immigration

david pollit – ukip

UKIP are often accused of being racist and I would like to shoot that fox down now.  My Wife, who is Vietnamese, faced enormous problems coming to this country and that was the main reason I looked into UKIP.  

I also see the EU immigration policy as unfair.  For example, to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan Britain had to recruit soldiers from India, Pakistan and Fiji yet these men were not allowed to settle here.  They are not white unlike the Latvian gardener who is allowed to come in to work or claim benefits.  It is immoral to throw away men who have fought for your country just because they are the wrong colour.  

Even the Ghurkhas, famously brave, had to be championed by Joanna Lumley while the Polish bricklayers who are white are free to reside, yet my Wife, who is trilingual, university educated and helps me to run a business employing people, faced so many obstacles.  So you see, inadvertently the EU policy of free movement of people is racist.  

UKIP want to establish a ‘points based’ system as in Canada and Australia.  Such a system would ensure that Britain can be open to the skilled people it needs without also allowing in unskilled labourers who deflate labour costs.  A sensible approach to immigration can identify the skills we need in conjunction with keeping our young people employed through home grown skills training.  In the 21st century our economy will only grow if we provide the training that our country needs.

Open door immigration simply leads to all European economies being at the same low standard and only benefits large companies wishing to reduce their labour costs.  It places a huge burden on housing, schools and hospitals.  While it is not a problem in this constituency it will lead to a need for more housing forced upon us by central government whilst ignoring the wishes of local people.  

To say the NHS would collapse without immigrants is nonsense, government is simply trying to save the cost of training doctors and nurses here, and the argument rings hollow in towns like Devizes and Marlborough which cannot even provide A&E departments.  

So whilst the media claim UKIP to be racist our policies are clearly the reverse and it is a wonder to me why so many intelligent people cannot see the flaw in their argument.

emma dawnay – green

People are understandably angry about the decline in living standards, and immigrants are often blamed for low wages, lack of housing, and squeezed public services.  

The Green Party believes the root cause of these problems isn’t immigration itself, but failed government policy in other areas.

To redress these failings we are committed to:

•    Increasing the Minimum Wage, aiming for £10 an hour by 2020.

•    Building much-needed social housing, neglected for decades by previous governments.

•    Properly funding and protecting our public services; halting the privatisation of the NHS, and investing in adequate provision in schools.

The Green Party doesn’t believe in open borders, but nor do we support an arbitrary cap on numbers. Our long-term vision is to work towards not just a fairer society for the UK, but a world where migration is less necessary. We will do this by working to reduce wars, climate change and limited economic opportunities.
We welcome the diversity and cultural awareness that immigrants bring to society, and want to reduce restrictions on foreign students.

With increasing globalisation, it’s more important than ever that we integrate with each other, learn from each other and respect each other.

manda rigby – liberal democrat

Liberal Democrats are proud that Britain is an open, welcoming country. Highly-skilled migrants have brought many economic and social benefits to us over the years.

But Labour let the system get out of control. They didn’t even have proper checks to detect people who were overstaying their visa. We need to bring more control to the system to stop people breaking the rules.

I support the Liberal Democrat policies which are to:
•    Bring back control to the immigration system by introducing exit checks, so the Government can keep track of who is leaving the country and identify people who are overstaying their visa.

•    We are rebuilding trust in the system. We have helped cut immigration by a third and ensured that highly-skilled immigrants can help us build a stronger economy.

•    We have ended Labour’s disgraceful practice of routinely detaining innocent children for immigration purposes.

chris watts – labour

Immigration is important for Britain’s future and that’s why it needs to be properly controlled and managed.

Labour got things wrong on immigration in the past. We have set out a new approach: controlling immigration and controlling its impacts on local communities. Britain needs immigration rules that are tough and fair.

David Cameron promised to get immigration down to the tens of thousands, “no ifs, no buts”, but net migration is rising, not falling. It’s now at 260,000, higher than it was when David Cameron walked into Number Ten.

Labour will take a different approach.

•    Stronger border controls: we will make it easier to deport foreign criminals, check people in and out of the country, and do more to stop illegal immigration.

•    A smarter system of controls: so we get the top talent and investment we need.

•    Fair rules at work: a new law to prevent employers undercutting wages by exploiting immigration, and banning agencies from recruiting only from abroad.

•    Earned entitlements: people coming here won’t be able to claim benefits for at least two years.

•    Integration, not divided communities: people working in public services in public facing roles will be required to speak English.