Sixteen people banned from entering the UK were “named and shamed” by the Home Office today.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said she decided to make public the names of 16 people banned since October so others could better understand what sort of behaviour Britain was not prepared to tolerate.

The list includes hate preachers, anti-gay protesters and a far- right US talk show host.

“I think it’s important that people understand the sorts of values and sorts of standards that we have here, the fact that it’s a privilege to come and the sort of things that mean you won’t be welcome in this country,” Ms Smith told GMTV.

“Coming to this country is a privilege. If you can’t live by the rules that we live by, the standards and the values that we live by, we should exclude you from this country and, what’s more, now we will make public those people that we have excluded.

“We are publishing the names of 16 of those that we have excluded since October. We are telling people who they are and why it is we don’t want them in this country.”

She said the number of people excluded from Britain had risen from an average of two a month to five a month since October.

The list of the 16 “least wanted” includes radio talk show host Michael Savage, real name Michael Weiner.

“This is someone who has fallen into the category of fomenting hatred, of such extreme views and expressing them in such a way that it is actually likely to cause inter-community tension or even violence if that person were allowed into the country,” Ms Smith told BBC Breakfast.

This is why over the top and an overreaction by the Gordon Brown government. But, hey it is their country and sets an example to the world as to the tolerance of the British – which they aren’t very, apparently.

Savage laughed the ban off today.

“When I woke up and saw this this morning … my first thought was, damn, there goes the summer trip where I planned to have my dental work done,” the “Savage Nation” host joked. “My second thought was, darn … there goes my visit to the restaurants of England for their great cuisine.”

Yet, later Savage said he was contemplating legal action against Britain’s top homeland security offical Jacqui Smith.

What a stupid decision to include America’s third rated radio talk show host on an undesirable list with neo-Nazis, skinheads and Islamic terrorists.

And, what if Savage calls for a boycott of travel to Britain? How much will that cost the Brown government?

In the meantime, Savage’s ratings no doubt will increase, with the concomitant advertising dollars.

Michael Savage banned all the way to the bank.

Michael Savage – banned from the United Kingdom

Oh and if anyone cares you can contact Ms Jacqui Smith here:

Concerned individuals may contact Britain’s Home Office Secretary Jacqui Smith by e-mail, call 011 44 20 7035 4848 or fax 011 44 20 7035 4745.

Stay tuned……