Brexit: the referendum

If net migration continues to run at a quarter of a million or more for the next twenty years or so that's a further increase in our population of another 7% or so - not really an issue to just be swept under the carpet as though it doesn't matter.

Why would it? It's not been running at that level for the last 20 years. The population was increasing numerically more than that due to birth rates in the 1960s and 70s, but society didn't collapse.
 
Bingo. It's almost funny. Make such a fuss about immigration that people think it is a problem, and blame it for damaging the very services it keeps running.
There'll be a very carefully crafted points sytem which will keep those service providers here and service consumers out. How hard can it be?
 
The last two words of your post are wrong though: it's obvious that increased population also increases the pressure on public services.
You do realise that the imbalance between births and deaths is roughly the same again as net migration? All those new little NHS and education sector burdens. Overall migrants from the EU are only a quarter of the story.
 
The irony is, of course, that the re-entrenchment of dynastic privilege we've witnessed since the 70's is not at all what the Blessed Margaret intended when she launched the revolution.

No but unfortunately she was far too dogmatic to admit she she was ever wrong (as is often the case with politicians and saints), as are apparently all 8 of the current Brexit economists given their rather "idealistic" economic models
 
Does anybody else remember when British shops were only open during working hours? They even closed at lunchtime, it was quite bizarre.

Then one fateful day a disastrous flood of Ugandan Asians changed our culture forever. We were warned, boy were we warned, but nothing was done to stop it.

Apparently the lesson's been learned.
 
I would like net migration to be below 100,000 per year. Tell me what you think is a reasonable target and we can maybe reach a compromise figure. Then we can discuss the best way to achieve it.
A reasonable target by what measure? Obviously as a country we need more money than we have, in order to pay for the pesky pensioners who are living twice as long after retirement than we hoped. With a minimal increase in the workforce how are you going to raise the extra money?
 
A reasonable target by what measure? Obviously as a country we need more money than we have, in order to pay for the pesky pensioners who are living twice as long after retirement than we hoped. With a minimal increase in the workforce how are you going to raise the extra money?

Is running a giant ponzi scheme supposed to be more prudent?
 
No but unfortunately she was far too dogmatic to admit she she was ever wrong (as is often the case with politicians and saints), as are apparently all 8 of the current Brexit economists given their rather "idealistic" economic models
The Chicago School has had thirty-five years of unrestrained opportunity to demonstrate its wonders and all it has to show for it is a bunch of lame excuses and the same ideological certainties.

Brexiters apart, the Cameron and Osborne crowd are in the politics business to shrink the state, and particularly the local state. Thatcher took the state out of industry and housing, this lot are taking it out of education and healthcare. The revolution continues despite its abject failures.

It would be ironic if a Leave vote was the trigger for a financial crash this coming October. Some butterfly's wing-flap is going to do it, it could easily be that.

Nil desperandum. Whistle past the churchyard ...
 
That's a comparatively recent thing. IIRC when Mrs Don first started coming over to visit me in the 1990s she needed a visa and I used to require a visa to enter the U.S.. The visa waiver programme meant that visas were no longer required. If the UK left the EU then IMO very likely that the EU and UK would quickly come to an arrangement regarding visa waivers BUT one of the key pillars of the Brexit campaign is control over our borders.

What use is it to have control over your borders if EU citizens can come in without a visa ? You have no control over "these people" and who knows what Jihadis (or worse, casual agricultural workers) could come "swarming" over :rolleyes:

IMO there is a significant risk that the UK could require EU citizens coming here to have a visa which in turn would almost certainly mean UK citizens requiring a visa to go over to Europe.

Makes sense, I guess.
 
Probably. The catch is that 'leave' responds well to any old knee-jerk crap, while 'remain' requires a little thought.

Heaven help us. And heaven help America, facing a similar level of nuttiness.

It's catching.

It's also counter-intuitive, I think. At a time when western nations are the richest they've ever been, with peak employment in most places that aren't southern Euro, the world is shifting to the right so quickly.

The only thing I can see that's causing it is fear.

The irony is, of course, that the re-entrenchment of dynastic privilege we've witnessed since the 70's is not at all what the Blessed Margaret intended when she launched the revolution.

