Antony Hook, Liberal Democrat MEP for the Isle of Wight, has released an in-depth report assessing how migration works for the UK and the impact that Brexit will have.
The government, in pursuing its Brexit agenda, is seemingly looking to punish EU people for choosing to live, work and study in the UK. In doing so, they portray people from the EU as a burden to the UK and provide no benefits, says the MEP.
Mr Hook’s report has found that EU people in the UK contribute significantly to the UK economy, our NHS and other vital public services.
Speaking this week, Antony Hook has said:
“Migration is really important for the UK in a number of different ways. Brexit will make it harder for EU people to come to the UK to live, work and study. This is not good news for our local economy.
“EU people in our area contribute significantly more in taxes than they have taken in the form of benefits or public service use. EU people bring valuable skills to the UK job market and have proved to increase the productivity of UK business.
“Our NHS heavily relies on a migrant work force. Without them, NHS services will be heavily affected, and it will endanger the care that patients currently receive. Alarmingly, nearly half of EU doctors working for the NHS have said they are considering leaving the UK.
Antony has gone on to say:
“The government is outrageously using people as political pawns. Ending freedom of movement is not the answer to the UK’s economic and social issues. The Home Secretary’s ill-covered plan to raise the minimum salary for migrant workers to £36,700 after Brexit will cause an employment crisis.
“The South East of England is proudly home to over 1 million people from outside the UK, with a large proportion coming from the EU. Migration is a significant factor in the South East becoming the second largest regional economy in the UK.
“British people living in the EU also face an uncertain future. Currently 1.24 million Britons live in the EU and Brexit threatens their right to live and work.
“Together we must stop Brexit and keep the door open for EU people to live, work or study in the UK and to allow Britons to continue to live in the EU”.
So you are quite happy that British youngsters are priced out of the local job market are you. And how exactly do these migrant workers benefit the UK? It is part of the difficulties that the NHS has, the lack of housing and a lot of the money they earn is not spent in this country.
That would be cos rich people don’t want to pay the correct tax and the conservatives believe austerity works. Not because EU citizen choose to come and live and work int he UK and contribute to our economy through work and taxes. Maybe actually take some time to educate yourself in instead of jumping to ignorant conclusions.
Where have you got your information that British youngsters are priced out of the local job market? These migrant workers are doing jobs that locals don’t want to do if care home owners, crop growers etc are to be believed.
Crop growers don’t posts there jobs on British job sites
Don’t forget that certain crop growers also get to recoup some of the wages by supplying workers with accommodation… locals possibly don’t need accommodation meaning the employer has to pay them minimum wage and can’t get any of the hard earned money back from them. That to me says that migrant workers will be chosen over locals.
The only way that anyone is “priced out of the Jobs market” is by themselves not being willing to work for the money on offer, This is not the fault of those people taking those jobs, it is the fault of the employers not willing to pay more! This is the mantra of austerity Britain, always point to those at the bottom and just accept what goes on at the top! People who come here to work are the most cost efficient workers in the country, bringing up humans is cash and resource expensive in schooling and medical care at a time when there is nothing going the other way, people who come here of working age immediately will start to contribute, we benefit without the costs incurred previously, financially immigration is of great benefit to the country.
Said the MEP on the EU gravy train!
yet another hand wringing, liberal whiner, that does not like democracy. We voted to leave the EU in 2016 peoples referendum and then voted the tory’s in off the back of their brexit manifesto.
The people delivered a democratic result – we are leaving – get over it and embrace it.
“Together, we voted to leave the EU and ensure that the door is firmly shut, for benefit sponging, economic migrants and health tourists”
Those people who chose of their own free will to live in european countries did so of their own volition and are subject to EU rules. Their right to live and work has not been affected by brexit. Those that are from other countries, who have chosen to live in the UK, will continue to do so, as long as they meet the entry and residency requirements – just like it is for us in other countries.
The only reason that Anthony Hook wants to remain, is because he is an MEP and will lose his job and his place at the EU gravy train, money trough. He will have to return to the UK and get another job, because he is not an elected MP in westminster. He doesn’t care about EU citizens or British people, just his own pay packet.
Liberal = Will not allow anyone to have a different opinion to themselves.
Democrat = Seek to overturn by any means, a lawful vote that went contrary to their position and expectation.
EU ‘Nationals’ coming here to work, no problem. Migrants coming via EU, big problem
Hypocrites. All happy to buy cheap food picked by migrants but not wanting them here
Fine, they you stand behind them in the queue at the Dr’s, or the dentists, then you stand behind them in the queue for any benefits, then you wait behind them in the queue for social housing and most importantly, you make sure that they are all housed next door to you, so that you can be assured of “integrating” fully with their ways of life.
People who apply for a work permit from the country they are in, get all their documentation in order and buy a ticket to travel here are welcome to stay and work, as is their wish.
Sponging, lying, economic migrants, that have travelled across numerous countries, where they could have claimed asylum are not welcome here, because they want to do nothing more than get state benefits, free healthcare and housed at the UK taxpayers expense.
Seems we have an Oswald Mosley on the Isle of Wight or should I say White. I Would employ someone who wants to work and can get here from Syria. Shows initiative to me.
@Paul
perhaps you should read my post before responding. I said…
People who apply for a work permit from the country they are in, get all their documentation in order and buy a ticket to travel here are welcome to stay and work, as is their wish.
If someone has made their way here from Syria and has not gone through the correct process and applied for a work permit, then they are clearly devious, scheming and underhanded. Please do not give me any of the spiel about ayslum and getting out of a war torn country, because they had every opportunity to settle in the country next door to syria and then begin their application process.
