it goes Wibble Overdrive: “Indeed, one of the main reasons why David Cameron’s response to the ongoing bedlam at Calais - a few extra dogs, some new fencing and allowing lorries to use MoD land in Kent for parking - was so pathetic yesterday is that anything more radical would inevitably be challenged by the charities and lawyers and be struck down by the judges”. Er, hello?

They’re serious: “Which brings us back to the Human Rights Act and why, ultimately, the Government only has itself to blame for this mess … What is certain is that - while ever the Human Rights Act remains in place - the Fifth Columnists will continue to jeopardise the well-being of this country”. That is truly barking.

In the Mail’s fairy dairy land, human rights are a traitorous thing, legal aid enriches lawyers, and together, they allow refugees into the UK. Or something like that.