Iain Duncan Smith and foreign Big Issue sellers...

[David Johnson]

I agree with many of the remarks in this thread.

A Rumanian ate my hamster. I think this is something worth moaning about, don't you? In fact, I seem to recall my hamster moaned as well at the time.

Take care, all. Look out, there's an immigrant about.....

[David Johnson]

Although I am not suggesting it be done, statistically the best way to reduce the welfare bill and increase gross national product would be to ship all the British born unemployed abroad to say, Rumania or Bulgaria and replace them with EU immigrants.

That way you would have a bunch of people in the UK more likely to make a net contribution in terms of taxes compared to benefits paid.

[max_tranmere]

That might be one way to do it but I've always thought the longer a person and their family has been in a country the more they are part of the country therefore more entitled to help. Someone who has just turned up I don't think should be helped. A black or Asian Briton is more entitled to help in my view than a white Aussie or Kiwi who just moved here for example. A Romanian who just arrived shouldn't be helped. Hopefully, as I've said, with Iain Duncan Smith talking about this, and others probably will now too, the headscarf-clad Romanian 'Big Issue' peddler will disappear from our high streets.

[max_tranmere]

I've heard about that. Romanians do like their hamsters...

[Robches]

David Johnson wrote:

> "It's a feature of a welfare state that it is essentially a
> country looking after its own people. If it is open to all and
> sundry it will fall apart"
>
> Thankfully, there is currently no sign that the 2.2 million
> British citizens who live in the EU countries outside of the
> UK, will be treated in a similar way in terms of countries
> "looking after their own people".


How many of those British people are retirees, who do not make any claim for social security payments?

I am also reading that several cash strapped EU states, such as Spain, are closing their health services to other EU nationals. If there is no money, you cannot have a welfare state.

[max_tranmere]

I agree with that, I don't think many (or any) of the Brits living on the Spanish Costa's claim the dole, sell the Big Issue, get the Spanish government to pay their rent and so on. There is not even a minority of the British community there who live in tent-cities, operate pickpocketing gangs, or do cashpoint distraction robberies either.

[David Johnson]

With red cabbage apparently!

[max_tranmere]

Interesting facts - and interesting music too! Lol!

[Essex Lad]

Quite a few in Tottenham Court Road...

[David Johnson]

"How many of those British people are retirees, who do not make any claim for social security payments? "

In Spain there are more retirees than people working there. But even if people are economically inactive they still make demands on housing, policing, schooling for relatives, health system etc etc. Just ask Nigel Farage about the demands placed on the UK by immigration!!!

" I am also reading that several cash strapped EU states, such as Spain, are closing their health services to other EU nationals. If there is no money, you cannot have a welfare state.
"
Got any links to this?