Congrats to hero John for taking on knifeman and telling the BBC something must be done on immigration

John Hayes speaking of the Southport events

PA
Kelvin Mackenzie

By Kelvin Mackenzie


Published: 08/08/2024

- 12:00

Updated: 08/08/2024

- 12:01

Kelvin MacKenzie is the former editor of the Sun

We should all congratulate the courage of John Hayes, a 63-year-old grandfather, who, although unarmed, took on a young man armed with a knife during the Southport attack on a dance class in which three little girls were killed.

As has been well documented he was working in his office in the same building as the dance area when he heard a scream. He rushed to the scene and came face to face with the knifeman.


They grappled and the knifeman stabbed him in his upper thigh. The wound was 12cms deep and required major surgery. Today he is on the mend and was well enough to give an interview this morning to the Lefties running BBCs’ Radio 4 Today programme.

And that is where he showed the same courage that he had displayed earlier when taking on the young man. The BBC clearly wanted him to pour a bucket over the riots. And although he condemned them, he made a better point.

Firstly, he made it clear he did not believe the Southport killings had anything to do with the disorder. As he correctly pointed out there has been a ‘’ strong undertone of discontent about levels on immigration and this is just the catalyst.’’

John said he felt dismayed when he hears the government speaking of police ‘’using the full force of the law’’ on rioters

‘’They need to start listening and understand. They need to address the cause rather than the symptoms’’ he said.

‘’I don’t condone the violence but there’s an awful lot of unhappy people in this country at the moment that want something to be done. And until the government starts to address that, this problem is not going away.’’

Excellent points from a very courageous man. Unfortunately, Starmer won’t do anything about the problem. The boats will continue to arrive and the resentment will continue to grow.

In fact, the situation is likely to get worse. The Times, in a detailed piece of analysis, reveals that the the Home Office is going to rush through the asylum applications for the 100,000 immigrants currently housed in hotels and the like.

The government expect 67,000 will be granted asylum. They will then be allowed out of the hotels and told to find jobs or apply for benefits. Further, they will be told to seek private rented accommodation of find social housing.

Since rents are already high, I can’t imagine what that will do for rents wherever they settle. And nor can I imagine the anger of people already on council housing list who get pushed down because the immigrants get preferment.

Home Office officials expect to have cleared the asylum backlog within a year.

My other worry is what will happen to the 33,000 who aren’t granted asylum. I understand if they come from India, Albania or Vietnam it is likely their governments will take them back as they have done before.

But what of the other 10,000-15,000. Will they voluntarily return to camps waiting for a plane and in any event will countries in, say Africa, take them back. My bet is that they will disappear into the ‘’system’’.

All the time hundreds will arrive every day on the Dover shore. I expect the number arriving to increase as their mates will say the UK is a soft touch where you will receive benefits and social housing.

As John Hayes said on the Today programme ( much to the surprise of their lefty presenters and production staff) this problem is not going away.

My bet is it will get worse. Then Labour will pay dearly at various elections over the next five years before finally being thrown out. Good.

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