A new Migration policy

Leaving the EU will give us the freedom to decide who we should welcome into our country

Many people who voted for Leave, and both government and Opposition are keen that the UK should be open to talent,

Welcoming to entrepreneurs and investors,

Enthusiastic about extending academic networks through shared scholarship and exchange

And generous to those fleeing danger and intolerance

Many also feel we do need to impose some limits on unrestricted migration into low paid jobs or onto benefits

We want those who join us to enjoy good housing and decent living standards

That requires us to expand our numbers at a sustainable pace

We also want a migration system which is fair between the EU and the rest of the world

69 Comments

  1. Sir Joe Soap
    February 26, 2018

    Absolutely correct.
    Most other mature democracies have similar systems where immigration is based on merit, points system, needs, appreciation of their culture etc. Why do we leave ourselves open to importing those who have none of the above? Why do we need to build houses for their anticipated arrival?
    For those who argue we will need fruit pickers, restaurant waiters/waitresses etc., countries like NZ have perfectly workable “working visas” for the under 30s, lasting max. 2 years, and fruit pickers etc are brought in from Polynesian Islands as and when wanted. Then they leave.
    Now we have a choice of 2 schemes, it seems:
    Labour’s plan. Stay in a Customs Union with the EU. This will of course be the wedge that disallows free trade deals, effectively keeps us in the single market and thence means we keep freedom of movement with the 27 and later more.

    or May’s plan. We place every change of rule which might give us an “unfair advantage” into the hands of an independent tribunal which will say yes, selling the wrong shape bananas more cheaply to UK consumers places the EU at an unfair advantage.
    Depreciation of Sterling beyond a 3% band against the euro places the Eurozone at an unfair advantage….?
    Now where have we heard that before?

    Either way, we will be more closely tied in to the EU than we are now

    1. Sir Joe Soap
      February 26, 2018

      disadvantage x 2 of course…

  2. Cheshire Girl
    February 26, 2018

    I feel that not enough is done to limit migration from the rest of the world. Yes, we do need Doctors, Nurses and other skilled people, but it seems that some people come here, without skills and go into other low skilled jobs, or on benefits. All calls to limit the numbers are met with accusations of ‘racism’ , which promptly shuts down the debate. The Politicians seem to be unable, or unwilling, to confront this problem. I dont see this changing any time soon.

    1. eeyore
      February 26, 2018

      Every skilled person we import is a grievous loss to their own country. It is immoral to poach them. We should as soon think of robbing poor nations of their money as of their valuable skilled professionals.

      Every unskilled person we import is a grievous loss to this country. We are not the world’s dustbin, where its riffraff can find a secure and comfortable future at others’ expense.

      1. mancunius
        February 26, 2018

        “Every skilled person we import is a grievous loss to their own country.”
        But we do not – and please God never will – conspire with other countries to prevent would-be Ă©migrĂ©s from leaving.
        We should respect the freedom of the individual to choose where he/she wishes to work. If skilled individuals feel undervalued or restricted by their own country, and wish to work abroad where their talents will be recognized and rewarded – or simply where the climate suits them better – they have a perfect right to emigrate.
        That goes for Britons as well.

    2. APL
      February 26, 2018

      Cheshire Girl: “Yes, we do need Doctors, Nurses and other skilled people”

      I always wonder why the UK can’t train enough of our own ‘skilled people’, could it be, that in the medical sector, the government has the stranglehold on training?

      As a result, not enough is done, or it’s not done efficiently, or the administration is just too top heavy to respond to demand.

      After all, the British government owns the education sector. Why can’t it do the job its supposed to do?

      1. mancunius
        February 26, 2018

        A lot of doctors emigrate quite soon after qualifying.

      2. Tom
        February 26, 2018

        I know someone, who would have make a great doctor, they got 10 A*s and 2 As at GCSE, four A’s at AS level and 2 A*s and one A at A level all in the right subjects. Yet they could not get even a place for medicine from their four applications.

        Clearly they need some more places or is the plan to import more cheap ones trained overseas. The imported ones (on average) have a far worse complaint and litigation record so it might be rather a false economy. Some are of course excellent but many are very many are far from it.

