6 coppers to take him down or 1 member of the public with his bike? 
 

 

 

7 hours ago, bolty58 said:

 

'When Labour negotiates, the UK loses'. So has it always been.

 

Aye thank goodness Labour weren't in control of negotiations with all those PPE equipment folk during covid.

7 hours ago, bolty58 said:

 

'When Labour negotiates, the UK loses'. So has it always been.

 

Slightly undermined by your own comments about Starmer handling Trump well on other thread. 😎😘

The problem the Tories have when trotting that line out is that the new EU deal is supported by every business area it seems other than fishing and they have completed trade deals with India and the US that the Tories simply did not deliver. The irony is that the Labour Party is actually delivering more ‘Brexit benefits’ than we have seen since the vote. 

All these Tories arsed about the fishing towns werent so arsed about the towns and villages they decimated under Thatcher.

I get confused when immigration comes up. Is it good or bad. Starmer thinks it’s great that net migration was almost halved in 2024, even trying to take some credit though it was Tory policy that was instrumental in its fall. 
All parties use it as a political football without any meaningful policy. 
Did all the good people come in and the bad people go out?

 

28 minutes ago, BobyBrno said:

I get confused when immigration comes up. Is it good or bad. Starmer thinks it’s great that net migration was almost halved in 2024, even trying to take some credit though it was Tory policy that was instrumental in its fall. 
All parties use it as a political football without any meaningful policy. 
Did all the good people come in and the bad people go out?

 

In my view it’s pretty simple. Migration is good. In fact, it’s essential. But too many migrants is bad.

As Gonzo says, we need economic migrants who will work, contribute to society and to the tax coffers. They should come through official channels and be welcomed. 

Reducing migrant numbers is also good, if it’s to take it from an unsustainable level to a sustainable level. But that can be in conjunction with welcoming migrants.

People coming across in boats is not what we should be encouraging, hence Governments trying to stop the boats.

Those advocating 1 in 1 out either don’t understand or have another agenda.

Edited May 24, 20251 yr by Jol_BWFC

1 hour ago, gonzo said:

Aye thank goodness Labour weren't in control of negotiations with all those PPE equipment folk during covid.

Agreed. Better off when Labour never control anything at all.

1 hour ago, Ani said:

Slightly undermined by your own comments about Starmer handling Trump well on other thread. 😎😘

Right then, I'll take it back. Mr. Beige U Turn is a useless cunt as I expected him to be. Happy now?

It's cheered me up.

45 minutes ago, gonzo said:

All these Tories arsed about the fishing towns werent so arsed about the towns and villages they decimated under Thatcher.

Crushing King Arthur and his band of Bolsheviks was always going to have some collateral damage. C'est la guerre.

32 minutes ago, Jol_BWFC said:

In my view it’s pretty simple. Migration is good. In fact, it’s essential. But too many migrants is bad.

As Gonzo says, we need economic migrants who will work, contribute to society and to the tax coffers. They should come through official channels and be welcomed. 

Reducing migrant numbers is also good, if it’s to take it from an unsustainable level to a sustainable level. But that can be in conjunction with welcoming migrants.

People coming across in boats is not what we should be encouraging, hence Governments trying to stop the boats.

Those advocating 1 in 1 out either don’t understand or have another agenda.

Can’t disagree with any of that. Headline numbers are meaningless. Breaking down the net migration figures for last year, 948,000 came in, 517,000 emigrated or returned ‘home’

If the people who left were doctors, nurses etc and the ones who came in add nothing but take everything, then the net figure is meaningless. Politicians, of all sides will spin it to suit their agenda though. 

To me, one the benefits of the Brexit I voted for was controlled migration.  Not zero migration, just controlled by our own parliamentary processes.  We need more people of working age. Invite/welcome into the country the people and skills we need, when we need them, to contribute to the health and wealth of society (whilst also benefiting themselves).  I must be naive as I don’t get why this is so difficult to achieve. 

We are now less attractive to working economic migrants from the EU due to brexit.

We also removed ourselves from the top table when it comes to illegal migrants and boat folk. 

They didn't tell anyone this in the leave campaign though and more importantly either did the remain.

