Off Topic The Politics Thread
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I half saw that, embarrassingly poor. Voters have been treated like morons by both sides. I'm now more worried about the aftermath of the vote within the UK than its actual consequences.
Brexit campaign finally rolls out something of substance with its points based immigration system. Applies to all migrants EXCEPT the Irish and EU Citizens already here, which means that the pressures currently being felt in some towns and cities will not go away. I hope voters understand this. Employers will apparently decide how many of which type of migrants we need.
My guesses at the impact, which are not Remain vs Leave issues, no points scoring intended. Obviously we need a better immigration policy than the current one, especially one that can actually be implemented, and I don't have any better ideas.
- aim is to encourage 'skilled' migration - especially the foreigners who prop up the NHS I suppose. For me this just begs the question - why the **** aren't we, with our huge student population, producing enough of our own skilled people? If we end up importing Indian software engineers when there are unemployed British ones, it's a fail.
- the assumption is that current migrants in unskilled jobs work for less that unskilled Brits are prepared to get out of bed for. Cutting off the labour supply will drive up wages at the lower end (no bad thing), also force some businesses to close (if they can't pay their workers a decent wage, good, they are not a viable business. Hopefully there is enough business opportunity and entrepreneurs around to pick up the slack)
- foreign investors and entrepreneurs are still to be encouraged. Let's make sure they pay their ****ing tax, OK? The Aussies have strict rules about the size of capital investments, and have placed restrictions on unoccupied properties etc (I think).
- the policy will fail if it does not substantially reduce immigration. Immigrants are net contributors to the economy and the public purse - the tax take will fall (who knows how much, I don't trust any numbers now), the shortfall will either have to be made up through higher tax or service cuts. I think the Brexit dividend has been allocated, multiple times, elsewhere already. Let's just be honest about this, I think many will conclude its a price worth paying.
Personally I think a points based system is as good as any other, though things are not all sweetness and light in Australia with immigrants, which is the stock example given. I would probably place the emphasis on employers. No immigration (except reuniting families and properly assessed asylum/refugees) unless the migrant has a job before entering the country, and the prospective employer has demonstrated to the Home Office that they have really tested the UK job market and have had zero suitable applicants, they will provide support for the migrant in finding somewhere to live and acclimatising, and above all that they will not pay an Indian software engineer less than they would pay a British one.
I would also like us to cap the numbers of foreign students. I know they are a cash cow for the universities, but the drive for income generation is seriously skewing the nature of higher education. Nothing against the students themselves, but 33% of first degree students at University College London are 'international'. My daughter has UCL as a place she is interested in, but I'd rather pay (less) for her to study at a European university and get a genuine international experience.
Of course, the only political party that has this policy as far as I know is UKIP.
My guesses at the impact, which are not Remain vs Leave issues, no points scoring intended. Obviously we need a better immigration policy than the current one, especially one that can actually be implemented, and I don't have any better ideas.
- aim is to encourage 'skilled' migration - especially the foreigners who prop up the NHS I suppose. For me this just begs the question - why the **** aren't we, with our huge student population, producing enough of our own skilled people? If we end up importing Indian software engineers when there are unemployed British ones, it's a fail.
- the assumption is that current migrants in unskilled jobs work for less that unskilled Brits are prepared to get out of bed for. Cutting off the labour supply will drive up wages at the lower end (no bad thing), also force some businesses to close (if they can't pay their workers a decent wage, good, they are not a viable business. Hopefully there is enough business opportunity and entrepreneurs around to pick up the slack)
- foreign investors and entrepreneurs are still to be encouraged. Let's make sure they pay their ****ing tax, OK? The Aussies have strict rules about the size of capital investments, and have placed restrictions on unoccupied properties etc (I think).
- the policy will fail if it does not substantially reduce immigration. Immigrants are net contributors to the economy and the public purse - the tax take will fall (who knows how much, I don't trust any numbers now), the shortfall will either have to be made up through higher tax or service cuts. I think the Brexit dividend has been allocated, multiple times, elsewhere already. Let's just be honest about this, I think many will conclude its a price worth paying.