Not what she intended, but maybe the inevitable consequence of it.

As ye sow, so shall ye reap.

It looks like you might be picking a sparse crop, though. I can see an exit being quite devastating to the British economy. Not to mention plenty of Scots who will be kicking themselves - of the choices between England and Europe, I think Scotland would be better off with the folk across the North Sea.

I wonder what impact the Queen's birthday has had. Englandland on full display, including traditional weather.

Yep, that's possible, too.

That delightful memory of gentler days.

Forgetting the convenient fact that Royal Observer Corps were stationed in concrete bunkers due to the threat of Soviet nukes.

Maybe the problem is people just living too long and looking back with rose-tinted spectacles? Take out the 70+ vote and how do the numbers look?

Looks to me like the older you are, the more you want to leave, and they're the people you can guarantee will go and cast a vote.

Still, I can look on the bright side - maybe a whole load of Poms will see the writing on the wall and move here! (skilled ones)
 
I agree that the Tory Government is putting pressure on public services.

The last two words of your post are wrong though: it's obvious that increased population also increases the pressure on public services.

Without their tax contributions there would be even more pressure.
 
That plonker Osborne has just said there will have to be an emergency budget to cut defence spending, and give more tax cuts for the rich, and increase house price inflation. I don't think we should drop our guard like that, particularly when Russian football hooligans and Russian shady oligarchs are infiltrating Europe and there is Turkish support for Isis.

It's partly the fault of GCHQ and those MI5 men and MI6 men. many or whom seem to be paedophiles and who think they are immune from criticism and judicial safeguards. They just think they can bug anybody they want to, except for terrorists who they think are freedom fighters, and just support American regime change policy without any useful or pointed criticism.
 
Is running a giant ponzi scheme supposed to be more prudent?
Social benefits paid from current taxes are a "Ponzi scheme"? Can anyone tell me what neocon propagandist dreamed that up, and when?

Was it suggested by the Madoff affair?
 
That plonker Osborne has just said there will have to be an emergency budget to cut defence spending, and give more tax cuts for the rich, and increase house price inflation. I don't think we should drop our guard like that, particularly when Russian football hooligans and Russian shady oligarchs are infiltrating Europe and there is Turkish support for Isis.

It's partly the fault of GCHQ and those MI5 men and MI6 men. many or whom seem to be paedophiles and who think they are immune from criticism and judicial safeguards. They just think they can bug anybody they want to, except for terrorists who they think are freedom fighters, and just support American regime change policy without any useful or pointed criticism.

You what?

Social benefits paid from current taxes are a "Ponzi scheme"? Can anyone tell me what neocon propagandist dreamed that up, and when?

Was it suggested by the Madoff affair?

I'm guessing you'll find that he's referring the western world's housing Ponzi scheme that's been in operation for several years now. Social welfare is by its nature not a Ponzi scheme.

That's the context I read it as anyway.
 
Does anybody else remember when British shops were only open during working hours? They even closed at lunchtime, it was quite bizarre.

Then one fateful day a disastrous flood of Ugandan Asians changed our culture forever. We were warned, boy were we warned, but nothing was done to stop it.

Apparently the lesson's been learned.

A disastrous flood ? There where around 30,000 of them in total .
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ugandan_migration_to_the_United_Kingdom

We currently have almost ten times that number of immigrants per year . (half from EU countries).

In comparison, not so much a flood as a trickle. Or even a drip.

I would suggest the extension of "corner shop" opening hours was more down to Pakistani immigrants throughout the 50's and 60's, rather than Ugandan Asians in the 1970's ?
 
I'm wondering if there's anyway I can legitimise my grandmother's birth to a father from Cork, and thus claim Irish nationality...?
Was she born in Ireland? If so yes; you'd need to register with Foreign Births Register.
If she was born outside Ireland you'd need to prove she was the child of a person who was and Irish citizen, or entitled to be an Irish citizen. Legitimacy isn't a requirement, if parentage can be demonstrated.

And don't forget, as an Irish citizen if you're resident in the UK you can vote in all UK elections and even referenda like this one...
 
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