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We're hearing all this stuff this week about how the government is planning to curb Benefits to people coming from the EU, and to also limit the numbers of people that can come. Does anyone think this is for real, or is it just a cynical ploy to try and stop people voting UKIP at the forthcoming Rochester by-election and to also try to help the Tories win the general election in 6 months time? I would say it was that.

This week Theresa May spoke of the 'comment' the Tories made about curbing immigration a few years ago. She referred to it as that, rather than a 'pledge' or a 'promise'. Cameron said 4 years ago they would get on top of immigration after the vast numbers Blair and Brown allowed to settle here, and - surprise surprise! - he's done nothing about it. Numbers are just as high now as they were four years ago.

After the next election the whole thing will be quietly dropped and immigration from the EU and elsewhere will continue at very high amounts and EU migrants will continue to be able to claim Benefits like they presently do. Politicians: most are liars and there seems little point in voting at all.

There are two different questions here.

Will the UK government be able to push through with the EU countries' support, a limitation on free movement of labour within the EU?

Answer. No. It is a cornerstone of the EU.

Will EU countries be able to limit the benefits that immigrants get, compared to the nationals of the country they have migrated to?

Answer. Yes. That approach has already been accepted by the European Court.

The issue is whether the government really has any genuine interest in doing anything regarding this, or whether it is all hot air in order to stop voters drifting to UKIP and to stop voters punishing them in large numbers at next year's general election. Politicians always talk immigration prior to elections, pretend they're going to do something about it, then ditch the idea after the subsequent election.

Well, non-EU migration which Cameron can control has fallen by a third under the current government.

And I may be wrong but I thought from this month, European jobseekers will only be able to claim Jobseekers Allowance and other key welfare benefits for a maximum period of 3 months. And there is a minimum 3 month delay to claiming benefits and to cut off benefits after 6 months unless the individual has very clear job prospects. Can't believe I am defending Cameron against you, Max.

Be careful what you wish for Maximilian. A recent study highlighted that EU migrants pay more in taxes than they take out in benefits.

PS. Shouldn't you be working, Max?

If they pay in more than they take out that it to be commended, many immigrants here are doing jobs the domestic population wont do, all the road sweepers and building site labourers in my area are eastern Europeans - my gripe is about those who come here, take and give nothing, and also about politicans' cynical attempts to hood-wink the public prior to every election about cutting immigration. If Cameron has cut immigration from outside the EU by one-third in three years then that is good, it makes you wonder why he didn't cut it even more. We are one of the most over-crowded countries on earth and we don't have the room for the numbers Blair and brown allowed here - something which Cameron is sustaining two-thirds of year in year out.

"We are one of the most over-crowded countries on earth and we don't have the room for the numbers Blair and brown allowed here - something which Cameron is sustaining two-thirds of year in year out."

Net migration in 2013-2014 rose by just under 40%. Although non-EU migration has dropped in this government, EU migration has soared in the last year or two so that the overall net migration is now running at similar levels as under Labour.

Just proves that Cameron can't be trusted on this subject, like Blair and Brown could not be trusted on it. The public wants immigration vastly cut, but no politician gives a damn about it.

"The public wants immigration vastly cut, but no politician gives a damn about it"

Max you are going round in circles. Cameron can't do anything about limiting free movement from the EU WITHOUT leaving the EU.

Besides, Farage is a politician, allegedly and he leads a party that is doing very well in the polls with the sole objective of leaving the EU.

Let's hope this referendum that Cameron is promising us delivers an 'out' vote and we leave. I'm amazed we got so immersed in it, I'm certain no one back in the 1970's ever thought we would surrender so much to the European parliament when we agreed, under Ted Heath, to join Europe.

I think that is the whole point ? "we" didn't agree. Ted Heath took a unilateral decision to take us in.

Harold Wilson gave us a referendum on staying in the "Common Market" as it was then called in 1975. And unsurprisingly given there were two yes campaigns and one no, the yeses won.

We were sold on the idea of cheap booze and fags, no one mentioned mass immigration then.

Ane even then I would argue that most of the country did not say yes ? if you are now under 56/57 you have had no say on one of the most important decisions that effects our country.

The 2017 referendum will never happen.