As someone who has gone through the whole visa process, I feel I’m better equipped to understand her predicament than most. There are two sides to every story, and without knowing this family, I cannot make a completely valid judgement on their case, but she has experienced many of the things I did when dealing with the UK Border Agency (albeit with a very different outcome). The similarities are too difficult to ignore.

Let’s face it. The UK’s immigration system is severely broken. So many people slip through the cracks every year, and too many people receive services they aren’t entitled to. That being said, some of that blame has to rest on the authorities – overworked, underpaid, etc. Newspapers and various other media sources are reporting that Nokuthula Ngazana (Gamu’s mother) had her visa rejected because she claimed working tax credit and child tax credit when she wasn’t entitled to it. Again, whilst I don’t know the exact specifics, some of that problem has to do with the Inland Revenue officials who processed her application for tax credits not checking if she had recourse to public funds on her visa.

Zimbabwe, where Gamu’s from, has not been part of the Commonwealth since 2003, if I remember correctly. Things get a little iffy in the UK if you come from outside the Commonwealth or EU. In my case (I still remain a Thai citizen), I have right of abode, but cannot vote, join the army or work in a government agency. I could be entitled to some tax credits, but I find the system too confusing to see if that is the case.
A logical person would assume that if they pay taxes, they’re entitled to the same rights and benefits as everyone else who contributes to the economy, right? Alas, this is not so. In some respect, I’ve been lucky that Thailand has never been part of the Commonwealth, so I’ve always known I wouldn’t receive the same benefits as everyone else. Gamu’s family have not had that same luxury; they came to the UK in 2002 as Commonwealth citizens, but a year later, they suddenly weren’t part of the Commonwealth any more. Many of their rights were taken away from them, maybe even without them knowing it.

The awkward situation she now faces is that she is now 18, and a legal adult in the eyes of the law. Although newspapers report that for some reason she has no right of appeal, even if she did, it wouldn’t help much, as she would have to reapply as an adult/her appeal would be treated like an adult’s. For obvious reasons, countries across the world treat children in regards to immigration much more leniently than adults. There used to be this piece of law called the Seven Year Concession, where you were automatically given residency if you were a minor and had stayed in this country for seven years or more. Sadly, this was withdrawn on the 9th of December 2008 by Phil Woolas (Labour), then Home Secretary. I still think it makes sense, though. I first came to the UK when I was 4 years old, and Gamu came to the UK when she was about 10. In the years/decades that have passed since we first came here, we’ve adopted the language, the culture, and most importantly, the lifestyle. For all intents and purposes, we are now British. We talk like the British, we act like the British, and I swear like the British. The only difference is that we’re genetically different. I have no memory of what life in Thailand was like, and I bet she only has vague, distant memories of her life in Zimbabwe, too.

The last thing I want to say on this matter deeply personal. I’ve never told anyone this before, but I know how stressful a visa application is, and how heartbreaking it is to have it turned down through no fault of your own. When my family applied for indefinite leave to remain many years ago, I was much younger, and was able to apply as a dependent of my mother. Although my mother and grandmother had completely successful applications, mine was rejected because the case worker felt I was too old to be a dependent, even though the only clause for being a dependent was that you had to be under 18, which I was. Thus, I had to reapply on my own, and the irony of it was that whilst my first application was rejected because I was deemed to be too old to apply as a dependent by the case worker, the documents for my own separate application still said I was still too young to sign my own forms.
Although my first application was rejected because of a stupid admin, not technical matter, and everything was resolved for me in the end, the emotions you feel upon discovering the rejection are the same. Unlike Gamu, however, I had full right of appeal and/or the option to reapply. I still had hope then, and I hope for her now – her dignity and strength is amazing during this time of trouble.
Gamu is going about this the right way, gaining the support of MPs – the only people who can speak on her behalf to Theresa May, the Home Secretary – and getting as much publicity for her cause as much as possible.

