Cameron says welfare changes only to last til 2028

[ThelmaLouise]

I've been watching Question Time where they discussed the welfare restrictions on EU migrants that Cameron negotiated with the EU. When asked how long these would be effective, Cameron said until 2028. I personally don't think these welfare changes will do much to help lower numbers of EU migrants coming to the UK but even if they do, they are only temporary and the EU could decide to scrap them after 2028. I feel that Cameron has deliberately kept quiet on the fact that these changes are temporary and I distrust him even more now.

[Limer]

I saw QT and came to the same conclusion. Also, what the woman who asked the question was trying to point out was that if children are involved, we have to provide for them & their families regardless. That's already a huge problem - whole families moving here with one NMW earner, immediately gaining access to the entire welfare system, education, housing, NHS etc. None of that would stop.

[ThelmaLouise]

Yes, he totally failed to address her concern about children. He is very good at dodging questions. When David Dimbleby was trying to get him to explain why he said that it was very difficult to control immigration from outside the EU, when the Government has absolute control over this, he simply wouldn't answer the question even when pressed. Dodgy Dave is living up to his name!

[SpringingIntoAction]

Notice how Cameron also carefully said that new applicants would only get full benefits after 4 years.

They start getting benefits on an increasing sliding scale upwards after just 3 months in the UK. And as was documented on Channel 4 recently they can be allocated social housing after just 10 days.

[shinytorch2]

Shiny Dave is pretty slippery..!!

Remain have no answers to immigration levels either from the EU or outside the EU, apart from the fact that they can't meet any targets they themselves have set over the past several years.

Do we make an assumption going forward for the next 12 years (until 2028 when the restrictions end) of net +330,000 per year - does that seem reasonable to everyone? With unemployment at 40-50% in Southern Europe, the migrant crisis temporarily stemmed by Turkey and the accession of 4 new poor countries to the EU (Albania, Serbia, Montenegro etc), I think that seems like a good working assumption (another 3.96 million people), DC needs to raise taxes pronto to fire up housebuilding, he needs to change the planning laws so we can pave over some green fields, and he needs to throw some money at the NHS and education to provide school places.

This to me is what Remain should be addressing because we are not voting for the status quo of the EU today, we are voting for the future and I feel they haven't painted a picture for their vision of the EU.....just shouted down the Leave sides proposals.

[SpringingIntoAction]

What I found very disturbing is that one questioner asked Cameron how he could be sure he could deliver his 'special deal 'as it had yet to be voted on by the European Parliament.

Cameron was insistent that his special deal had been agreed by the other leaders and that would be agreed by the European Parliament.

And he is still trying to keep us believing the European Parliament has any clout? The European Parliament is obviously a toothless rubber-stamp for the EU.

Squaring away a supposed democratic European Parliament before it votes on something is not a good look.
Not worth trading our democratically elected UK Parliament for.

[eyebrowse]

If the UK stays in the EU I don't think the EU will dare not to implement the changes after the closeness of the campaigns in the UK. I think there will be many further changes as there will be many more right wing parties in power all over Europe.