    3. Caterpillar
      February 26, 2018

      Yes, there is a problem that UK net capital formation is struggling to keep up with population growth.
      Yes, there is a potential problem that many immigrants add less than GDP per capita hence problems either with inequality BB or productivity or both.

      1. APL
        February 26, 2018

        mancunius: “A lot of doctors emigrate quite soon after qualifying.”

        OK, so we could train more than we need. Expect to lose some, but still employ skilled people in the UK. If there were a glut, who knows the cost of medical treatment might fall.

        Tom: ” or is the plan to import more cheap ones trained overseas.”

        Most likely, governments, both Tory and Labour are trying to force the standard of UK living down.

        Except for MPs of course, that’s fireproofed.

    4. Hope
      February 26, 2018

      JR, you party needs to stop lying about immigration just to gain votes. Record high numbers under your party and govt while claiming to limit to tens of thousands. Your strategist of the day and chancellor makes it now clear no one in private was serious about it. The person in charge of implementing the policy, May. The person in charge now claiming the same thing, May. Did you read the immigration figures last week? You commn ted on the Treasury report where immigration is used as a means to improve GDP. The lies by your party about immigration need to stop. You have had seven years and achieved nothing. Last week Rudd wants more refugees from Syria, May give i get away more of our money to France to get more immigrants from Calais. Your govt remained silent when Merkel invited millions from Africa knowing some would end up here via the Calais route.

      No good claiming others do not stick to manifestos etc when your party failed its promise on deficit reduction by 2015 and economics given the central reason to go into coalition with the Lib Dumbs. Taxes us at every blink of the eye, dementia tax 2 being devised, Javid ready to give the go ahead to another huge community tax hike- it was falsely claimed to be capped but let LAs use add ons to increase via flood defence and adult social care, which is now given as the reason, for the second time, for the six percent rise!

      Your party lies through each promise it makes. Now the traitors in your party voted against your manifesto to leave the EU and ar considering voting with Labour to remain in the customs union which is leaving by name only. Who let these people discuss and plot with the EU negotiator? May. Who in their right mind would allow staff who oppose the organizations policy to meet and discuss with the body they are negotiating with? No one. Therefore we can reasonably assume it was with her remaining connivance.

    5. rose
      February 26, 2018

      The other things which need to be faced and dealt with are the abuse of asylum, and illegal immigration. The Geneva convention is even more out of date and not fit for purpose than the Belfast Agreement.

    6. Timaction
      February 26, 2018

      …………..”that requires us to expand our numbers at a sustainable pace.” Really, why? We don’t need to increase our population at all, as we have large numbers leaving, being replaced by extremely larger numbers coming in. We know that the Tory’s and Labour are the mass migration parties. You’ve had nearly 8 years to totally control the largest part of immigration from outside the EU, but you’ve done next to nothing. George Osborne has confirmed it since leaving office that it just doesn’t bother the metropolitan parties. As a Government you could have done something about EU immigration by changing housing and benefit rules but chose not to. I’m afraid the legacies have lost all credibility on immigration, educating and training our own for jobs and roles! We know our health, housing and public services are collapsing due to the rise in numbers not being able to match need.

    7. forthurst
      February 26, 2018

      As the liblabcon party is fully on board with the experiment to change a mono-ethnic, mono-cultural democracy into a multi-ethnic one, it only remains for voters to decide at which rate this process should proceed for them to remain comfortable. In the vanguard there is the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change; in the rearguard are political movements which have been proscribed by the liblabcon politicians.

  3. James Neill
    February 26, 2018

    For a start there are things that can and could have been done years ago to slow down and regulate migration into this country. For instance intending migrants could have been told by immigration officers at ports of entry- ‘you can live and work in such and such and area but not in other areas because we have not got the services in place to cope in that town or region with the extra influx’. Here I’m talking about local places where there are not enough police, fire services, hospitals and schools etc..the list goes on. It just needs a bit of lateral thinking, decisions could be left to local councils and boroughs to advise the immigration service, and that would prevent certain nationalities collecting in towns villages etc to the dismay and resentment of local people. Why take a sledge to crack a nut?

