Opinion – UK immigration and social attitudes – Simon Wren-Lewis – Mainly Macro – John Gelmini

Dr Alf provides us with an article from Simon Wren Lewis which, in my view, is a statement of the obvious and does not require illustration.

Social classes, C1s,  C2s, Ds and Es, who have low worker productivity and have already jointly caused the loss of our shipbuilding, clothing manufacturing and car making activities, have the most to fear from immigration and always have done as far back as I can remember. I remember these people berating my late father (an immigrant from Northern Italy) for his thrift, overtime and tireless work on dilapidated houses, when they were guzzling beer and constantly going on package holidays. Now he is dead, they worry about Poles, Latvians and other Eastern Europeans, who do the jobs which they steadfastly refuse to do.

The middle classes and the wealthy are keen on immigration because it gives them cheap maids, housekeepers, Mandarin speaking maids, agricultural workers and competent service industry workers.

The City based fat cats and “Masters of the Universe” like immigration because better educated foreigners can do the work better than most of our UK graduates and have a better work ethic. They are also more adaptable and receptive to new ways of working.

Until a few years ago, the subject of UK worker productivity and the laziness of the indigenous population were taboo subjects. Now the reality is there for all to see but scholarly people, like Simon Wren Lewis, still see the need to sugar the plll, even though Singaporeans and the Chinese are taught from a very young age about the lack of work ethic among Westerners, particularly in the UK.

John Gelmini

Immigration: The Polish paradox | The Economist

Looking back over some of my most popular blogs, I think this is worth a read

Dr Alf's Blog

European Union European Union (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is a good article from the Economist, looking at Polish immigration into UK. Check it out!

via Immigration: The Polish paradox | The Economist.

Personally, I believe that the EU’s policy of free migration across Europe is good for Europe economically. It encourages greater competition and drives down inflation in labor costs. My own experience of Poles, Bulgarians and Rumanians is that they are prepared to work very hard indeed and are willing to take jobs that the indigenous population regard as beneath them.

It will be the millennials across Europe who will feel the greatest competition from the Bulgarians & Romanians, following the lifting of EU immigration restrictions in January, 2014.

How should responsible Governments respond to the political and social pressures of immigration? Any thoughts?

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