Personally I think a points based system is as good as any other, though things are not all sweetness and light in Australia with immigrants, which is the stock example given. I would probably place the emphasis on employers. No immigration (except reuniting families and properly assessed asylum/refugees) unless the migrant has a job before entering the country, and the prospective employer has demonstrated to the Home Office that they have really tested the UK job market and have had zero suitable applicants, they will provide support for the migrant in finding somewhere to live and acclimatising, and above all that they will not pay an Indian software engineer less than they would pay a British one.
I would also like us to cap the numbers of foreign students. I know they are a cash cow for the universities, but the drive for income generation is seriously skewing the nature of higher education. Nothing against the students themselves, but 33% of first degree students at University College London are 'international'. My daughter has UCL as a place she is interested in, but I'd rather pay (less) for her to study at a European university and get a genuine international experience.
Of course, the only political party that has this policy as far as I know is UKIP.
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As expected, immigration fears working for Brexit with three recent polls putting Leave ahead.
The bookies still have Remain as favourite, but not nearly as strongly as a week ago .
http://www.oddschecker.com/politics...referendum/referendum-on-eu-membership-result
The bookies still have Remain as favourite, but not nearly as strongly as a week ago .
http://www.oddschecker.com/politics...referendum/referendum-on-eu-membership-result
Whose Project Fear will win the day? You can see why both sides play up the negative, because it obviously works.
Why is the BBC still steadfastly refusing to report this story?
http://www.thecanary.co/2016/05/31/...gation-tory-election-fraud-scandal-exclusive/
http://www.thecanary.co/2016/05/31/...gation-tory-election-fraud-scandal-exclusive/
Well, you said you were a gangbang Tory.Six foot two ,eyes of blue, Brexiters are after you
In favour of Remain - voters tend to move towards the status quo the closer the date gets to the vote
In favour of Brexit - Out voters as a class seem generally more determined to vote
All to play for
In favour of Brexit - Out voters as a class seem generally more determined to vote
All to play for
I know by the time the next season kicks off we could have Premier Gove or Premier Corbyn too! What a time to be alive!
Despite Cameron's banal 'Project Fear' and the Remain campaign's pathetic performance events making the news are perhaps having a far bigger impact than our mealy-mouthed politicians best (or worst) efforts. If the 23rd June has the same weather we have had this week Cameron may well be toast...
I know by the time the next season kicks off we could have Premier Gove or Premier Corbyn too! What a time to be alive!
Can't say I'd fancy Premier Osborne much either, but perhaps I'm just biased against
The Telegraph has picked up on it. You'll like this. Apparently a judge has said that the Tory win in Margate, where they spent a lot of cash, could be declared void. Letting in.......Farage.
There are 29 marginal constituencies where Tory spending was questionable, many of which are currently being investigated by local police, and I think I'm right in saying they won all but two of these. It wouldn't take many of these results to be declared void for the Tories to potentially lose their majority. Which then calls into question their mandate for calling the EU referendum.
Michael White offers some pretty unconvincing reasons for the lack of coverage here.........
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jun/01/channel-4-leads-the-way-on-tory-election-claims
Interesting analysis this morning from a German businessman. He said that the Germans have traditionally liked playing the compromise maker in the EU, though they are more inclined to the UK position in most things. If the UK goes they will feel isolated and there will be serious questions about whether they would want to continue this role, and instead of compromise they might start to play to win.
Won't be Osborne next in the event of a remain Goldie - probably May is the only compromise candidate I can think of.
What about the PGA Golf tour in the States deliberately moving a tournament due to be held at a course owned by Trump in Florida as they say they can't attract enough sponsorship??? To add insult to injury, they are moving the tournament to MEXICO. Poor old Donald is not a happy bunny about it.
The poll has just switched to pro leave - and I think it is people changing their vote rather than new voters.
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