    1. mancunius
      February 26, 2018

      Sledge-Nutcracking sounds like a Winter Olympics event. Maybe one where GB might have a remote chance…But ah, one can forsee the obvious headline: British Sledge-Nutcracking Hopeful Crashes Out.

  4. Fedupsoutherner
    February 26, 2018

    Quite right on all counts John. We already have a housing crisis a struggling NHS, full schools in some areas, full roads and an over loaded welfare system. We must be able to have an immigration policy similar to that of the USA, Canada, new Zealand or Australia. When they find there is a need for certain vocations they allow those people in. We cannot afford to care for the rest if the world while we watch our own living standards drop further. We are a small country compared with most in Europe and the world and have to take more care with numbers of new people. The birth rate of many immigrants from poorer countries is quite alarming.

    1. L Jones
      February 26, 2018

      We constantly hear of the ”NHS crisis” and the ”housing crisis”. Someone should give it its proper name: a population crisis.
      Yes, well put – we should be both choosy and generous. I don’t see why these two aspirations should be mutually exclusive.

    2. rose
      February 26, 2018

      Yes, whenever the housing crisis or other problems of over population are discussed – say the plight of prisons, or schools – out of control immigration is never, never mentioned. This is craven cowardice and dishonesty. Somehow the taboo must be broken. In the 1970s overpopulation was discussed all the time, which is why so many baby boomers had no children or just one. How are they feeling now?

    3. Know-Dice
      February 26, 2018

      FUS:

      “In 2016, well over a quarter (28.2%) of live births in England and Wales were to mothers born outside the UK”

      https://www.migrationwatchuk.org/key-topics/population

      Or from ONS

      “Natural change has seen an increase in the population but the main driver of the growing population, particularly since the 1990s, can be attributed to net migration. Net migration is the number of immigrants (people moving to the UK for more than 12 months) minus the number of emigrants (people leaving the UK for more than 12 months).”

      https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/articles/overviewoftheukpopulation/july2017

  5. James Neill
    February 26, 2018

    Another thing that can be done is to tell would be immigrants:

    Yes you can come in, we respect your EU citizenship, but you can never take UK citizenship.

    You can work for three years at first only and then you have to leave the jurisdiction for at least six months before returning after which residency permits will need to be applied for- all necessary to plan for local services. Permits will allow you to live and reside in certain areas.

    1. Hugh E
      February 26, 2018

      Somewhat like Saudi Arabia and the Emirates.
      No right to stay, no right to pension unless a citizen born. Are their politicians calling them racist?

  6. Lifelogic
    February 26, 2018

    Indeed we surely want quality immigration self supporting immigration but not low paid, low skilled immigration. People on or near the minimum wage are on average a large net loss and have to be supported by other tax payers. This especially if they bring children and elderly relatives. They need housing, schools, social services, health care, in work benefits, road space, policing, transport, universities, long terms care …… and yet they are perhaps paying in perhaps less than ÂŁ3,000 in tax and NI.

    They lower GDP per cap and effectively put up taxes for others.

    1. Lifelogic
      February 26, 2018

      They also need to come without any serious criminal record, in reasonable health, with health insurance and sufficient capital to establish and set themselves up.

      What is needed is a sensible points based system. Something Theresa May, for some idiotic reason, ruled out. I think the reason was that UKIP had suggested this sensible approach. What is her plan? She was Home Sec. for 6+ years after all, does she have one yet?

    2. fedupsoutherner
      February 26, 2018

      Correct Lifelogic. They featured a Syrian refugee the other day with his children. They were living in a nice house, obviously getting free health care, rent paid etc etc. He was working part time in Waitrose. How much is that costing us.? While I’m all for helping these people but it should not be at the expense of our young who often find there is nowhere for them to live except with mum and dad even though they are in their late twenties. Something has to change.

  7. Dave Andrews
    February 26, 2018

    Net immigration is still running at around quarter of a million, despite Tory policy to reduce the numbers below 100,000.
    Why does the Tory government have a policy, but makes absolutely no effort to apply it?