We work hard to better our own lives, not to see our efforts diluted, by unwelcome, illegal immigrants being handed everything on a plate, for zero effort.
Good job you were not around in 1939 my wife’s Grandparents escaped Germany and entered England Illegally. No country next door to Germany would take them. Came with nothing but a suitcase, were then imprisoned on the Isle of Man. Built a successful business employing 35 British people, Paid Taxes, and definitely weren’t criminals.
@Paul – this isn’t 1939 though is it and as countries next door to germany at the time, were either occupied or enemies, its hardly a comparison regarding economic migrants travelling half way across the world, through perfectly safe countries, to sneek into the uk and leech off of us in 2019.
your example isn’t comparable with the lame excuses they come up with to be here today.
The question of manning the NHS is frequently sited as being an anti Brexit argument but most foreign nationals I see in the health service tend to be Philipinas, Indians, Pakistanis, and from various African countries from Egypt to sub Saharan countries.
None of them have unrestricted right of access but still come and we do benefit greatly from there presence.
Brexit is not and has never been about blocking immigration or ‘punishing EU imigrants’ of course they’re welcome and will continue to be.
It is however about blocking unrestricted and uncontrolled immigration.
This is just another piece of blatant ‘Project Fear’ nonsense for which Mr Hook should be ashamed.
I note in previous comments about DEMOCRACY and I agree that you Liberals have no idea what true democracy is, as you blatantly go against the democratic vote to LEAVE the European Union, and also have the audacity to rant on about a “peoples vote” we had one three years ago.
I assume you were one of the Liberals that thought fit to wear one of those obscene t-shirts B******* to Brexit and you expect the general public to take you seriously.
Lets hope you and the rest of your clan get ousted ASAP.
Facts NOT fiction is what needs to be understood on this subject.
We are told time and time again how these migrants come here to do low paid work, that British people choose not to do.
IF they are low paid, which they mostly are, then they will be paying in little or NOTHING ‘into’ HMG coffers.
As many Islanders themselves know, living in a low paid area, you, as they will, will be claiming child tax credits, working tax credits, child allowance (and how, with many immigrants having huge families), heavily subsidised rent and council tax.
All the above, when earning a low wage, YET paying in little or no tax adds up to a large sum for taxpayers to subsidise each week.
So their lowly wage, is made into a higher wage by ‘in work’ benefits and rent / council tax subsidies.
The one or two workings with oft large amounts of dependants then claim FREE NHS treatment, maternity grant/pay dentistry, and free, but hugely costly to the country, education for all their children, oft being one-to-one if as many are, non English speaking.
So WHY do MP’s LIE about such?
Because they, their families and ilk, and their party ‘funders’ GAIN from this cheap imported labour, as it lower wages across the board, with bosses knowing, ‘IF you won’t work for this pay, under these conditions, then a never ending hoard of incomers will’.
So those ruling classes families and ilk, who own or are invested in large businesses GAIN from lower wages being paid out.
Yet the British workers lose out as OUR wages are cut or stagnated to match those low wages accepted by immigrants used to a poorer standard of living.
Secondly, the MP’s, families and ilk, own or are invested into funds which own huge amounts of property, and land, both rising dramatically as more and more bodies arrive, and those here, rarely leave a womb empty for long.
This raises rents, and property prices, along with land, which, many MP’s likely have prior knowledge and can buy up cheap farm land which they KNOW will be ‘next in line’ for any building programme to house the never ending stream of arrivals.
So we end up earning less, BUT paying more for housing DIRECTLY because of mass immigration.
The rich end up richer by paying less in wages, AND gaining on their huge amounts of property investments.
Hence the well to do, who live miles away in leafy lanes, DON’T want this new, almost cheap slave labour to end, whilst WE do as WE suffer the above and WORSE.
For WE then have stealth taxes imposed upon us, and now cut backs, and having to work longer to KEEP the very people WE never wanted here in the first place.
Also it must be said that many third world immigrants used to living from crime bring their lifestyle with them, yet nowhere near the homes, the villages, the schools, the holiday destinations of the ruling classes who impose these beings on US, always ensuing that they, their loved ones and never at risk.
Big difference to how you perceive the issue.
PS, as for seasonal crop work, this USED to be done by the moonlighting unemployed here on the Island. I know of many who did so.
The Tories ‘demonised’ the unemployed who were doing a few weeks casual ‘cash in hand labour’ saying ‘they are taking money which could be given to the elderly’ etc.
YET these moonlighters HAD a home anyway, HAD their family who were ALREADY being kept, and ONLY earnt a few pounds extra which in truth likely was spent locally in the ‘local’.
So the Gov then ended such cash in hand, and farmers then had to recruit from Eastern Europe. So NOW instead of a few pounds ‘fiddled’ from the dole money, we now have to supply ANOTHER home, ANOTHER place at school, AND KEEP ANOTHER family as well as our own unemployed when the seasonal work ends.
Brilliant.
SEE it how it is, NOT how you are TOLD by sly MP’s who wish to keep the new slave trade going.
IF YOU had asked MP’s and business owners of yesteryear could we ‘survive’ without the ‘real’ slaves, they would have said NO. THINK for yourselves.
Az-zahra Aziz Fake name! “Immigrants used to living from crime” Where do you get this from? I’ve never been robbed, Burgled or held at gunpoint by an immigrant but I have by locals, the guy with a gun lived in Binstead.
As by moonlighting crop pickers, I picked potatoes for Radcliffs none were moonlighting there, So most of what you have written is just rubbish.
It’s lovely that he welcomes them. Make sure they move in next door to him so that they can enjoy each other.