Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

If you voted UKIP - what are you hoping will happen

265 replies

Lemiserableoldgimmer · 26/05/2014 16:27

..with all the immigrants who've come to the UK over the past few years?

Given that I suspect you think there are far too many here and that they are a major cause of our current housing and jobs shortage?

Just asking! :-)

OP posts:
Retropear · 26/05/2014 20:54

Glad it worked for you.

Pretty sure if dp and I pitched up in Sweden tomorrow it wouldn't work for us.

None of us speak the language for a start so finding a job would be kind of hard,my 9 and 10 year olds would be up shit creek at school,the high tax would make less well off than here,not sure what the housing situation is like but pretty sure purchasing a Retro towers wouldn't be on the cards,keeping an eye on 4 times elderly parents would be a tad tricky.......

RazzleDazzleEm · 26/05/2014 20:56

I imagine quite a lot of germans are in poland thogh
I'm not sure what the relevance of this is - I was just showing that there are UK citizens chosing to live all over Europe not just retiring in Spain for the sun

It was in response to people saying that no one wants to go and live in EE countries.

I said if they didnt what is the point of the whole freedom of movement if it goes one way.

There is no point, so it must go two ways. Someone quoted about 6 thousand brits in poland?

I said....I bet there are many more Germans living in poland than Brits, and although maybe Brtis do not flock to E block countries, I am sure there is far more movement on the continent.

As I said before, Britain badly needs immigration...esp in times of economic crisis...so the poor Eastern Block countries will need it even more than us....

RazzleDazzleEm · 26/05/2014 20:57

I imagine quite a lot of germans are in poland though
I'm not sure what the relevance of this is - I was just showing that there are UK citizens chosing to live all over Europe not just retiring in Spain for the sun

It was in response to people saying that no one wants to go and live in EE countries.

I said if they didnt what is the point of the whole freedom of movement if it goes one way.

There is no point, so it must go two ways. Someone quoted about 6 thousand brits in poland?

I said....I bet there are many more Germans living in poland than Brits, and although maybe Brtis do not flock to E block countries, I am sure there is far more movement on the continent.

As I said before, Britain badly needs immigration...esp in times of economic crisis...so the poor Eastern Block countries will need it even more than us....

TucsonGirl · 26/05/2014 20:57

Why on earth do we badly need immigration in times of economic crisis?

RazzleDazzleEm · 26/05/2014 20:59

retro

In some countries there will be lots of interpretors available and translators like here...particularity in France but possibly places like Sweden...Ikea?

I think you get help here if you want to talk to doctors too....i imagine other countries that can also do this.

RazzleDazzleEm · 26/05/2014 20:59

retro

In some countries there will be lots of interpretors available and translators like here...particularity in France but possibly places like Sweden...Ikea?

I think you get help here if you want to talk to doctors too....i imagine other countries that can also do this.

RazzleDazzleEm · 26/05/2014 21:00

retro

In some countries there will be lots of interpretors available and translators like here...particularity in France but possibly places like Sweden...Ikea?

I think you get help here if you want to talk to doctors too....i imagine other countries that can also do this.

ikeaismylocal · 26/05/2014 21:02

I'm obviously not saying lets all play musical countries just for a giggle.

For me having to leave Sweden is very very unlikely, the time it would actually take to leave the EU is longer than the time I have left before I can become an EU citizen.

I think that the EU is a positive thing and I want my children to have the option to choose to live in different countries without having to go through lengthy and uncertain application processes.

You would be surprised as to how you could and would make it work if you really wanted to relocate, I know 3 families who have moved to Sweden from the UK without family/relationship links here. You may well choose not to do that, fine, but I don't see why other people shouldn't have the option.

ikeaismylocal · 26/05/2014 21:05

Yes, you are entitled to a free interpreter for all medical/school/benefits appointments, it isn't a problem as an English speaker as I mentioned above the Swedes are better at English than the English, the equivalent of A-level English is a requirement for any university course.

mumthetaxidriver · 26/05/2014 21:06

razzle sorry I get your point! and yes I agree. The UK needs immigration - particularly at the moment as we have an ageing population - a statistic I re-call from the son's GCSE Geography revision last week is that by 2046 25% of the population will by over 25%. We need more tax payers to cover the cost of all those pensions.

mumthetaxidriver · 26/05/2014 21:14

razzle Sorry I get what you mean now! I agree totally - the freedom to move is the key here. retro the fact that you don't want to take that opportunity doesn't mean we shouldn't have the choice.
As for encouraging immigrants - the UK has an ageing population - by 2046 25% of the population will be over 65 (fact from son's GCSE Geography revision guide!!). Plus people are having less children - we need more younger people to come to the UK or the retirement age will go to 70!

mumthetaxidriver · 26/05/2014 21:14

sorry double posted there!

