Time for Farage to "take a break"?

Trollslayer

A shame there aren't enough Borders Agency staff to implement existing legislation.
Makes changing things look silly.

EarthRod

No, nothing has changed.

The newly elected PM with full mandate still cutting his feet on broken promises and limply headlining empty rhetoric.

nabby

So so true. And to boot he's now trying blame stuff on the Lib Dems. That's the new "it was the last lot's fault" excuse for the next 5 years. I can accept they weren't perfect as junior coalition partners and didn't do everything right for the country but if the Tories expect to us to swallow that line over and over I despair for their competence.

domtheone

I can/could accept it but only if he (they) get on and do something about it to prove their point.

I doubt it though as Cameron clearly does not seem to think it's a problem having this island inhabited by 100 million people (which it will be in 20-30 years time) if nothing changes.

krish

all cowards, just like Labour's leadership contenders throwing Miliband under the bus, taking no responsibility themselves

Cliff

Thats fine for when Enki wants a cheap plumber. But we have to look at the national interest.

Cliff

One of the problems is that we have immigration deniers!
Many Guardian readers and immigrants or sons of immigrants still say there is no problem. And that is for every type. I.e. Illegals coming from Libya, huge numbers waiting in Calais, overstays, and the European migrants. Was it 300 thousand a year- highest for decades- announced today.

Point is, how long can we tolerate 300k and rising every year? Houses, NHS, schools all at breaking point. A few years? 10 years?

nabby

If I were of the opinion that the numbers talked about today are a significant and worrying issue then I don't think I'd be worried by who the deniers were in terms of their choice of newspaper or the fact they are 1st or 2nd generation male immigrants. I'd be worried about why people aren't marching on the streets about this or petitioning Parliament constantly or voting for political parties that support this view in great numbers.

If the numbers are correct then unless the Government plans for the next 10 to 20 years we won't get anywhere. We are hamstrung by the short-sightedness of our politicians and our inability to see this and call them out on it when we elect them.

Cliff

I am not sure I follow your drift. Are you saying the numbers are not important?
British people are very tolerant, probabably more so than Italy ,France and Germany, hence the huge numbers waiting in Calais. We certainly don't want to go marching like anti capitalists, but the numbers speak for themselves. Social services, hospitals housing, all affected.
Also 'you' by employing your cheap plumber are undermining the British workforce. Remember, that cheap Eu immigrant will probably be working below legal wages per hour and sending the money home where things are a lot cheaper.

nabby

No, the numbers are important.

My first point was more in response to your point about many Guardian readers, immigrants and the sons of immigrants saying there's no problem.  To me it's not so important what category we put them into - if the numbers are the issue then more needs to be done to apply pressure to the Government. I'm happy to accept that to me, the numbers aren't as important as they might be to you but that's not to say I believe we stand idly by and leave things as they are.

I think the figures show that the issues we face here are no different to those being felt in France, Germany and Italy, and even Sweden proportionately takes one of the highest levels of immigrants and asylum seekers.

When the fox-hunting ban was proposed 10 odd years ago, thousands of people descended on London to march against the Government. Ok, it didn't prevent MPs voting for the ban but it raised concerns and got discussions going. I don't see why something similar on this issue is anything but helpful, if it is of importance to people.

I understand and sympathise with your point on the Polish plumber but is it any different to many of us shopping around online for the best deal on various goods that we could buy for 10% or 20% more from a local business?

Likewise, when there was a rush to buy cars from the European mainland 10-15 years ago as an import because they were 15 or 20% cheaper, I don't recall much support being given to the "plight" of British car sellers.