Less than 3 miles from Loch Lomond. And the R&BT is a pain at the best of times.

When you add more people you add to the supply as well as the demand. With the NHS for instance if you removed all migrants then I guess there would be more pressure as we would lose a lot more of supply than demand.

Comparing migrants to native British in terms of fiscal contribution (ie what they pay in tax minus what they consume in terms of public services, pensions, benefits etc) shows that migrants pay more in than they consume whereas natives don't pay enough in to cover what they consume. As most of the population is natives this is why we have a budget deficit. The deficit is less than it otherwise would be because the migrants are contributing a net positive, they are subsidising the rest.

EU migrants especially are positive net contributors because of their age profile, they are usually young but working age so they don't consume education services, they are of an age where they don't consume much healthcare, they have a higher probability than natives of being able to find a job (because mostly that is why they have come here) and usually everyone that works makes a positive contribution anyway because what they pay in tax offsets what they consume.

The anti-immigrant tabloid press tries to work the argument that immigrants are workshy and coming over here to claim benefits but this is only a small proportion, which is why their argument relies on anecdotal evidence (eg meet Asif, the Muslim asylum seeker with 6 kids who claims £30k in benefits and preaches radical Islam because he hates Britain). When proper academic studies are done in to the composition and economic effects of migrants to the UK they always show that migrants make a net contribution and are not displacing Brits for jobs etc.....of course the Daily Mail likes to rubbish these as "left wing academic studies" just like they like to say climate change reports are from "left wing environmentalist academics".

Having free movement of labour in the EU in general is fine by me, I think its reasonable to put on some measures to stop freeloading eg restricting access to benefits or introducing user charges for some public services/requiring insurance.

Chucked it down most of the time, but was still a nice break. Got some nice shots from The Rest and be Thankful. I appreciate that Arrochar is at the head of Loch Long, but our trip was called 'Loch Lomond and Beautiful Scotland', I can only assume they thought Lomond was better known than Long, but as you say it's a short walk from Lomond.

It's well worth watching tonight's C4 News report on British retirees in Thailand. Some now reduced to living on the streets. Pattaya's small (24 bed) public hospital has bills of £100s thousands, unpaid by non-covered Brits

[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5239054.stmArticle from 2006.[/url

Personally, I'd welcome a proper debate on immigration and migration: unfortunately, it's difficult as some on one side scream about the worst possible stereotypes and some on the other refuse to discuss and dismiss any concerns simply as racist.

In general, though, I imagine there'd be howls of outrage if opportunities for migration outwards from the UK were stopped, and one rather suspects that, were – say – France to stop the immigration of Brits, some of the loudest howls would be from those that are most shrill on immigration to the UK.

Add to these very important points the fact that those EU migrants who work here are usually, by virtue of their age, marital status, and their absolute need to follow the work, most able and most keen to be very flexible in terms of moving around a county or even a country in order to find that work.

Take a 25 year old British worker and transport him/her to Magaluf for the summer and they'll go anywhere to find bar work to support themselves but bring that 25 year old back to the UK and the chances are that he/she will return to their home town and not be prepared to move 50 miles away to live and work because thats where the jobs are - simply because they want to be near their family and friends.

Thats human nature and not a reflection on national character but the truth is that the EU migrant labour and its flexibility now suits the employment profile that many employers are demanding.

I should think though the substantial majority wouldn't ultimately object that much if at all to people migrating here who did not hate the country, and who were here to work, or self-sufficient, or monied retirees. Indeed, we actively seek to encourage migramts with money and/or skills. As do many other countries. Notably Malta, where a fee of something like £50K will actually buy you a Maltese (and thus effectively an EU) passport.

If Brits in France were noted for running organised gangs of beggars, slaves and pickpockets they might not be as welcome. OTOH no doubt loaded ex-criminal ex-pats are very welcome in the Costas by reason of their affluence, even if the occasional one may get his collar felt and extradited once a flood.

Was there any objection to Jose Mourinho, or any of the legion of Premiership millionaires from any country you might name, migrating here for work?

Still not seen any Bulgarians or Romanians............must be scare tactics ( lol ).

Dimitar Berbatov?

As anyone actually seen him?

Just how is it that Mr Spirescu can find work within 24 hours of arriving here under his own steam, but some British people find it so difficult to find employment?

Well, quite!

Is Mr Spirescu apocryphal?

As has been mentioned before in a variety of conversations, one factor is that many migrant workers will accept lower wages simply because they can – they'll live in accommodation that's poor and crowded, with the intention of only a short-term stay.

Incidentally, I've just finished reading Alison Uttley's 1930 novel/memoir, [iA Country Child[/i, which is based on her own experiences growing up on a Derbyshire farm in the late 19th century.

Migrant workers were the norm then for seasonal tasks – the harvest. In that case, they came from Ireland and worked around farms in the area before heading over to farms in Yorkshire. They lived, while at the farm, in a cleaned-out cow shed.

I suspect that remarkably little has changed and also that no UK government has really dealt with seasonal working needs in any other way.

That's strange I thought there weren't any jobs here?

Mr Spirescu may feel apocryphal, but his meeting with Mr Vaz was reported on and photographed by the Times, who even tracked down his girlfriend at home, before picturing him at work washing cars....as it has been reported in the British media, it must be true...

Fair enough. The [iTimes[/i charges for all online content, so I rarely see it.

See above for some reasons on the jobs.

Yup, he wants to be employed in the building industry, doesn't say what as or what field his experience is in but thats what he's been doing back home, straight after his cup of coffee with Mr Vaz he was going to a car wash that had offered him employment and thence would try and find employment in the building trade, I do hope that Mr Vaz made a note of the address of the car wash so that HMRC could follow up and make sure that the correct tax/NIS was being deducted.

All of which is a very different situation to that which would face any 17 or 18 year old British youth with an inkling to be employed in one of the building trades, for the recognised path into "proper" employment on building sites is to undergo an apprenticeship, training at college, usually full time these days, no time for working in car washes while looking for builders who aren't too fussy about your previous employment experience in their trade, presumably he doesn't do something that needs certification like an electrician, plumber, heating engineer, structural engineer, brickie, joiner etc etc etc.

Again its a different approach and its no good saying to your 17 year old lad "if you want to work in the building trade then get out (on your Tebbit bike) and go find a few weeks work here and there in another part of the country" because that is not any way to organise your life over anything other than a very short period of time.

As mentioned, willing to work for less money or under worse conditions.
Recruitment agencies are, in some cases at least, actively targeting and recruiting migrant workers.
They're often more willing to take very short term or low to no guaranteed hours work because unlike the "British" people they aren't on certain benefits which can be affected and can lead to problems by working irregular hours.
Often more flexible on location and hours as they often don't have kids.
Plus they often only work for short periods say 3/4 months and then go home so, unlike the British people, come off the unemployment figures.

Could an English person not do his job? Or does he have a superior work ethic that nobody in England can match?

Think it was in the Mail too.

Given it is now January it is very unlikely that he will earn enough by the end of the tax year to warrant paying any tax?

Given that he's working in a car wash its very unlikely that he'll appear on anyones payroll records anyway, one of the principle requirements of working in a car wash is not wringing out leathers but being the first one over the back wall and off like a hare when HMRC come calling.

No that's only the illegals - he will not be one of them.

Have you ever been given a receipt at a hand car wash ?

We had an account with one at work so yes we used to get proper bills.