WickedWitchoftheNorthWest · 26/05/2014 21:16

Wonder if UKIP voters knew any of this before voting? www.hopenothate.org.uk/ukip/

I give up trying to explain that immigrants to the UK are a net gain (they contribute more in taxes than they receive in benefits) and that there are almost as many Brits in EU countries as EU immigrants here, many of whom are not working and require a lot of services - healthcare, etc. Yes many come back just as many immigrants in theUK eventually leave but the total numbers stay pretty stable. I give up trying to explain that just because you don't think immigrants who are here now should have to leave or those UK citizens that are abroad should have to come back means there will be any legal basis for remaining. If the UK leaves the EU the right to free movement will be gone but I give up trying to explain that, too. No one wants to look at the facts anyway apparently. But at least read the above link to see the kinds of that have been voted in.

Retropear · 26/05/2014 21:21

If you don't speak the language and fluently you will be bottom of the heap re getting a job.

It's as simple as that.

I did French A level and my French wouldn't be good enough to land a job in France,Dp can only say Bonjour so his likely hood of getting a job would be zilch.We have more resources and a higher education than the vast majority of British people but would find it very difficult to survive.Keeping in Europe for a few pensioners and a very small minority who could survive- just because they may want to is frankly barmy.

Seriously I'd be open to a temporary stint in France,the Skandi countries (which intrigue dp). We'd even looked at a stint in Paris,it simply isn't viable.You need to land an Eng speaking job that sends and supports you there which puts you in the same situation as working in the US(where dp even has family) ie there are no benefits re opportunity on this score to being in Europe.

Retropear · 26/05/2014 21:29

We have friends who came back from France early.They found it harder than living abroad in English speaking non European countries to survive and get/keep work.

This myth of us all floating round Europe picking and choosing where we live and work isn't reality.We aren't taught to speak fluently the vast variety of European languages there are and the benefits in other countries aren't good enough to support you if you become long term unemployed.

mumthetaxidriver · 26/05/2014 21:34

All this talk of how hard it is to move to another EU country when you don't speak the language yet when was the last time some of you gave any credit to all those EU immigrants to UK who come here and manage to function with limited language - but then of course many come with great English because they come from countries with far better education than our own.

RazzleDazzleEm · 26/05/2014 21:34

We aren't taught to speak fluently the vast variety of European languages there are and the benefits in other countries aren't good enough to support you if you become long term unemployed

The british arogance! and yet they all know english!!! or learn it!

RazzleDazzleEm · 26/05/2014 21:34

We aren't taught to speak fluently the vast variety of European languages there are and the benefits in other countries aren't good enough to support you if you become long term unemployed

The british arogance! and yet they all know english!!! or learn it!

RazzleDazzleEm · 26/05/2014 21:34

We aren't taught to speak fluently the vast variety of European languages there are and the benefits in other countries aren't good enough to support you if you become long term unemployed

The british arogance! and yet they all know english!!! or learn it!

RazzleDazzleEm · 26/05/2014 21:35

We aren't taught to speak fluently the vast variety of European languages there are and the benefits in other countries aren't good enough to support you if you become long term unemployed

The british arogance! and yet they all know english!!! or learn it!

ikeaismylocal · 26/05/2014 21:38

I believe that the more opportunities people have the better, ofcourse not everyone will take advantage of those opportunities but I don't think the supposed negatives outweigh the positives.

Living abroad really isn't hugely difficult, sure there are difficult aspects but as with anything if you are passionate and committed to something you can make it work.

My group of friends are very unrepresentative but I know many many people who have moved to a different country. My brother lives and works in France, he has GCSE French but he works for an English speaking company, my db knew he wanted to live abroad so choose a career with good options when it came to international companies.

As English speakers we have a huge advantage in that we can work for English speaking companies and often you can find information in English.

Retropear · 26/05/2014 21:38

No their ed system isn't better than ours they simply give more priority to learning Eng as it's spoken in far more of the world than say Bulgarian,Swedish,Latvian......

Just how many languages do you want kids here to learn at school?

mumthetaxidriver · 26/05/2014 21:41

"Keeping in Europe for a few pensioners and a very small minority who could survive- just because they may want to is frankly barmy"

Retro - we have already done the facts - 2.2 million UK citizens (including 400,000 pensioners) - yes its a minority of the UK population but not to be ignored.

And if you consider the 2.2 million UK migrants not worth worrying about lets just forget about the 2.3 million EU migrants in the UK - they're just a "small minority " not worth all the fuss.

ikeaismylocal · 26/05/2014 21:41

Just how many languages do you want kids here to learn at school?

4 ( including Swedish and English)

Retropear · 26/05/2014 21:44

4!

And how are kids from 5( which is when you'd need to start in order to be fluent)supposed to shoe horn learning 4 in ?