Report by Jane Edwards.
I am not one of those Ukippers who froth at the mouth over Polish and other European workers – but seem to welcome Pakistanis and Africans. With the possible exception of the growing number of Romanian and Bulgarian Romas, our history shows that Europeans who have settled here have made little change to our ethnic make-up, in fact they have made us what we are as a nation. But such is the number now flocking to Britain through our membership of the EU that it is adding to the drain on the British taxpayers coffers, even though the majority have come here because they are good workers.
One of the hidden costs of EU immigration is £36 million a year from us taxpayers for payments to 40,000 children of immigrants who do not live here! This was revealed under data from the Department for Work and Pensions released at the end of August under the Freedom of Information Act. (D.Telegraph 29.8.13).
The Government figures also disclosed that 407,000 non-UK nationals last year received benefits such as Jobseeker’s Allowance. Of these 234,000 were from Asian and African immigrants and 139,000 were from European nationals.
Sir Andrew Green, the chairman of MigrationWatch UK said: “It is very striking that claimants from Poland and the other new eastern European member states have increased by nearly three quarters in just one year since they gained the same access to the UK benefit system as British citizens.
“Furthermore, these latest figures do not include working tax credit or housing benefit for which most east Europeans, being low paid, would qualify.”
Most British Democrats are pro-European but like many people on the continent think it is time to end the strait-jacket of the EU – the inheritors of the Soviet system. We should get out of the system and negotiate with fellow Europeans who comes here to work, and when, and how many can settle.
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The flaw in the ‘hard-working’ argument is that people are people and once they learn the ropes…… They also get older and that lasts a lot longer than the few youthful years they can do a lot of the ‘hard-working’ stuff.
Your sample is misleading.
The benefits situation is unacceptable and Chris Grayling is raising the matter in the EU with the support of France. But would it make much difference if we quit the EU? India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are not in the EU but they are top of the immigration league. And Irish citizens come here under the terms of the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1922. The present system needs to be reformed but in what way is it ‘Soviet’? In the USSR they had internal passports to go from one republic to another and strict border controls.
I agree with Mike – I am surprised to see an article here echoing the ‘hard working immigrant’ mantra. They come from countries with minimal welfare provision so initially would have had the work ethic, but given the cost of living and that most of them seem to start having children once they settle here, they soon wise up that it is cheaper to live on benefits rather than on minimum wages. They can bring their parents to live here also.
I read that lots of Tory MPs have called on Adam Afriyie to withdraw his rapid EU referendum amendment.
Afriyie’s little career move created a frisson of excitement entirely unwarranted by the prospects. It was never going to happen.
We need to organise our branches as soon as possible. We must take to the Tories/Labour the fight to destroy a free press. Our future lies in getting together and begin to fight every election.
As I live in East Anglia where many Poles and other East Europeans are employed in agricultural work, the general opinion is that the majority are hardworking – unlike most Afro-Asian immigrants. Of course, Roberta Woods has a point when she draws our attention to the fact that many of these East Europeans were inspired to come here because of our much superior welfare system.
In regard to Bill Baillie’s comment that Jane Edwards is wrong when she describes the EU system as “Soviet”, I agree that this is a bit strong. What makes it appear so is its bureaucracy, its penchant for avoiding public accounts, and the simple fact that too many of its leading lights were people who range from former Maoists, conventional Communists, to left-wing Labour party hacks never voted for by anybody.
Today I read about over 600,000 EU citizens immigrant to the UK are not working. I thought the idea was to move about the EU to WORK. And of course this figure only applies to EU immigrants. When one adds the rest of the world, it surely must make sane people shake.
They dare not tell us the true cost of all of this for it would surely spell their end. Personally I think the cost of this and foreign aid, if it were all cancelled would make the need for no income tax, or perhaps VAT – one or the other. It really is that much.
(Party Member) Britain can not afford the LibLabCon! Join the B.D.P. for Economic policy based on common sense.