Cases like hers will hopefully help the new coalition government realise that there are too many problems with our immigration system. Both authorities and immigrants have no clear idea of the rules. Additionally, there is not enough manpower to make sure everyone is adhering to them, whatever they may be – people haven’t been checked thoroughly enough for much too long.
Next year, I will take the useless Life in the UK Test so I can get a British passport, and regain the things that any other inhabitant of this country my age should have, like the ability to get onto the electoral roll.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that I believe that everyone who comes to this country to work and live here for an extended period of time or permanently should be given most of the same rights and benefits as everyone else. It’s just unfair that Nokuthula Ngazana, Gamu Nhengu and the rest of their family are being penalised for taking something anyone else in their position – working, single parent family – would be entitled to.
With all the corruption and controversy, not to mention a vicious dictator like Mugabe in power, Zimbabwe is an extremely scary country to be in right now. Due to the whole visa issue, Gamu’s family will eventually face deportation back there. I honestly fear for their safety should they return there, and hope that our government see sense and resolve this issue soon.

Being a senior figure in a political party is equivalent to being an A-List celebrity. EVERYONE wants to take a photo with you /shake your hand/fawn over you, from people campaigning to be the next member of parliament (and need a photo for their campaign material) to those who just want a photo for the lulz*.

As I mentioned before, in the youth and student branch of the Liberal Democrats, Liberal Youth, elections are currently taking place to elect the new executive. Members of Liberal Youth are meant to vote for the people they want based on the manifestos shown at this handy site. Now, I made my choices based on the content in these manifestos**, what people were promising vs. what they could actually deliver, etc, but what was a big turnoff for me was people trying to pretend that senior politicians had endorsed them.

More specifically, I’m talking about this (and on a lesser scale, this). Just because you managed to get a photo next to him does not give you the right to say “Nick agrees with me.” Nick Clegg takes photos with many people, and won’t remember most of the people he’s shared photos with (he’s only human, after all).
I don’t care if you were just taking the piss, or if you were just trying to liven your manifesto up with a photo, but I consider it false advertising, unless you can prove that you specifically walked up to him and gave him all your policies as a candidate for a general executive member of Liberal Youth and got his express permission to use his image in that way.
And, considering what a busy man he is (note my failure to try and get a picture of him whilst he was in the same room as me), this scenario occuring is highly unlikely.

If I ever got a photo with someone important in the Lib Dems, I could technically put anything I liked as a slogan, as I would own the rights to that picture. But I wouldn’t. Because I highly doubt the person I took the photo with would agree to support “OMG LET TASERS BECOME LEGAL IN THE UK!!!!1111!!!!”

I understand prospective parliamentary candidates needing a photo with a senior member of the party  - to show that they’re united/actually a member of the party – for campaign material, blah blah blah, but I don’t see the point in using them to advertise people in internal elections, when we already know you’re on the right party to be running for that position. And unless it’s for a leadership position within the federal party, isn’t everyone meant to remain neutral about who they would vote for?

When it comes to Liberal Youth elections…

You’re a bloody youth politician. Like it or not, but the ‘grown-ups’ don’t take you seriously right now. Write a decent manifesto, telling your electorate what you can and cannot offer. Don’t rely on celebrity endorsements, and don’t try to insinuate that senior people have agreed with everything you’ve said, because that just makes you look like a fool.

Or, at the very least, will make me decide to vote for someone else.

*I will hunt down Nick Clegg eventually, get a photo and act like his best buddy. Because I’m cool like that.
** Grammar and spelling may have played a part in my decision as well, as stupid as it may sound. If you can’t be bothered to use spellcheck and/or proofread before you send off something for the last time, then it shows me that you can be careless.

As the youth branch of the Lib Dems, Liberal Youth’s membership database is significantly smaller than that of the main party (less and less young people getting interested in politics, etc). Liberal Youth only accounts for those aged up to 26 (and some people who really ought to be members aren’t tagged as being members, but that’s a story for another day). The small amount of members mean that cliques easily develop.
Like in real politics, certain members will always vote for the person they’re friends with, regardless of what they can offer to the party or what they’re actually promising to do – see Labour’s leadership elections. But I don’t see ‘proper’ politicians smearing other candidates about internal jobs (because that’s just unprofessional, and just gives ammunition to the other parties come election time). So why do we see it so much in youth politics?

Long before I joined Liberal Youth, there were some issues that led to most of the executive of the day resigning, and by-elections having to be held. I’m starting to see things heading the same way again, and the elections aren’t even over yet.
At present, my Facebook feed is filled with squabbling amongst the people running for various positions. People are threatening to leave the party if (insert member name here) gets elected instead of (insert another member name that they’re friends with here), and some are still arguing about what happened last time.