  8. Leslie Singleton
    February 26, 2018

    Dear John–Birds of a feather flock together

  9. jerry
    February 26, 2018

    “Many also feel we do need to impose some limits on unrestricted migration into low paid jobs or onto benefits”

    How are we going to limit economic (im)migration when we are teaching our children and grandchildren that none of them need to do the low paid, physically demanding and/or dirty, jobs – our current higher education model is unsustainable, even more so with that daft New Labour pledge that (at least) 50% of school leavers should be going on to attend university.

    The Higher Education sector, not just the traditional Universities, have become businesses, not the further education service they should be, all funded via the bottomless magic money Well that is Student Loans.

    We often hear calls on these pages for more Grammar Schools but how many call for more old style Secondary Modern’s or Technical Schools that taught traditional trades etc?

    1. Cheshire Girl
      February 27, 2018

      I do call for these, and have been doing so for a while. I went to Secondary Modern and Technical College many years ago. University was an option only for a few those days.
      These schools and Tech Colleges gave me a ‘grounding’ which I used to progress in my Secretarial career. I was never unemployed. I firmly believe that some people would be much better off getting technical skills, instead of saddling themselves with massive debts at Uni, studying subjects which do not necessarily get them a decent job in the real world. They have been badly let down by recent Governments.

    2. David Price
      February 27, 2018

      My impression is the opposite in that there have been far more calls for technical colleges and apprenticeships than for grammar schools on this blog.

  10. APL
    February 26, 2018

    JR: “And generous to those fleeing danger and intolerance ”

    There seems to be a never ending stream of people crossing the Mediterranean sea.

    How many will you be accommodating in your rather spacious and comfortable house, this year Mr Redwood?

    I can tell you are a generous Christian man, so we’ll shortly hear in your reply that you’ve already put several asylum seekers up at your own expense in your own house, last year.

    Because that would be the Christian thing to do. Not coercing others to be ‘charitable’, but being charitable yourself.

    1. Timaction
      February 26, 2018

      But we already give the highest per capita in foreign aid on the planet to prevent illegal immigration and the “pull” factors connected with immigration, or so we are told by the part time, unqualified, ego maniac politicos. So we have the worst of all positions, a small over populated, politically correct Country, with health, housing and public services being overwhelmed by shear numbers and borrowing money we don’t have to give away in billions to sooth our politicos hearts! Madness. They’ve also got a compliant msm and legislated with so called (non) equality laws to prevent free speech, even worse so in Germany. I wonder why?

    2. mancunius
      February 26, 2018

      You’re confusing JR with Yvette Cooper and Bob Geldof.

    3. fedupsoutherner
      February 26, 2018

      APL. Exactly right. I don’t mind helping with donations to charity but I am damned if I am going to house them all while my son can’t afford to leave home due to high house prices and rents due to lack of housing. He is becoming depressed and I am concerned.

  11. formula57
    February 26, 2018

    “And generous to those fleeing danger and intolerance” – indeed, although in an era when whole populations mobilize to flee, generosity is very much less easy to dispense without enormous costs and does not present a viable solution.

    What shall we do if ever there were civil war in China? Would several billion refugees be accommodated in the Home Counties or would some have to go north?

  12. Denis Cooper
    February 26, 2018

    Off this topic, I’ve just seen Barry Gardiner explaining that under Labour our future customs union with the EU would not be the EU customs union – because that customs union is a function of the EU treaties, which will cease to apply to us once we have left the EU – instead it would be a separate customs union like that which Turkey has with the EU, except that unlike that agreement which Turkey has with the EU – which is appalling, as he has said in the past and still says now – Labour would negotiate a very different sort of customs union, under which the UK would continue to have its present veto on all the EU’s trade deals even though it was no longer a member of the EU, and apparently the diplomatic skills of a Labour government would be of such a high order that the EU and its member states would all readily agree to that kind of customs union with the UK, even though it would clearly deprive them of their power to make the trade deals they wanted unless a third country, the UK, also went along with it.

