Reform plans to scrap indefinite leave to remain for migrants

I REALLY hate the way family life is being completely overlooked in this. It used to be a that spouses could sponsor each other, no questions asked. Then there was a need to make sure the marriage was valid - which was fair. Then it changed to needing minimum sponsoring spouse income. Now it’s telling Britons with long term foreign spouses that the state expects them to divorce.

I am pretty sure my husband’s homeland would expedite my application to stay with him (under their current government, anyway), and the kids are dual nationals anyway so we could probably all stay together. But it’s net losing 4 Britons for 1 ILR spouse: 2 taxpayers and 3 future taxpayers. It makes ZERO economic sense.

Regardless of how Reform are trying to market this as a ‘Boris Wave’ (and Boris was a horror show of ineptitude and corruption), this is a result of Brexit, which Farage was a key architect of - so this issue is very much of Farage’s making. I’ll post a graph which shows the changes in immigration post-Brexit.

Hopefully this policy will be a huge own goal for them (althoughI have little faith in the media at this point), and Farage will finally be held accountable for his role as an architect and key figurehead of Brexit. There is a horrible irony in all of this, as Farage will still claim his £73k a year EU pension when he turns 63 despite being highly critical of EU frameworks and ensuring that we’re no longer part of the EU.

I think we need to be very clear with people that if they think going after scapegoats as viciously and punitively as possible for no real economic benefit is acceptable, that when the first group of scapegoats runs out there will need to be a new one. And immigrants won’t be an option then.

This in a nutshell.

Some people are falling for it. Other people know exactly what Farage is up to, but support him because they hate immigrants.

First it was asylum seekers. Now it is immigrants who have come here to work and also those who have worked here and are now retired. Farage is gradually widening his net of hate. Who will be caught in it next? Women who need abortions? The disabled? Those in same-sex marriages? We know Farage has issues with all these.

Farage drew a clear line in the sand yesterday. There are no more excuses. If you support him you are happy to support racism, xenophobia and the dehumanisation of other people. Own it.

I find it frustrating because this is exactly the type of thing we need.

But Farage comes with a helping of far right, US interests that would be disastrous

This will be a vote winner.
I’m genuinely worried Farage will be the next PM.

I personally think immigrants and refugees have been used as a very convenient scapegoat for issues within the country. I truly don't think the cost of living, failing NHS, lack of housing, and other issues, are the fault of immigration. I also think that in a society with less economic inequality and functioning public services, there would be less vitriol. People are looking for someone to blame that their lives are shit, and the media tells us it's the fault of immigrants 🤷

I said the pension system was a problem.

Apologies, I read your comment about it being “different” if it was just families with a IRL parent rather than families with a naturalised British one being split up as you saying you found the policy acceptable.

You’ve agree that British pensioners are a problem, only you’ve suggested making them poor instead of raising the tax intake from more workers as a way of dealing with them.

The policy isn't one i agree with, but calling it a Boris wave is more about ensuring any comeback by Boris is tainted by immigration in the view of that section of the electorate. I think this whole idea is more about that than any policy they will actually implement shoukd they win an election..

Boris has been popping up in my news feed more recently and he is the only other personality that seems to have a presence for some bits of the electorate.

I don't know why you keep saying that to me. I know. I never said they were. That was a PP (to whom I was replying).

So you’re comfortable with splitting families up if the Home Office backlog hasn’t got to their applications by time Nige comes into power? Even if the people deported have been paying taxes and NI for years, if not decades?

Sorry, I’m not feeling especially sarky about this topic. Not enough comfortable distance from it.

You actually think Reform have worked any of this out?
Bless.

This is a very real prospect indeed.
The whole thing sounds plain crazy.

I think you need your sarcasm detector adjusting.

Exactly.

Well it won't matter how popular/unpopular it is. If there's no money there's no money. NI payments haven't gone into a pot with our name on. We are paying for today's pensioners.

It's a horrible situation and not of our making. Boris and Blair took the brakes off immigration which has led to this and it now needs to be sorted out. Polls say excessive immigration (both legal and illegal) is the number one concern. Reform are just responding to an out of control situation that is not being adequately dealt with by Labour. If Labour get a handle on it, that will shoot Reform's fox. They're not in power yet.