Mythbusting Nigel Farage: Why immigration doesn’t erode social cohesion and trust April 6, 2015 The political scientist Robert Putnam famously found that Americans “hunker down” in the face of social diversity, doing less in the community and trusting people less – even their own compatriots. When Nigel Farage suggested that one reason kids tend not to play on the street nowadays was immigration, he was voicing a common concern: [...]
EU immigrants contribute £463 per second to the UK economy April 2, 2015 European immigrants generate a whopping £463 per second in revenue for the exchequer, according to a new report commissioned by Rapid Formations. Once the costs of government spending on immigrants are taken into account, migrants generate a net benefit to the economy of £55 per second. The study comes as the General Election gets into [...]
Economy leapfrogs immigration as number one issue for voters April 1, 2015 The economy has become the number one issue at this year's General Election, polls show. After two months of lagging behind immigration and health, voters think the state of Britain's economy is not just the top issue for the country but also for themselves and their families. Polling guru Mike Smithson said the latest YouGov [...]
Dianne Abbott brands £5 “controls on immigration” mug “shameful” – but it is a Labour pledge March 29, 2015 Labour, it appears, is trying to make a mug out of its supporters with regards to its immigration policy. It has issued, just in time for the General Election, a set of five mugs with its five key pledges to voters. All well and good, but one of the mugs has caused great consternation among [...]
James Dyson criticises Tory push for tougher immigration rules March 23, 2015 Sir James Dyson made a barely concealed attack on Tory party policy yesterday, while announcing a £12m grant to a design engineering school with chancellor George Osborne. The pair were visiting the new Dyson School of Design Engineering when the inventor said: “I think it’s important that people who have chosen to come and read [...]
Brexit could cost UK 2.2 per cent of GDP without radical free market reform and liberal immigration policy March 23, 2015 Britain's economy could take a hit of up to 2.2 per cent of GDP – or £56bn – by 2030 if it leaves the EU, according to a new report from think tank Open Europe. The report argues that in the worst case scenario, the negative effects of Brexit would not wholly be offset by [...]
The City thrives because it’s open to global talent: Don’t pull up the drawbridge March 22, 2015 This week, the City of London will host one of the UK’s major set-piece foreign affairs events. Foreign secretary Philip Hammond and I will address all the ambassadors to the United Kingdom, and other high-level Diplomatic Corps, at the Mansion House. Our focus is the “commercial diplomacy” that is at the heart of the UK’s [...]
The UK’s net migration estimates have been revised up by 57 per cent March 19, 2015 The government's plans to cut immigration are in tatters, after a report from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) upped its estimates of the number of people moving to the UK. It predicts the influx will provide a boost in tax receipts and a fillip for potential output growth. The government initially promised to cut [...]
London attracted a third of the UK’s half-a-million new migrants, Oxford researchers say March 6, 2015 London’s migrant population has grown by 189,000 over the last four years, more than any other region in the country, new research suggests. Migrants coming to London accounted for a third of the more than half-a-million foreigners who are estimated to have come to the UK between 2011 and 2014, according to researchers at Oxford [...]
Has Ukip just abandoned its immigration cap? Nigel Farage rejects “abitrary targets” March 3, 2015 Ukip leader Nigel Farage has said his party will reject "arbitrary targets" on immigration if it holds the balance of power ahead of a major speech on Wednesday. Farage reiterated Ukip's pledge to end what the party call Britain's "open borders" approach to immigration. In an article for the Daily Telegraph, Farage said Ukip will [...]