A typical DM 'story'.

The granny with breast cancer who'd been unable to keep paying her mortgage on her council house reduced me to tears. I don't bank with Barclay's but if I did I'd move my account for sure. What happened to compassion?

Jodi, yes, agreed but it showed the pressure Croydon is under to provide housing. It was a terribly sad. I wasn't sure what the message was, given all those shown were white, British. Croydon is as ethnically diverse as it gets. Again, it's the further influx that's a worry.

I hear there's to be a statement from Ed today admitting Labour got it wrong on immigration - do you think they monitor the Gransnet Boards?

The Panorama program was harrowing.

It was primarily about the housing shortage in that when people fell on hard times and could no longer pay their mortgages and were evicted, it was extremely difficult for alternative accommodation to be found for them.

Forty years ago they would have been rehoused in social housing in a relatively short time.

sel the Panorama programme was not so much about the housing shortage as about the economic climate. At least two of the four families had their own house with a mortgage and it was repossessed, by the banks.

I guess it means that they do have the entry data though. I know some people on ex-pat forums worry if they are close to the maximum number of days for tax residency in France or England. (Before anyone gets excited there is not much financial advantage in one or the other, but you have to chose which country and then spend more than half the year there.) if you add in the data from the travel companies who check passports as well, then I think you would have a pretty accurate record. Whether it happens or not is another matter.

I think they just check that you have a valid passport and that you are legally entitled to enter the country e.g. visas for non EU passport.

I don't think entry to the UK goes unrecorded. My passport is computer scanned pretty much every time now. I know this worries some people, but I certainly have no problem with it.

jodi, not the one gillybob flagged up - that was just ridiculous and deserved all the mickey-taking it got!

I looked at the Guardian online and couldn't see any mention of Theresa May's statement yesterday. I'm sure there must be somewhere but I couldn't see it. It was quite a significant statement, well trailed addressing the issue of student visas. All the figures reported in the DM & Telegraph were those she gave to the House.

Unlike other countries there is no electronic measurement here, we rely on a random survey of passengers. I think it dates back to the 60s to give us a rough idea of tourists visiting this fair land. When anyone gains entry to this country, tourist, student, there are no checks made to see if they leave.

I hope a few people watched Panorama tonight and saw the impact on Croydon of the economic crisis. It featured four or five stories of white British people, all about to be evicted from their homes. Croydon Council has over 2000 families wanting accommodation - how on earth are they going to cope with a further influx?

The funny thing about this program: if was totally unrepresentative of the ethnic mix of Croydon. I don't know why.

ana

I agree, petallus, that the DM detractors seem to choose their articles rather carefully.

The Telegraph were directly quoting Theresa May. She also said over a third of all new housing required was due to immigration.

I am very much aware of spin and political bias but are we to believe that the Government are giving us information which has no basis in fact whatsoever.

I would add that I was only made aware of that fact after I made a similar comparison, and someone on here kindly pointed it out to me, after which I made a point of finding out the political leaning of all the UK press publications!

petallus, the DM and the Telegraph are both right-wing newspapers, so could be expected to send out the same message.

Don't know about cahoots, but you would expect tories to say such things. By he same token, Labour politicians will put another slant on it.

In my earlier post I mentioned two articles on immigration in the DM, both about negative effects.

It has been suggested that these items were untrue or disingenuous implications.

However, picked up the Telegraph just now only to find that Theresa May is saying exactly the same thing that was reported in the Mail earlier.

'Uncontrolled, mass immigration displaces British workers, forces people on to benefits and suppresses wages for the low-paid'. She also talked about the deleterious effect on house prices.

So, is Theresa May in cahoots with the Daily Mail?

The plot thickens!

Should read. 'DM itself'

It's not intended as an attack on GNetters who read the DM. The 'attack" (I'll accept your terminology) is at the DM isn't self. You are just in the line of fire POGS. However unlike many casualties of friendly fire you have the choice to duck or stand up and be counted.

The thread may have wandered onto issues such as immigration and benefits, but the OP was about the DM. If you wish to defend your readership of the DM then good, but no one forced you to defend your choice of paper. These forums are a vehicle for an honest exchange of views. No, we don't always agree but that's fine.

Incidentally I meant by my 'light the blue touch paper..'remark, that incendiary remarks in the DM may reap more than intended from some elements of the population. It wasn't aimed at GNetters at all.

Jodi

You used the term, it's a case of 'light the blue touch paper and'.

That's exactly what this thread was always going to do. It has been established the story mentioned in the OP was not sourced by the D.M. in it's initial stages and as someone said it is therefore 'a non story' why was it not reported in the OP to the Closer Magazine. After all the basis of those who dislike the D.M. with avengence always state they lie, spin and don't report facts accurately!.

This was a two dimensional thread and as with the thread on AIBU the most sensible comment came from Lyndie who said of immigration. 'It's the numbers, not the nationalities'.

I will reiterate the fact that just because someone reads a newpaper that does not mean they are, as inferred by some, to be indoctrinated by that paper. This continual attack to those GN's who read the D.M only divides, shows a lack of respect to other G.N.'s and forces G.N.'s to defend their right to read what the hell they like.

It's often said that anyone can have a go at those who read, say, The Guardian. I for one don't want to, why would I not respect it is upto any G.N. to read it.

Immigrants (and plenty of other people) don't want to live in the back of beyond, though - they have to go where the work is, i.e. cities. Of course the UK isn't 'full' in the sense that there is no more space, but if there are no jobs and no money to build enough housing what's the answer?

Well as I posted at some stage, other countries have a computerised system that allows them to know who has come in through airports etc and who has not. I don't think anyone is suggesting that we are overrun with illegal immigrants though are they?
petallus hi. For me it is the disingenuous nature of the journalism in which half truths (aka lies) are used to imply all kinds of things about both the undeserving poor and the tidal wave of unwelcome immigrants that are swamping this tiny crowded isle of ours.
Always struck, by the way, when flying Luton -Waterford that you take off from Luton and fly due west over farmland and then Welsh hills, with hardly even a village below the flight path, until you go past Fishguard. If lucky there are distant views of Cardiff, Swansea etc.

Oh and Jodi perhaps you're right re my naivety, I read JessM's 'wrinkly buttocks thread hoping for an answer!!

I just posted a comment on the DM but on a different thread, it should have been this one.

Read the DM this morning and it had two articles on immigration, both 'negative'.

One about a drop in farmworkers wages because of immigration, another warning of a house price rise if immigration continues at the present rate.

I have a question.

Are those who object to articles like these saying

a) they are lies
b) they are true but should not be mentioned because of the risk of inciting intolerant folk to be even more racist.

I really want to know.

Jodi well, knock me over with a feather duster, that was a surprise (the respect bit)

I so hope you're wrong though and I do believe you are. At heart this is the most tolerant country on Earth. That many people, and that includes people who have already emmigrated here, are expressing concerns, is not surprising given the state of the economy.

JessM the trouble in this instance is that numbers can be manipulated any whichway - also I don't think anyone really knows the true extent of the numbers. Quite funny with the Census, if you're here illegally, are you really going to fill one in?

Sorry sel I have a lot of respect for your views but I think you're being naive in this instance. I know you and yours are not racist. I know you are talking about the economy, but it's case of 'light the blue touch paper and ...'