    So presumably when a new trade deal was made with South Korea, for example, under this Labour vision, it would no longer start as described here:

    http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2018/02/25/the-uk-as-a-leader-for-free-trade/#comment-921097

    but instead like this:

    “FREE TRADE AGREEMENT

    between the European Union and its Member States, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland of the one part, and the Republic of Korea, of the other part

    THE KINGDOM OF BELGIUM,

    THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA 


    … THE REPUBLIC OF FINLAND,

    THE KINGDOM OF SWEDEN,

    Contracting Parties to the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, hereinafter referred to as the ‘Member States of the European Union’,

    and

    THE EUROPEAN UNION,

    and also

    THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND

    of the one part, and

    THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA, hereinafter referred to as ‘Korea’,

    of the other part 
 ”

  13. Ian wragg
    February 26, 2018

    With what’s happening in the Hoc, I think immigration is the least of our worries.
    With the despicable Sourberry about to torpedo May and vote to keep us in the Customs Union I see a General Election looming which you will probably lose. I just hope Nigel returns to the frontline otherwise I and millions of others have nowhere to vote. You will not be forgi8.

    1. Ian wragg
      February 26, 2018

      Forgiven

      1. mancunius
        February 26, 2018

        Who’ll not be forgiven?
        How is any Conservative pro-Leave backbencher with sensible and realistic views remotely responsible for the unaccountable actions of Grieve, Soubry et al?
        How about parties and voters actually scrutinizing the europhile views of their candidates for a change, and taking stock of the obvious importance of the Leave issue whenj selecting and voting?

        1. APL
          February 27, 2018

          mancunius: “How about parties and voters actually scrutinizing the europhile views of their candidates for a change, ”

          Bingo!!

      2. fedupsoutherner
        February 26, 2018

        Yes Ian, I agree. There is nobody to vote for. A useless Tory party unless they get in someone like JRM. I would never vote Labour unless someone threatened my last breath. If Farage came back I would vote UKIP in a second and I think others would too. I know many who are now saying I wish we had a good UKIP party again. Bring it on. It’s the only way we are going to be a free nation again.

    2. Robert Betteridge
      February 26, 2018

      Yes we will, we will have a new party espousing no tariffs on food, clothing and shoes; low taxes, self reliance – with help if you are willing to help yourself; subsidised training in essential trades (eg. medical); Maintenance grants; parking without fees at Hospitals; incentives to generate our own electricity. . do add a few of your own . . . And it shall be called ? . . Commonwealth?

      Kippers & Betrayed Labour welcome

      1. fedupsoutherner
        February 26, 2018

        Robert

        And disillusioned Tory voters too.

  14. Adam
    February 26, 2018

    There are always points in favour or against individual immigration applicants. A points-based system suits every nation of the world. Opinions vary about what each point should be.

  15. Bert Young
    February 26, 2018

    Agree on all counts . With the most densely populated country in Europe we simply cannot absorb individuals who will not and can not make a proper contribution to our way of life and economy . Those who entered illegally must be sent back – also those with any criminal record . We have to be tough on this issue .

  16. Original Richard
    February 26, 2018

    “And generous to those fleeing danger and intolerance.”

    No, with this definition we can include a major proportion of the world’s population. We are a small country and should be giving help only to those in real need and then in their own countries or areas of the world.

    It is immoral to take well educated and trained people from poor countries thus denuding them of the very people they need themselves to improve their economy and wellbeing.

    At the same time it is nonsensical for us to import people illiterate in their own language into the UK, only for them to spend a lifetime on benefits and incapable of integration.

    If we do not cease the high levels of immigration from all over the world, including that from an ever expanding EU, then we will end up with an overpopulated disUK.

  17. Turboterrier.
    February 26, 2018

    All well and good when presented like this John.

    This country does not have enough proper infrastructure in place now to support the ever growing population in every critical area of basic living standards.

    We take in 20k and in ten years you have got an extra 40k making demands on our services. Even those that aspire to getting a good job and paying taxes will not cover the true cost. As we operate at the moment is totally unsustainable.

