Great (BIG) Britain

[DimPrawn]

Britain to be biggest country in Europe by 2050 - Telegraph

Britain will see its population swell from today's 62.2 million to 77 million, an increase of 24 per cent.

This will make it bigger than France, projected to be 70 million and Germany, which is predicted to have 71.5 million citizens.

The predictions suggest that Britain will see its population increase over the next 40 years at a far faster rate than nearly every other European country. The extra 15 million equates to the combined populations of Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool being added to the total national population over the next two generations.

Britain's population has started to climb sharply in recent years. Last year the Office for National Statistics indicated that mothers had more children than at any time since 1973.

Immigrant mothers accounted for more than half of the increase in births, but the fertility rate among British-born women also rose sharply.


This would never (had) happened under the Tories.

Budge up.

[shaunbhoy]

Well somebody is going to have to pay for our pensions.............so bring it on!!

[TimberWolf]

Gross Britain.

[Spacecadet]

Great (BIG) Britain

The Great in Great Britain already referred to the size of the country and distinguishes it from Lesser Britain (now Brittany)

[Pondlife]

Right. This has gone far enough!

Who out of you lot is still using your wife or girfriend as a receptical for your filty pump action yoghut shooter emissions? come on, own up!

In future please try to contain all outputs in either an old sock or one of those little rubber thingies. They're now available in a variety of colours, don't you know.

And yes I know the pope said you shouldn't do this but he's an idiot.

All this babymaking is just a cynical effort to increase house prices, so please stop it.

TIA

PL

[HairyArsedBloke]

FT: Business attacks cap on skilled immigrants

I think it's behind their paywall so I'll cut 'n' stick it in a AtW styleee.....

The stand-off between British business and the coalition government over plans to cap immigration was threatening to turn into open conflict after it emerged that many companies would not be allowed to hire any non-European staff for the rest of the financial year.

Lady Jo Valentine of London First, a lobby group representing many FTSE 100 companies, described the measures as “economically insane”.

Leading City law firms said several of their biggest blue-chip clients, including large international banks, would be given only a handful of work permits, and in some cases none.
“We have a number of international financial institutions whose allocation has been reduced to zero,” said John Skitt, head of immigration at Clifford Chance.

Caron Pope, who leads the immigration practice at Cameron McKenna, said companies were “furious” about the restrictions. “I’ve had conversations with people who are saying ‘if they are going to make it this hard for us then we’ll just go offshore’,” she said.

The issue is fast becoming one of the biggest early tests for David Cameron, the prime minister. The idea to limit non-European Union workers coming to the UK was a popular part of the Conservative party’s election manifesto.

However, several of Mr Cameron’s cabinet colleagues have raised profound doubts about the cap, arguing that it would damage Britain’s competitiveness and anger important trading partners such as India.

The subject of the cap was centre stage during Mr Cameron’s visit to India this week, with many people there deeply unhappy with the proposal. Vince Cable, the business secretary, admitted during the visit that the cap was still a matter of debate within government.

But Damian Green, the immigration minister, said yesterday: “Businesses have known about the limit for a month, so it is a little implausible that they are expressing shock now ... They are going to have to reduce their reliance on migrant workers.”

The UK Border Agency was forced to hurry through an interim cap last week because of fears about a flood of applications ahead of the introduction of a permanent limit in April.

However, lawyers said the rush meant the border agency has had to use crude measures to work out how many work permits should be allocated to each company. The agency looked at how many visa applications each company made during the same period last year and then reduced that number.
“It was the worst recession in 70 years, with most companies hanging on by the fingernails,” said Ms Pope. “To use this period for comparison is extraordinary.”

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. You may share using our article tools. Please don't cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web.

Oh, bug....r. Frack it, I'm doing it anyway.

[TimberWolf]

However, lawyers said the rush meant the border agency has had to use crude measures to work out how many work permits should be allocated to each company.

Easy: 0

[HairyArsedBloke]

A very telling passage is this one:

The agency looked at how many visa applications each company made during the same period last year and then reduced that number.
“It was the worst recession in 70 years, with most companies hanging on by the fingernails,” said Ms Pope. “To use this period for comparison is extraordinary.”

So, as we have always known, it has nothing to do with so-called skills shortage, but it is all about cost control.

[stillooking]

Britain to be biggest country in Europe by 2050 - Telegraph

Britain will see its population swell from today's 62.2 million to 77 million, an increase of 24 per cent.

This will make it bigger than France, projected to be 70 million and Germany, which is predicted to have 71.5 million citizens.

The predictions suggest that Britain will see its population increase over the next 40 years at a far faster rate than nearly every other European country. The extra 15 million equates to the combined populations of Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool being added to the total national population over the next two generations.

Britain's population has started to climb sharply in recent years. Last year the Office for National Statistics indicated that mothers had more children than at any time since 1973.

Immigrant mothers accounted for more than half of the increase in births, but the fertility rate among British-born women also rose sharply.


This would never (had) happened under the Tories.

Budge up.

It's too depressing for words really. Oh, I've just said a few.

[TimberWolf]

I expect there will be a mass exodus from the UK long before 2050.