The shame of Austerity Britain

I agree with GabriellaG, char boy and peaceblossom. Cut overseas aid, charge drunks if they land in A&E for their treatment. Why should higher earners (I'm not one of them) pay higher tax they pay enough already. Too many EU migrants in the UK, 400,000 Romanians and counting, I'm sure they take out more than they contribute.

Strangely the immigrants contribute far more to the U.K. economy than they take out - has been like that for a number of years.
Contrary to what many believe the immigrants move to obtain better paid jobs - sometimes to return home having saved money for the family, and sometimes they spend it in U.K. They have come from poorer conditions and therefore their expectations are less than many U.K. people who by comparison have a ‘softer’ life.

What a ghastly selfish set of posts!
Threads like this really make me want to quit GN as I simply don't choose to associate, however remotely, with the nasty self-centred views expressed by some here.
I have really appreciated the GN support I 've had since my accident and seeing NHS Scotland in close-up at the moment proves I did the right thing in supporting the Holyrood government's move to raise taxes in Scotland for 2018/19.
But then I would say that, wouldn't I?
My disabled daughter relies on benefits and family to keep her going (along with her 2 wee ones ) so just write off my family as scroungers and get on with your appallingly egocentric and narrow-minded lives.
Or perhaps stop and think for a moment before indulging in such condemnation?

endre123:
This week we have seen an increasing number of desperate people saying their rents have gone up by around 16%. These situations are driving people to suicide, greedy landlords are allowed to make families homeless. They clearly cannot get replacement homes that keep the family together. There is no social housing. Some private landlords just do not realise what it's like to budget for a family and will take every penny the tenant earns and not allow for food. It is true some landlords believe food banks are there for their tenants!

I so agree endre. Families need a secure home. Having to move whenever short-term tenancies end also means the children have to constantly move school. That’s not a good start in life.
It’s very worrying if landlords believe that tenants should use foodbanks so that they can put their rents up.
More social housing seems an impossible dream until local authorities are allowed to build themselves, rather than rely on developers including a few affordable/social homes in their developments.

It’s a myth immigrants contribute far more than they take for ordinary people. They make the wealthier more wealthy. It’s not trickling down. Every time another immigrant arrives the rest of the ordinary people have to move over and the pie shrinks.

Some private landlords are very good to their tenants but others are diabolical - I so agree about the high price of rents for families to find. Can the tenants all claim housing benefit? It would be interesting to see what percentage of tenants are claiming so we could see how many landlords are in fact being paid by the tax payers.

You’re quite right mcem. Lots of “I’m alright Jack” here. There but for fortune .....

Have you seen the figures Lyndie -

£24 billion a year is spent on housing benefit. That could build a lot of social housing.

The most recent data showed that Conservative ministers have completely stopped funding new social housing, which is 30-40 per cent cheaper than affordable housing

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/affordable-housing-spending-private-tory-government-a7945616.html

Lyndie it certainly is a myth. They all need housing so cause rents to rise and a shortage of affordable homes. They all need a doctor hence long waiting time to see your GP. Hospital bed if they are ill. School places for their children leading to over crowded class rooms. So no the amount they have paid in taxes (some are receiving top up benefits) does not cover this.

Immigrants from the EU contribute considerably more than they cost.

According to a 2016 study by University College London, immigrants who arrived from the EU after 2000 contributed £1.34 to the U.K. economy for every £1 they took out.
The study analyzed data from 2001 to 2011, looking at the difference between taxes and other contributions migrants make to public finances, and the costs of the services and public benefits they receive, such as free healthcare and tax credits.

nicenanny (misnomer!) do you actually read/understand any posts that aren't in line with your very narrow thoughts?

Many of them are working in the NHS and so more than compensate for any time they take up. Also they are mainly fit young people who need little medical attention. Ask when adult grand children or even our children last went to the doctor - it will most likely have been some time ago. Pregnant women, older people and children are the ones mainly in surgeries and hospital waiting rooms apart from the British drunks causing havoc in A and E depts at the weekend.
Some people can see no benefit to having immigrants in the U.K. but I bet they would be glad to be treated by foreign staff when they need hospital treatment. I am at the moment attending an NHS eye clinic - and have been for about eight years. My consultant is a lovely (and huge) African - his latest registrar is I think Egyptian and the nurse who tested my eyes was Eastern European - all lovely people and good at their jobs.
Do you live in areas with many immigrants? It is often the areas with few of them which are more anti-immigration than those where there are a mix of cultures.

I think the NHS and care system would collapse without immigrant doctors, nurses, care workers and other health professionals.

36% of hospital doctors gained their primary medical qualification outside the UK. 20% qualified in Asia and 9% qualified in the EU. For GPs, 4% qualified in the EU and 13% qualified in Asia.
researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CBP-7783

Yes mostlyharmless our ailing NHS would definitely collapse without theses workers as there are 139,000 who are described as non British working in NHS, and this is not including those working in the Care System or independant sector. It is very noticeable if you see any TV docs about the NHS such as 24 hours in A&E. I sympathise with your point of view mcem, I tend not to post much on political forums because people are entrenched in their views and don't want evidence to the contrary.

My grandchildren call me the nicenanny which I am. Just because I don't agree with some of the posters on here doesn't make me not nice. I am sure that EU doctors and nurses do contribute and I have no problem with them, but a lot of EU migrants take out more than they put in.

Nicenanny3 - I think that would be classed as personal abuse btw ? It's not worth arguing with these left wingers - they believe all the nonsense statistics bandied around by the left wing media, universities, civil service, public sector, charities, councils etc. and we don't - they all have the same axe to grind but enough is enough. ?

The latest findings estimate that recent immigrants from the 10 countries that joined the EU in 2004 (mainly eastern European) contributed £1.12 for every £1 received. Those from the rest of the EU put in £1.64 for every £1.

fullfact.org/immigration/do-eu-immigrants-contribute-134-every-1-they-receive/

Were there any figures for born in the U.K. Brits?

Beau you say "it's not worth arguing with these left wingers". Perhaps it's more a case of some right wingers not being able to put forward a coherent argument to back their assumptions and prejudices.

The ugly face of racism is alive and well on Gransnet.

"It's not worth arguing with these left wingers - they believe all the nonsense statistics bandied around by the left wing media, universities, civil service, public sector, charities, councils etc. and we don't"

This is such an astounding claim. "nonsense statistics" ??? eg produced by professional statisticians and civil servants at the Office for National Statistics.

Which statistics do you prefer? those produced by the right wing tabloids ????

nanny3
but a lot of EU migrants take out more than they put in.
What evidence do you have for this?

So now anyone associated with the left-wing media, universities, civil service, public sector, charities, councils etc is wrong in their political opinions but beau, nicenanny and a few others have the answers.
I am so glad that I am not a part of their mean and nasty little world and that their mean and nasty little world is not part of mine.
Now wondering, on what aspect of my dreadful background do I blame my bad judgement and poor choices? University? Public sector? Charities? Or equally appalling - union membership? Teaching?
Probably all bad then!!

There are huge amounts spent on personal staff, first class travel, stately home grants and entertaining.

Do you have any statistics on what is spent by the Government on stately home grants please endre?
Is it more or is it less than the tax on the £1+ billion generated by tourism from visitors to these homes? Or if, indeed, these grants exist?

The Historic Houses Association is not publicly funded but there is a shortfall which is needed for repairs so that visitors can continue to enjoy these historic homes; I think they are asking for a reduction in the amount of tax they pay rather than a lump sum contribution from the Government.
It is an interesting conundrum - do we let them fall into disrepair and rot or do we lessen the tax burden so that future generations can enjoy them too?