    For this reason alone Canada and Australia have got it right in that if you are of working age and self sufficient and we need you skills come on down. You can still come in if you have a lump sum and invest it in a business venture for local jobs. If you are of retirement age and can support yourself with a pre-determined pension and have a lump sum you will be considered.

  18. Iain Moore
    February 26, 2018

    We cannot continue to be generous to people fleeing danger and intolerance , the policy as outlined under the UN Convention for refugees is unworkable . Essentially it is a blank cheque written by a past generation, in a different time that , that we cannot honour. Something like 60 to 100 million people could claim this refugee right if they ever got here, so, while we dangle this carrot in front of people , to make us feel very ‘caring’ , we at the same time do everything in our power to stop them coming here, that disgustingly dishonest. Apart from that I don’t think it does any good, for the refugee convention is a despots best friend as it empties his country of the awkward squad, the people who might fight for change .

  19. Old Albion
    February 26, 2018

    If and when we leave the EU, we need initially to stop all immigration for at least five years. To enable our services and housing to catch up with demand.
    After that, a strict required high quality immigrant only policy to be in place.

    1. Timaction
      February 26, 2018

      One seriously considered policy for ALL new immigrants based on a points system. No more chain migration as agreed by Ms May with one in all in policy for existing EU migrants and its huge potential costs to the taxpayer. Can someone give our leading politicos a course in common sense and patriotism post Brexit? Populism is a very disguised word to describe patriotism by remainiacs whilst they ironically are trying to create a …………larger country/superstate with mass migration used to prevent feelings of………nationalism.
      The level of journalism and questioning by our msm has become a joke.

  20. backofanenvelope
    February 26, 2018

    “We also want a migration system which is fair between the EU and the rest of the world”

    That word fair should be abolished! We need a migration system that works for us – the people of the UK. The EU should be left to make its own arrangements.

  21. Breeze Block
    February 26, 2018

    “Welcoming to entrepreneurs and investors” Yes we British can empty their wheelie bins for them.

  22. Epikouros
    February 26, 2018

    In principle there is nothing to fear from immigration however in practice because we hand out large amounts of taxpayers money to all and sundry it turns immigration not into an orderly and gradual process but chaotic and impossible to handle and to satisfactorily absorb the numbers and diversity of cultures and religions or afford the cost of all the infrastructure to satisfactorily accommodate them. Yet again the West has not learnt from history; Rome was founded by immigrants, immigrants help to make it a great empire but in the end it was immigrants who destroyed it. The West has now entered the last phase.

  23. Paul
    February 26, 2018

    Groundbreaking points there JR 🙂

  24. bigneil
    February 26, 2018

    It is pointless asking any immigrant if they are fleeing persecution or intolerance. NONE of them are going to say – ” I want to get into the UK because I ( and ALL my family ) get a house better than I have ever lived in, that house will be paid for and maintained by the UK taxpayer, I get free money for doing nothing, I get free NHS and translators, which I don’t have to pay for, but take up multiple appointment times, which stops the taxpayer getting seen, and my children get free schooling – -while I sit on my backside and laugh my taxpayer funded socks off at them struggling to go to work to pay all THEIR bills – -AND MINE TOO.”

    The end result is clear – even to a working class numpty like me.

    1. fedupsoutherner
      February 26, 2018

      Well said Big Neil. I don’t find anything you have said politically incorrect. I wish this subject was discussed more openly. It is not racial but it is about protecting things we value. On the news tonight they were talking about unregistered schools and how they teach anti British subjects. These terrorists are home grown and this government has done nothing to address it. I find it all unbelievable. What the hell is Nicky Morgan doing? Not a lot for her money. Perhaps she should stop trying derail Brexit and concentrate on her job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  25. English Pensioner
    February 26, 2018

    We need a points based system like Australia.
    Points are allocated according to skills and qualifications needed in this country, which can be varied according to the country’s current requirements at the time. Points according to whether you have funds to buy or rent a home. Points for having a good command of the English language. No one with a criminal record. A system designed to cut out the scroungers and get the people into the country that we need.
    And easier deportation for those committing crimes; cut out the human rights rubbish about family life, they should have thought of that before they broke the law.