HERE’S A NEWSFLASH. Liberal Youth elections count for practically nothing in the real world. No one outside of the party cares who the current chair or vice chair of whatever is. But it reflects badly on the party if you can’t seem to act like a civilised human being during these elections. The Lib Dems are known for being the ‘third party’ in UK politics, coalitions aside. If none of you can grow up and act rationally, then you can’t expect anyone else to take us seriously.

I joined the Lib Dems because of their policies on equality and fairness. Not because I wanted to stand idly by whilst the person who had the most connections within the party got the top job. Nor did I join to watch slanging matches between people who really ought to know better.

Let people who are voting in the Liberal Youth elections make up their own minds about who to vote for, no matter how stupid – Lulu‘s voting based on the people with the coolest names, but that’s her prerogative. Endorsing another candidate is fine if you’re doing it personally, but please don’t use your existing role within the party as leverage for the candidate you support.

If the youth branches of political parties are meant to be the politicians of the future, then I’m extremely scared. Because, honestly? I wouldn’t vote for any of you based on the way you’re acting now. In ten years, you could be helping to run the country. And that’s a seriously worrying prospect when you can’t treat members of your own party with respect.

…Isn’t democracy grand?

Sarah Palin and Tina Fey look identical, but what would happen if they were given each others’ roles?

Whilst everyone is wondering how McCain’s choice panders to Hillary Clinton supporters, some of us in the micro-blogging world are thinking of the more shallow aspects, such as “ZOMG, SHE’S TINA FEY’S TWIN!!!111ONEONEONE!!!!” I’m sure Tina Fey would be flattered, considering Sarah Palin is about 6 years older than her (yes, I DID Google it).

I was meant to be writing an essay for something, but looking at my 30 Rock DVD, this got me thinking… What would they both do if their roles were reversed, and Tina Fey was potentially going to be the next VP, and Sarah Palin was the actress?

Please be aware that my knowledge of American politics sucks, and any inaccuracies in this post – of which there are many – are my own. The images were taken for information purposes only, and all the bad photoshopping was my own work. Also, I know almost nothing about the personal lives of Sarah Palin and Tina Fey, save for a few articles on Wikipedia (and the fact that I watch too much 30 Rock).

If Sarah Palin was a comic genius…

1. Most of her jokes would be linked to the oil crisis (she married Todd Palin, an ‘oil production operative’).
2. Instead of ‘Mean Girls’ being released, it would have been ‘Mean Pageants’ – I wonder if she still feels bitter about coming 2nd in the Miss Alaska beauty pageant?
3. SNL would avoid any jokes that were to do with gay marriage.
4. Celebrities who had ‘inhaled marijuana’ would be given a sympathetic shoulder to cry on.
5. The ‘Dear Sister’ SNL sketch would have had her in a starring role, due to her lifetime membership to the National Rifle Association.
6. As the main character in 30 Rock, she would have just shot people if they was being annoying.
7. Instead of eating cookies, she would have eaten moose burger instead.
8. 30 Rock would be pro-Republican, as opposed to leaning towards the Democrats.
9. Baby Mama would have been pro-life throughout.
10. She’d be excellent on political satire shows.

Tina Fey accepting her VP nomination?

If Tina Fey was a potential Vice President…

1. She’d attempt to make everyone learn Klingon (yay for Star Wars fans)!
2. She’d introduce a proposal to give writers huge salaries, to prevent another writer’s strike from happening again.
3. Her speeches would actually be funny.
4. She’d probably be best friends with the Senate by the time the election rolled around.
5. There’d be lots of hybrid cars whizzing about the place!! (Wikipedia says she drives a Lexus hybrid)
6. Oh, and like any other environmentalist, she’d encourage more recycling… [Have you realised that I don't know much about her yet?]
7. Hopefully she’d make McCain smile more than once a year – [ignoring the fact that she's apparently a Democrat and supported Hillary Clinton].
8. Anything to do with creative arts would be recommended for a large boost in funding.
9. Less internet censorship! I doubt that McCain even realises the impact of the internet. When he announced that Sarah Palin was going to be his running mate, her website’s servers automatically went down, haha.
10. Lastly, I guess she’d be good PR?

You’ll probably never see any of the things I’ve mentioned in the post above happening, but one can dream, can’t they? Everything you have just read also proves that I have way too much time on my hands.