British Muslims must play their part against jihadis

HOME Secretary Theresa May delivered a magnificent speech yesterday at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.

Express comment on British Muslims, stamp duty and illegal immigrants May warned that Islamic jihadists could get hold of 'chemical, biological or even nuclear weapons' [GETTY]

Whereas last week’s Labour talking shop was devoid of policies and spirit this week the Tories have been in sparkling form.

And Mrs May even managed to upstage star turn Boris Johnson. Mrs May warned that Islamic jihadists could get hold of “chemical, biological or even nuclear weapons” which makes it even more imperative that we smash their bases in Iraq and Syria.

“We must stand up for our values,” she declared and nobody was about to argue with her. She also pledged that if the Conservatives win the next election the monitoring of internet traffic would offer the “solution to this crisis of national security”.

She said: “The lesson of history tells us that when our enemies say they want to attack us they mean it. We must not flinch. We must not shy away from our responsibility.” Pointedly she addressed British Muslims, reminding them that the IS interpretation of Islam was wrong and that they must join “in the battle raging for the heart and soul of Islam itself”.

It was stirring stuff.

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The lesson of history tells us that when our enemies say they want to attack us they mean it. We must not flinch

Theresa May

This unfair tax on hope

Stamp duty revenue is soaring as property prices increase. How can attempts by the Government to encourage first-time buyers with schemes such as Help to Buy really be effective when so many prospective purchasers are thwarted by this unfair tax?

“For some reason the Government doesn’t see any contradiction,” observes Paula Higgins of the HomeOwners Alliance. The Treasury’s take from stamp duty amounts to £6.5billion in the past 12 months, a 32 per cent increase.

It is already next to impossible for many first-time buyers to raise the deposit for a property and then they have to pay stamp duty on top of that. This newspaper’s crusade against stamp duty will continue.

It is an outdated levy that was intended to apply to the rich but now hits almost everyone. At the very least the stamp duty exemption threshold should, as Ms Higgins says, always be above the average house price so ordinary homebuyers are not liable.

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Grass is greener over here

Jacky Goodfellow returned from the supermarket to find an illegal immigrant in her front garden, a pleasant young man from Eritrea who hoped to be a teacher. Mrs Goodfellow chatted to him and gave him a Penguin and some Hula Hoops while they waited for the police to arrive. How very British and civilised.

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