Interesting article from Martin Kettle. To sum it up he thinks May will give the voters what want even if the economy suffers. Which is a very common refrain on here. Backs up my gut feeling that immigration control will go way beyond what even the most ardent Breixter expects

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...-brexit-speech

This is hardly anything earth shattering. Following the vote to leave it has always been very difficult to see how the UK can leave the EU yet keep FoM and continue to have to abide by EU law and pay billions to be in the single market. To do so would mean we've left the EU in name only which is of course what Bremainers wish.

It's what the markets believe. Pound is trading on politics / future Brexit deal not economic news. They know what it means for the economy. UK business has been lulled into thinking the government won't go there! Platitudes keeping it ticking over. When it dawns that they will the next step change happens.

He is right to say that migration control is her priority, but that shouldn't have taken a lot of working out - that's what she has been saying all along.

I think it's quite clear that the issue of migration was probably the biggest deciding factor in the result - so she is following the will of the electorate.

However, I disagree with his remorseless Guardianesque conclusion that to control migration means you have to accept being poor.

More like kick the can down the road, immigrants grow old also and require care and services

There are a variety of middle ways which involve various forms of work permits. This might placate those concerned about immigration, at least for a while anyway, whilst keeping businesses happy that they can still get the employees they need. We would then see two immigration figures published: the numbers actually migrating to the UK and those coming as temporary workers.

This is what the majority voted for

Spoken to them all, have you?

BIB - unless May pulls an economic rabbit out of the hat, there will be an economic price to pay. Unless business or the Govt invest heavily and soon, the economy will suffer.


she is following the will of the electorate.

She's following the majority vote in the referendum - it's not accurate to say it is the will of the electorate.

But like I said in my OP, what will be proposed on immigration will probably be more than the likes of Gove and Farage have dreamed of.

That's assuming they stop here. Even if they do, then if they have lived and worked here for decades then why shouldn't they get services. There will always be a younger generation to provide them.

Does anyone believe a word May says when it comes to immigration? We already have full control over non EU immigration, and yet May did nothing to reduce this when Home Secretary.

Also ultimately nearly all EU immigrants here come to work and have jobs - these jobs need to be filled still. Therefore I suspect we will see little difference in overall migration levels. Possibly we will see a lot more migrants from places like Bangladesh and Pakistan as part of trade deal negotiations - but I am not sure many Brexiters would be too keen on that.

I'm guessing that the shock will lie with migrants here already. If there's no agreement on our status, then getting us out the door will be an easy way to reduce net immigration numbers.

Where is the younger generation now then! Look outside the bubble and look into the future. You have no idea who will stop here making your argument invalid

Spot on.

There is a massive shock coming when all the platitudes to business are revealed as the delusion they always were. The pound will drop yet further, increasing the pain as the markets still maintain an element of hope the government won't go through with the suicide.

It was always going to be a binary choice between FOM or the economy. When people realise the true impact on them, I predict they would prefer to cope with the former (as the polls all show). Will be far too late by then.

Even if immigration is good for the economy, and it hasn't been proved either way because the social costs are never taken into account.

It isn't good to have a growing population on a finite Island.

The cost of stopping immigration is one we will have to pay as it was a false economy to use cheap labour when we should have been either paying decent wages to people here, or training people here to do more skilled jobs.

It is only Remainers who care about the cost to the economy.

Yes, there is a shock on the way but you have to ask which areas are in a better position to cope with the coming storm. Is it the high immigration Remain areas the the low immigration Leave ones?

Now thats a very strange thing to say ( It is only Remainers who care about the cost to the economy) were i would have thought that cost to the economy will effect everyone

It affecting people and them caring are two different things.

It's only Remainers who are aware of the cost to the economy. Brexiters will become aware very quickly when they start to lose their jobs.

Ha ha ha!

You think Brexiters won't care when they get hammered by the economic damage?

Dream on!

Not unless (like certain posters here), you don't have a job so don't have to worry about losing it.

Yes I trust that Brexiters voted knowing that it may cost to have less immigrants in the country.

And that it is a price worth paying.

How much economic damage are you prepared to withstand over this issue?

Oh, we know a large proportion of Brexiters played Russian Roulette with others' jobs as they were beyond being affected. Or so they thought. A lot of those will be relying on public services, which will be decimated in a severe downturn.

All this koantemplation "price worth paying" is easy talk. When it starts to hurt, they will be screaming as loud as everyone else. They, however, will only have themselves to blame.