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Duck failed to notice bump-berg directly ahead

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Immigration is a popular and political hot potato in the UK. Critics often point to over-population – that the UK is full – as justification to impose limits. The numbers, however, do not support such a statement (nor does a flight over the country, but that’s another matter).

The UK has on average 255 people per square kilometre. There are fifty-two other counties or territories with a greater population density. The leader is the city-state Macau with 18,534 people per km².

In Europe, there are nine other counties or territories with a greater population density: Monaco (16,923); Gibraltar (4,559); Vatican (1,877); Malta (1,318); Guernsey (843); Jersey (797); San Marino (505); Netherlands (402); & Belgium (355).

Some UK cities are certainly well populated. Greater London (4,933) and Glasgow (3,298) for example. There are however large swathes of England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland which have plenty of room, such as: Herefordshire (82); Cumbria (73); Northumberland (62); Gwynedd (46); Strabane (45); Ceredigion (44); Omagh (44); Stirling (40); Moray (39); Aberdeenshire (38); Moyle (34); Fermanagh (32); Perth and Kinross (27). Then there vastly under populated areas, such as: Powys (25); Scottish Borders (24); Dumfries and Galloway (23); Orkney Islands (20); Shetland Islands (15); Argyll and Bute (13); Highlands (9); The Outer Hebrides (8).

For context, the world average is about 47 people per km². This figure includes the near vacant continent Antarctica.

The land-area of counties and administrative districts in the UK that come under the world average is: 72,851 km². That’s about the size of Ireland or the Czech Republic.

This means that nearly a third (30%) of the 242,900 km² in the UK is populated less than the world average.

The UK is no where near the fullest country or territory in the world, although it is one of the busier countries in Europe. While many parts of the UK (cities and England for example) are well over the world population density average – large parts remain well under average. In fact, various estimates say that only five-to-ten percent of the country is built on.

Over-population should not be used as an excuse to restrict immigration. Should limits need to be imposed – they should be for valid reasons.

Numbers crunched from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states_and_dependent_territories_by_population_density
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_districts_in_Northern_Ireland_by_population_density
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_districts_in_Northern_Ireland_by_area
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Scottish_council_areas_by_population_density
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Scottish_council_areas_by_population
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Scottish_council_areas_by_area
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Welsh_principal_areas_by_area
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Welsh_principal_areas_by_population
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Welsh_principal_areas_by_population_density
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_counties_by_area
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_counties_by_population

Should we tinker with the House of Lords or leave well alone? Federal Union 20 August 2011

We should more than tinker with the House of Lords – we should reform.

The Upper House of the United Kingdom is part theocratic. Twenty-six COE bishops are appointed. Not Catholics. Not Jews. Not Muslims. Not Humanists. Twenty-six Protestants. It is an effective vote-block for narrow and unrepresentative religious ideology.

The Upper House of the United Kingdom is part oligarchy Up to Ninety-two positions are hereditary. Not Academics. Not Consuls of the people. Influence is passed from one generation to the next without merit assessment. It is a massive vote-block for privilege-&-vested-interests to maintain political control and wealth.

The Upper House of the United Kingdom is wholly undemocratic. Every member: religious, elite, or otherwise is appointed without direct-reference to the people.

The Upper House of the United Kingdom is an international embarrassment. Consider how the Government and Parliament promotes democracy overseas as a form of legitimacy (often violently) but allows fundamental pillars of UK system (Such as the Upper House and the Head-of-State) to remain wholly undemocratic.

So to surmise: the Upper House of the United Kingdom is an undemocratic theocratic oligarchy. Most member are appointed by the undemocratic theocratic oligarch Head-of-State (supreme leader in law) on the advice of the unelected Prime Minister who is appointed by a undemocratic theocratic oligarch.

The Upper House of the United Kingdom is an aberration and abomination to democracy; legitimacy and the rule of law. In law, I cannot see much difference between the political systems of the UK and Iran.

Don’t get me started on the Lower House.

> Different types of Lords | Parliament UK

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HM Government e-petition | Brian Haw Monument Parliament Square

WE the undersigned petition the Government to erect a statue to the anti-military-adventurism campaigner Brian Haw.

His extraordinary ten-year campaign – spent largely in a tent opposite the Palace of Westminster – was an epic act of passive resistance. It was the social conscience of a nation. It served to embarrass and shame Parliament and Government over their flagrant failures to uphold: democracy, the rule of law, and International law.

The monument shall remind all those who enter Westminster of their obligations to the peoples of the UK and the human consequences of their decisions.

The monument should be placed opposite the Palace of Westminster in Parliament Square.

HM Government e-petition | Brian Haw Monument Parliament Square