  26. Iain Gill
    February 26, 2018

    Re “Many also feel we do need to impose some limits on unrestricted migration into low paid jobs or onto benefits” speaking for all the Brits I know in the Information Tech sector we also want restrictions on those higher up the pay scale too. In lots of IT jobs there is already an oversupply of local workers, yet the government still prints work visas. The intra company transfer work visa scheme is being abused on a massive scale to import cheap workers to displace Brits. The way imported workers are taxed less than locals has got to change.

    So I dont think you “get it” if there is already an oversupply of workers it doesnt matter if the pay grade is low, medium or high.

    As far as the “rest of the world” nationals from some countries like New Zealand and Australia should have a much more welcoming approach.

    Others like one large Asian country in particular are abusing our system massively, and our political class and negotiators have been an easy walk over for their politicians to manipulate ever easier access.

    To encourage young Brits to study STEM subjects it has got to be visible that they have realistic prospects in those industries, and are not going to have cheaper foreign imports swamp them out.

    No more first year in the country exempt from both employers and employees national insurance! Make tax allowance pro-rata with the amount of that tax year you are in the country, and legally here. Stop allowing tax free amounts as supposed expenses that Brits working far from home within the UK would not be allowed under tax rules. Market prices for health care please. Stop giving free schooling to children of families here on work visas from countries which would not give equivalent British families in their countries free schooling.

    We dont want to offer work visas, and indefinite leave, as part of supposed “free trade” agreements.

    And so very much on… Its not rocket science. I could knock together sensible policies in an afternoon, why is it so hard for our political class?

  27. stred
    February 26, 2018

    The Archbishop of Canterbury has written that we should be a ‘more welcoming’ nation, presumably taking the Guardian line that mass migration is fine, but in the same article he writes that we have a housing crisis and we must build more and better houses. Presumably, he has never had to find housing land and get planning permission and finance bigger houses.

    The need to invite foreign nurses with easier qualifications than our own, who have to write long essays and obtain an academic degree, at which point they are too well qualified to do the less attractive tasks and become managers instead, has been mentioned. Quite why the government does not take an independent line and re-introduce SRN nurses with practical training and guaranteed jobs with nursing home accommodation is a question that needs asking. Who would be so out of touch that the country would be short of home trained nurses. Well, perhaps the Chief Nursing Officers in the Ministry of Health would know why. One of them has made a meteoric carrier in the C of E and has been made Bishop of London. Does Mrs May, a keen churchgoer, have a say in choosing bishopesses?

    There may be a lesson here.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/bishop-of-london-sarah-elisabeth-mullally

  28. stred
    February 26, 2018

    The Archbishop of Canterbury has written that we should be a ‘more welcoming’ nation, presumably taking the Guardian line that mass migration is fine, but in the same article he writes that we have a housing crisis and we must build more and better houses. Presumably, he has never had to find housing land and get planning permission and finance bigger houses.

    The need to invite foreign nurses with easier qualifications than our own, who have to write long essays and obtain an academic degree, at which point they are too well qualified to do the less attractive tasks and become managers instead, has been mentioned. Quite why the government does not take an independent line and re-introduce SRN nurses with practical training and guaranteed jobs with nursing home accommodation is a question that needs asking. Who would be so out of touch that the country would be short of home trained nurses. Well, perhaps the Chief Nursing Officers in the Ministry of Health would know why. One of them has made a meteoric career in the C of E and has been made Bishop of London. Does Mrs May, a keen churchgoer, have a say in choosing bishopesses?

    There may be a lesson here.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/bishop-of-london-sarah-elisabeth-mullally

    corrected

  29. Peter
    February 26, 2018

    Daft ‘Open Borders’ ideas seem to be gaining ground for some strange reason.

    Even the USA is plagued by the notion. Any attempt to limit immigration is now vehemently opposed in the Western world – not just within the EU.

    That said, it comes within the aim of taking back control from the EU and returning it to the nation state.

