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Thread: Brexit

  1. #11
    Master Muddy Retriever's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by noel View Post
    That's assuming the government can still collect all that money, without all the young foreigners who are currently tipping the scales of our economy into less than 1% growth .
    On 5 Live last night I heard somebody in support of staying in the EU argue that immigration was good for the country and therefore a reason for staying in. Isn't that blindly missing the point completely? Outside the EU we can determine the level of immigration that is good for the country ourselves as opposed to the current situation where we have absolutely no control over the level of it. We just have to powerlessly accept it for better or worse.

  2. #12
    Moderator noel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Muddy Retriever View Post
    On 5 Live last night I heard somebody in support of staying in the EU argue that immigration was good for the country and therefore a reason for staying in. Isn't that blindly missing the point completely? Outside the EU we can determine the level of immigration that is good for the country ourselves as opposed to the current situation where we have absolutely no control over the level of it. We just have to powerlessly accept it for better or worse.
    That's a good point. And I hadn't thought of it that way. You're right, we could leave the EU and say we'll continue to take lots of useful immigrants. I don't think we would, but at least the decision would be in our hands.

    It would probably be a bit of poisoned chalice, politically speaking: having to balance the need to get young workers in to tip the teetering economy into growth, with demands on infrastructure and anti-immigration public feeling. Perhaps it's easier for UK politicians to reap the rewards on one hand but blame the EU on the other.

  3. #13
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    In the paper this morning "The leader of the commons told the Sunday Times that the deal unveiled in Brussels on Friday to curb migrant benefits would have little or no effect and would be more than out-weighed by George Osborne's decision to raise the minimum wage.".

    So if you put this the other way around the cost of George Osborne's decision to raise the minimum wage would be at least partially offset by the deal unveiled in Brussels on Friday to curb migrant benefits.
    Cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run

  4. #14
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    The cost here is not a cost to the Exchequer Bigfella.
    When the MW goes up, people are taken in to tax who were not previously and people are taken out of benefits, or will receive less benefits.
    So the cost is carried by the employer and the government should see an increase in revenue.

    The cost related to curbing migrant benefits will have little if any financial benefit to the exchequer.

    The child benefit part of this deal is that where child benefit is currently paid to (for example) a family from Hungary, instead of that being paid at a UK rate, it will be paid at a reduced rate, based on a comparison between the standards of living in the 2 countries.
    So it will save a little, not all.

    That being the case, you have to take in to account that Germany, Austria, Luxembourg and perhaps a few other nations actually have a higher standard of living and subject to the agreement they might actually get increased benefits.
    Many of the countries, such as France, Netherlands, Belgium.... are hardly any different.

    So the financial saving is likely to be peanuts in the scheme of things and there will be an increased cost to administer.

    The effort made on this, is because it is seen as a further potential draw for EU workers to come here. The draw of the increasing minumum wage will probably be more of a draw, than the decrease in potential benefits.

    So nothing is likely to change as a result of this part of the deal.

    On the wider benefits, measures can be brought in if immigration reaches "exceptional" levels. That doesn't seem to be defined,it is not a complete reduction and are tax credits counted as a benefit anyway?
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  5. #15
    Master bigfella's Avatar
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    I was simply making the point that it's how the figures are presented, if they are not comparable then don't compare them.
    Cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run

  6. #16
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    Out Please.

  7. #17
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    We'll be staying in
    Poacher turned game-keeper

  8. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Derby Tup View Post
    We'll be staying in
    I would with the weather your having.

    Secret weapon Boris has now been unleashed ��

  9. #19
    I was amazed to learn mate of mine, himself and his wife with a PhD honest and hard working, both from Serbia (not EU), were not entitled to child benefits because they are not EU citizen.
    Yet they pay the same income tax, NI, VAT, blah blah.

    Of course the old saying apply:
    1) don't like it here? You can leave
    2) life, and especially, taxes, are not meant to be fair

    When my wife was pregnant she applied for something called "health in pregnancy grant". At the GP place huge panels were saying "every" pregnant woman is entitled to it. Eventually it turned out: "you are not entitled because not an EU citizen".

    Make of it what you want.

  10. #20
    Master Muddy Retriever's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stagger View Post
    Secret weapon Boris has now been unleashed ��
    Potentially a game changer. Boris is a more attractive proposition than Farage as a person able to swing the votes of the undecided.

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