Will We Become The Nasty Country Of Europe?

[youngmafbog]

Sounds like a spoilt Eurocrat tosssing his toys out the pram, but I hope he is right. Maybe if we are seen as tougher we wont get flooded with hordes of non contributing immigrants (Doesn't matter about %, there should be none)

Also doesn't look like LLászló Andor has friends in any UK party (apart from Salmon probably)

EU migrants are to be barred from claiming out-of-work benefits, such as Jobseeker's Allowance, for their first three months in the UK, David Cameron has announced.

Those who do go on to claim the benefits will now only be able to get payments for a maximum of six months. Migrants caught sleeping rough could be deported and would not be allowed to return to the UK for 12 months.


But his intervention sparked stinging criticism from the European employment commissioner Laszlo Andor, who warned that Britain risked becoming the "nasty country" of the EU.

[paddywak]

I wouldn't mind coming from the nastiest country in the EU if it kept some of the scroungers away.

[viv38]

Me neither !

[boingo]

Or me...

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2514103/The-Polish-minister-incredulous-I-told-Blair-opening-borders.html?ico=home^editors_choice

Reading this it is the previous Blair government that's to blame for the situation that we will find ourselves in even more deeper in the New year.

And some can't wait to vote Labour in once again.

/// The Labour Opposition — which, when in government, opened the way to this massive exercise in social engineering — has nothing credible to say on the issue. David Cameron talks unconvincingly of restricting their rights to benefits. ///

/// Labour was fixated by the modish chatter of multicultural diversity. But Labour also knew that it stood to gain from a growing migrant
vote. ///

[anotheoldgit]

Is this the link to your story YMB?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/britain-will-be-seen-as-nasty-country-of-eu-over-benefits-curb-for-new-arrivals-8967018.html

[anotheoldgit]

The 'Nasty Left' don't like that label, so I would think that they are also against us being called the 'Nasty Country of Europe' so given the chance they will let them all in.

[jim360]

This story also appeared in the BBC, where I first saw it. I don't see a problem with imposing short-term restrictions on benefit claims from those who have just moved to the country. While benefit tourism isn't a major problem, it's still not the sort of thing we want to encourage.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25114890

[anotheoldgit]

jim360

/// While benefit tourism isn't a major problem, ///

I think that there are many who would disagree with you.

[jim360]

They might, but the only study I'm aware of suggests that they are wrong:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24517983

Yes I'm aware there's a risk that this report has vested interests. But it's not the easiest thing in the world to check anyway. To be a benefit tourist you have to come here specifically to claim benefits. How many people are doing that, really? Most likely the answer is both not a lot but also too many.

[naomi24]

I hope we do. Make it five years before benefits of any description can be claimed.

[dave50]

We need to make it the most hostile, inhospitable country in Europe if we want to stop being the dumping ground of Europe.

[anotheoldgit]

jim360

Yes but you have to ask yourself this question, if there was a country not far from your own, in which if you managed to gain employment, you would receive a wage you could only dream of in your own country, but if you were unable to get such a job, you could still claim benefits sometimes in excess of what you got by working, plus a free health service, and good schooling for your kids etc.

Wouldn't you join the rest of your pals and head post haste to the said country?

[jomifl]

It has been the case for many years on France(about 10 years I think) that you can only claim benefit if you have worked and paid tax in France. The hippy daughter of a friend of ours immediately left the country to seek greener fields when this policy became operative..

[youngmafbog]

Yes, wel the French are not so stupid as us, they also often stick two fingers up to the EU.

And it's only just recently they have become a net contributor.

[jim360]

Very probably I would. Which is why I've said that benefit tourism is a problem, just not a major one. Given how it's become recently rather more of a chore to claim JSA even before these new measures are introduced, it's no longer a walk in the park. I expect there are some who do try it, and as I have said that is far too many people when the total number of benefit tourists ideally should be zero. Thankfully, while there are undoubtedly some benefit tourists there are or appear to be not enough for it to be a painful drain on our finances (though it's a drain nonetheless).

I suppose I'm saying that benefit fraud in general is more severe a problem than benefit tourism. Hopefully the measures above will go some way towards tackling the latter problem, though.

[modeller]

If we are paying benefits it should be less than they get in their home countries. Similarly no one should get free NHS services until they have paid taxes for 5 years. Alternatively their home countries should be billed for everything we pay out. Labour are to blame for much of the current problems but the Tories are not the answer either.
I suggest we set up our ABer party. A Anything But Party couldn't be worse than the current choice. Could it ! I must give some thought who could sit on the front benches. Maybe the New Judge would make a good speaker, few questions but detailed answers.