Monday, August 21, 2006
What immigration problem?
Conservative Immigration spokesman Damien Green has said the government should limit workers rights to immigrants who wish to come to the UK from Bulgaria and Romania should those countries be admitted to the EU in 2007. He said a new influx could "put unacceptable pressure on public services, on school places, on the provision of housing, which causes big problems for certain local communities".
The government meanwhile it says it hasn't decided whether it will impose restrictions, but Trade secretary Alistair Darling did outline Labour's position:
I'm going to stick my neck out on this one. I think the main arguments of both parties betray that essentially this isn't an immigration problem at all, its a welfare state problem. It is not the number of immigrants in the UK that is cause for concern, but more simply, the number of people in the UK, period.
As population increases, there are more people to treat for "free", more children to school for "free", more people need to be provided with housing for "free". What the code behind all this is that inflexible state socialism cannot cope with the flexible labour market.
There truly is a serious problem here, but it isn't an "immigration" problem.
The government meanwhile it says it hasn't decided whether it will impose restrictions, but Trade secretary Alistair Darling did outline Labour's position:
What we need to do is balance the skills that we require - and yes, our economy does require skills in various areas - and at the same time having a system that is properly managed so we can take care of all the other things we need to consider, like the healthcare system, the education system and so on
I'm going to stick my neck out on this one. I think the main arguments of both parties betray that essentially this isn't an immigration problem at all, its a welfare state problem. It is not the number of immigrants in the UK that is cause for concern, but more simply, the number of people in the UK, period.
As population increases, there are more people to treat for "free", more children to school for "free", more people need to be provided with housing for "free". What the code behind all this is that inflexible state socialism cannot cope with the flexible labour market.
There truly is a serious problem here, but it isn't an "immigration" problem.
# posted by Chris Hughes @ 6:20 pm 
Comments:
<< Home
agree 100% with you on this one.
the problem is not immigration its housing (or lack thereof, Macmillan used to compete and beat Attlee on Houses and New towns actually built. The trouble is that Thatchers tax cuts were too much in the 1980s, funded in part by blowing money acrued from the wonderful right to buy policy.
Such council house sales have to be counterbalanced with new supply and regrettably thats where TB, Livingstone and sadly the BNP beat us on this issue in some urban areas (as noted by Margaret Hodge)
Our benefit system is a joke as its nationally not regionally delivered, and don't get me started on Inheritence tax thresholds being the worst of the stealth taxes.
Post a Comment
the problem is not immigration its housing (or lack thereof, Macmillan used to compete and beat Attlee on Houses and New towns actually built. The trouble is that Thatchers tax cuts were too much in the 1980s, funded in part by blowing money acrued from the wonderful right to buy policy.
Such council house sales have to be counterbalanced with new supply and regrettably thats where TB, Livingstone and sadly the BNP beat us on this issue in some urban areas (as noted by Margaret Hodge)
Our benefit system is a joke as its nationally not regionally delivered, and don't get me started on Inheritence tax thresholds being the worst of the stealth taxes.
<< Home
