Full up

[DimPrawn]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/panorama/hi/fr...00/8625801.stm

Since 1997, record levels of immigration have boosted our population by more than 2 million, accounting for half the total estimated rise in population of about 4 million.


The Office of National Statistics say that over the next two decades the UK population is on course to grow by eight million to 70m.

That is roughly the equivalent of adding eight new cities, each the size of Birmingham.



Now what major political event happened in 1997?

[threaded]

Now what major political event happened in 1997?

Robin Cook got made Foreign Secretary and whilst doing a tour I mistook him for one of the characters from a Radio 4 Comedy show?

[TimberWolf]

And 3 or 4 hundred million other people are eligible to come and live here.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/panorama/hi/fr...00/8625801.stm


Now what major political event happened in 1997?

We had an election. The incoming Labour government followed the immigration policies of the previous administration.

[Mich the Tester]

And 3 or 4 hundred million other people are eligible to come and live here.

And British citizens are eligible to go and live almost anywhere in Europe, and many of them do.

I think the real fault here is with the EU countries that reneged on the deal on free movement for the new accession countries of Eastern Europe. Britain stuck to the deal while others panicked in the 2001-2002 recession and blocked entry to their employment markets for most eastern Europeans. That meant they all went to Britain. Sure, the British government shoud have put more pressure on the EU to stick to its deals, but they didn't as Britain's economy was in a Brown bubble and needed workers.

Of course, there's no mass immigration of Germans, Dutch, Danish, French and Italians because they're all rather nice places to live. In fact, if those countries had opened their markets as they had promised, the immigration to western Europe would be spread around.

[VectraMan]

Of course, there's no mass immigration of Germans, Dutch, Danish, French and Italians because they're all rather nice places to live. In fact, if those countries had opened their markets as they had promised, the immigration to western Europe would be spread around.

I don't know; I think in the eyes of many Britain is still the place to be, and the streets are paved with gold, etc. I'm not sure immigrations policies of the individual states of Europe has a lot to do with it (especially as the borders across the continent are open).

What we should do is launch a campaign to put them off, i.e. "Don't come here, it's tulipe".

[Mich the Tester]

I don't know; I think in the eyes of many Britain is still the place to be, and the streets are paved with gold, etc. I'm not sure immigrations policies of the individual states of Europe has a lot to do with it (especially as the borders across the continent are open).

What we should do is launch a campaign to put them off, i.e. "Don't come here, it's tulipe".

Britain will always be attractive because English is the most commonly spoken and taught 'second language' in the world. Maybe if everyone starts speaking Gaelic less people would come, but Gaelic is so difficult even the Gaelic peoples make a hash of it.

[northernladuk]

Now what major political event happened in 1997?

You mean a new party came in and made the UK more affluent and attractive to immigrants?

You can't link a global problem like this to one particular party. That's just a blinkered useless witch hunt. It is no wonder people are bored by politics with this type of reasoning.

[Mich the Tester]

You mean a new party came in and made the UK more affluent and attractive to immigrants?

You can't link a global problem like this to one particular party. That's just a blinkered useless witch hunt. It is no wonder people are bored by politics with this type of reasoning.

whs

Migration is a worldwide issue. It isn't going to stop. It isn't going to be 'solved' by politicians and bureaucrats. The only way to stop migration is to build big walls that we can't afford and fill up the sea with more coastguard boats than we can man.

If anything, it's more like a force of nature than a human phenomenon that can be controlled.

The worst thing about immigration regulations is the 'lock in' effect. People who get a visa to spend some time working in a country, or get asylum, will never leave because they know they won't be able to return. Hence, circular and seasonal migration, which happen naturally within many countries, are blocked up and people stay in the best place they can find instead of 'going home' having made some cash. This is what has gone wrong in western Europe since the war. There has always been migration and it always ebbed and flowed, providing seasonal labour and skills when and where they were needed. Then along came governments with their desire to 'control' migration and the result has been large groups of people moving somewhere and then staying put.

[gingerjedi]

What we should do is launch a campaign to put them off, i.e. "Don't come here, it's tulipe".

Don't come here it's tulipe, full of immigrants who get large houses and instant benefits, the entire infrastructure is creaking at the seems because everyone is accepted regardless.... I can see a problem with this.

That plonker Phil Woolas still doesn't want to accept what the general public can see in every day life, there's a lot more to accepting an entire Somalian tribe than the NMW tax contribution the dad might have made if he had a job rather than driving an illegal mini cab.