    Just don’t expect any easy fix on immigration if and when we are rid of the EU.

    1. Andy
      February 26, 2018

      We do not, and never have had, open borders.

      Repeating an untruth does not make it true.

      1. Peter
        February 27, 2018

        Read my post. I did not say we had open borders. I said protesters are pushing strongly for that, in the USA as well as in the EU.

        Those same protesters make it very difficult to control immigration – both legal and illegal.

  30. John
    February 26, 2018

    I’m not one that believes we should expand our house building at a substantial rate. Its already circa 250,000 pa.

    Yes 1/2 the worlds population will want to come here but that’s not possible so we need to start restricting whilst there is still some farmland and villages left.

    Our way of life in England is disappearing, 1000 year old villages are being swamped under 1000s of houses in the rural villages. Creating far to much traffic for ancient farm roads.

    We need to scale back and also look to develop cities in the North West and East where there are appropriate road and sewer networks.

    From the Midlands down Rural England is being concreted over and we are loosing the finest historical village scenes and farmland in the world.

  31. Dennis
    February 26, 2018

    “That requires us to expand our numbers at a sustainable pace”

    As our present population is not living sustainably and will never, being grossly overpopulated, unless there can be access to a magic biosphere tree (have you got one JR?) this ‘requirement’ is absurd.

  32. agricola
    February 26, 2018

    So why the holdup, It is factually correct so in no sense controversial . Is it that you just don’t like the truth.

  33. Juiliet
    February 27, 2018

    New migration immigration system should make it clear that people who are not classed as British Citizens will not have the right to vote at local elections, to be here living and working does not entitle the person to same privileges as British Citizens unless they are applying for citizenship to be here should be seen as a privileged and not a right. Not fair that EU citizens can vote in our local elections and distort the count because of tactical voting and the Swan off back to their home in the EU. Theresa May was wrong to give EU nationals the same rights as British Citizens, she devalued our citizenship and now hands London to Labour when all the EU nationals vote Labour at the local elections

  34. John Barleycorn
    March 2, 2018

    Mr Redwood wrote:
    This is really encouraging to hear, and I do hope Mr Redwood will be able to write a longer post on the topic of refugees in the near future. As Iain Moore points out, legitimate refugees numbers are about 60-100 million people across the world, which is a record high. The current government, and its predecessor, were the leading donor towards supporting refugees in the countries around Syria and have taken 20,000 vulnerable refugees directly from the region. This is far preferable to supporting the people smuggling networks who move people from across the world to Calais.

    However, some readers of this blog want fewer refugees in the UK, and some others oppose any spending of foreign aid on refugees in other countries. How can we as a nation reconcile these? In our foreign policies, should we support those who challenge authoritarian Governments such as Syria and Cuba? Can we really not support people if they leave their country because of torture or killings?

    On March 16th, there’s an SNP Private Member’s Bill that would make it easier for adult members of a family to join their children if they are in the UK as refugees. I would be very interested to hear Mr Redwood’s views on that Bill.

  35. John Barleycorn
    March 2, 2018

    Mr Redwood wrote:
    “And generous to those fleeing danger and intolerance”
    This is really encouraging to hear, and I do hope Mr Redwood will be able to write a longer post on the topic of refugees in the near future. As Iain Moore points out, legitimate refugees numbers are about 60-100 million people across the world, which is a record high. The current government, and its predecessor, were the leading donor towards supporting refugees in the countries around Syria and have taken 20,000 vulnerable refugees directly from the region. This is far preferable to supporting the people smuggling networks who move people from across the world to Calais.

    However, some readers of this blog want fewer refugees in the UK, and some others oppose any spending of foreign aid on refugees in other countries. How can we as a nation reconcile these? In our foreign policies, should we support those who challenge authoritarian Governments such as Syria and Cuba? Can we really not support people if they leave their country because of torture or killings?

    On March 16th, there’s an SNP Private Member’s Bill that would make it easier for adult members of a family to join their children if they are in the UK as refugees. I would be very interested to hear Mr Redwood’s views on that Bill.

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