1 hour ago, Bertie said:

To me, one the benefits of the Brexit I voted for was controlled migration.  Not zero migration, just controlled by our own parliamentary processes.  We need more people of working age. Invite/welcome into the country the people and skills we need, when we need them, to contribute to the health and wealth of society (whilst also benefiting themselves).  I must be naive as I don’t get why this is so difficult to achieve. 

The problem is people, for all the good willing people who come with good intent there are a high % who come with the idea they can exploit the system. They end up working outside the main stream in the ‘black economy’ which might be cash in hand which might be criminal but certainly in areas where they do not integrate. Maybe no access to benefits but hardly contributing to society.

There is a similar issue with ‘our own’ citizens with people exploiting the benefit system so rather than people who need support you have thousands if not millions of people claiming benefits they do not really need which squeezes the pot for the needy. 
 

Tax evasion is arguably the posh version of this. If any Govt could crack down on all 3 areas it would be a massive win, but involve a lot of upfront spend for long term benefits and the short term measures on benefits and tax might be unpopular with voters. 

Edited May 24, 20251 yr by Ani

Google almost broke yesterday under the weight of fat Farage shaggers searching for the Chagos Islands.

2 hours ago, gonzo said:

We are now less attractive to working economic migrants from the EU due to brexit.

We also removed ourselves from the top table when it comes to illegal migrants and boat folk. 

They didn't tell anyone this in the leave campaign though and more importantly either did the remain.

Anyone who won't now come from the EU purely because they need to apply for a work visa, like any other foreign person, probably isn't worth taking a chance on anyhow.

A level playing field allows the best to be selected on merit, and gives greater opportunity for them.

As for the illegal immigration; the lack of political will to tackle echr rulings and properly reinforce laws as necessary is the route cause of the failure to deal with it.

No hiding place, nothing to hide behind, and duly booted out by the electorate.

 

2 hours ago, gonzo said:

We are now less attractive to working economic migrants from the EU due to brexit.

We also removed ourselves from the top table when it comes to illegal migrants and boat folk. 

They didn't tell anyone this in the leave campaign though and more importantly either did the remain.

Seemed pretty obvious to be fair. 

2 hours ago, gonzo said:

We are now less attractive to working economic migrants from the EU due to brexit.

We also removed ourselves from the top table when it comes to illegal migrants and boat folk. 

They didn't tell anyone this in the leave campaign though and more importantly either did the remain.

Why are we less attractive because of Brexit? 

6 minutes ago, royal white said:

Why are we less attractive because of Brexit? 

That's it - we've finally come full circle.

1 hour ago, royal white said:

Why are we less attractive because of Brexit? 

Because they can earn more money in their homelands. 

It's not worth them living here.

 

2 minutes ago, gonzo said:

Because they can earn more money in their homelands. 

It's not worth them living here.

 

Wages didn’t go up in Poland because of Brexit. 

I think the visa issue is a bigger barrier than money

1 hour ago, royal white said:

Wages didn’t go up in Poland because of Brexit. 

Absolutely. 

Not so long ago- when we were in- the Polish economy was growing rapidly, moreso than most. 

All whilst being a net recipient of EU money. 

Iirc, they received a lot of investment into their mushroom production industry, which affected that of Ireland.

49 minutes ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

Absolutely. 

Not so long ago- when we were in- the Polish economy was growing rapidly, moreso than most. 

All whilst being a net recipient of EU money. 

Iirc, they received a lot of investment into their mushroom production industry, which affected that of Ireland.

I am not sure the economic impacts of mushroom farming is going to make much difference if I am honest. There's grasping at straws and there is mushroom farming...

50 minutes ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

Absolutely. 

Not so long ago- when we were in- the Polish economy was growing rapidly, moreso than most. 

All whilst being a net recipient of EU money. 

Iirc, they received a lot of investment into their mushroom production industry, which affected that of Ireland.

It's the most simplistic of statements. In the cultural sector- the third biggest in the country and a huge asset for the country, we absolutely rely on trained people from across Europe - not to.mention companies wanting to come and perform in the country

8 hours ago, BobyBrno said:

 

If the people who left were doctors, nurses etc 

Many were

Which is why we either pay em more or import some

5 hours ago, tomski said:

Seemed pretty obvious to be fair. 

Not to the #usuals