Lazy, incapable of origin thought or something else?

Like many others I have been closely following the refugee crisis involving fellow human beings trying to get into Europe.
I was born in London and lived there for 28 years. I was a nurse in the NHS for 12 years. I therefore value and appreciate the contribution that has made been made to this country by those who have chosen to come here - whether it's those from the Caribbean who got the public sector back on its feet after WW2, the Poles who came here during the war to fly for the RAF, the Asians who fled Uganda, the doctors and nurses that prop up the NHS - you name it, I've met lots of people.

I would describe myself as a passionate person - I take things seriously and I have a big dislike of injustice.

I am an active member of the 38 degrees organisation and support their "people power" methods of getting things changed. I believe that most of the country are brainwashed by the mainstream media who push their own agendas and try and steer our thoughts to support them.

Like any parent or reasonable human being I was heartbroken to see the little Syrian lad who was washed up on a beach in Turkey. I know this has been happening for years but sometimes it takes a particular thing to crystalise how you feel about something. Empathy is a very strong emotion.

So I responded to an email from 38 degrees asking me to email my MP.

The email I sent was as follows:-

Dear Kevin Hollinrake,
I’m sure you have seen the recent images of dead Syrian children, who were washed ashore on the beaches of Bodrum recently. You’ve also heard about the humanitarian crisis in Calais and the borders of Italy.
As one of the wealthiest countries in the world, I can’t understand why we have failed to act in a compassionate way and help those fleeing war and persecution. Enough is enough and we have to act now.
As your constituent, a parent and a human being, I urge you to please raise this matter with David Cameron today.

Yes it's based on a template by 38 degrees but I did alter it slightly.

Within a couple of hours I got this reply:-

Dear Mr. Hepworth

Thank you for your email. 

This problem demands a clear response from European nations, and if we are to stop it, we must adopt the right approach. We cannot do anything which encourages more people to make these perilous journeys - or which makes it easier for the gangs responsible for their misery. That is why the UK will not participate in a mandatory system of resettlement or relocation. 
 
I appreciate your concern on this issue, but I do think that in providing support to address the immediate situation, we have to make sure we are not doing anything to make the problem worse. We must distinguish between those genuinely fleeing persecution and economic migrants hoping for a better life. While the UK has a proud tradition of providing refuge for those who need it, we must not provide new incentives for those simply seeking to come for economic reasons.
 
The EU should work to establish safe zones underpinned by an active programme of returns. As well as this, we are working to stop the problem at source, such as the more than £900 million in aid to support refugees from the Syrian crisis. As I have said, not all those trying to enter the EU are refugees and we need to slow people's travel through transit countries, encourage them to return to their country of origin, or help them build a better life in other countries rather than trying to make the dangerous journey to Europe.
 
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.

Not bad I thought but doesn't really answer me so I replied with

Dear Kevin,

As you say the UK has a long and distinguished history of helping those in need from overseas - the kinder transport before WW2 springs to mind.

Based on the UK's colonial past do you not think we have some sort of ongoing moral duty to be one of the more helpful nations?

The father of the little boy that died and was on the news was fleeing torture in Syria - would you send him back there? (Now minus his wife and children as they all perished).

Syria is literally on our doorstep - you only need look at a map of the mediterranean to see that - there are reports of the Turkish regime illtreating refugees - which countries would you use as a buffer?

I agree it's a complicated situation and I can't help but wonder what would be happening if we had decided to make a military intervention in Syria but then Iraq and Afghanistan didn't exactly go well.

People, humans, mothers, fathers, sons and daughters are dying in their 100s whilst we stand by and watch. We must do more than we are doing now. Your reply didn't really fill me with confidence that the UK goverment is doing all it can.

Thanks,

Ian Hepworth

I left it at that - I thought I'd pulled him up on his reply and he might have changed his thoughts based on my reply.

However,  his reply troubled me - it felt a bit like a press release. Now I'm not naive enough to believe that MP's sit round typing flowery emails all day but I would like to think that that might write their thoughts down on a topical issue and then use that as at the basis for their emails on that subject.

So I googled it. I cut and pasted the first paragraph into google. I don't know what I was expecting really - maybe a page on his website?
What I did end up with alarmed me.

At least 2 MP's have the text word for word on their websites - Simon Kirby and Julian Smith.

But one name kept cropping up - Theresa May.
On closer inspection it turns out that most of the email I was sent by Kevin Hollinrake was cut and pasted from an interview that Mrs May did with the times in May this year.

I was furious at this and fired off the following email:-

Hello again Kevin.

I felt your original response to my email felt a bit cut and pasted.

So I googled it.

And it turns out most of your response is based, pretty much word for word, on a interview made by Theresa May in May 2015 - nearly six months ago.

It is very disappointing for me as your constituent to find that you are either very lazy or incapable of your own opinion  on such an important issue.

This will not be the last you hear from me on this matter.

So there you go and here we are.

Are our elected officials lazy or stupid enough to just cut and paste stuff in reply to questions?
What does Kevin Hollinrake really think about the refugee crisis?
Would he risk his life and that of his family to flee persecution?

We need to talk about Kevin.........