Wish list for Britain

Here we go again....

I think we need to change our culture. We should stop expecting our 'rights' and develop an attitude of self-sufficiency. When we were much harder up than we are now I saved on everything, a little bit here and a little bit there. According to British Gas our fuel bill should be bigger than they are for this size of house but it isn't because we switch things off and wear thermal undies! We buy what is on offer and make most of our meals from scratch, no longer out of necessity but out of habit.

We should limit immigration to those who have something to offer this country and will not be a net cost. In The Netherlands people are expected to pay to learn the language and the schools do not provide this service. It should not be necessary to produce documents in lots of different languages. Does any other country do this to the extent that we do?

In the Netherlands unemployment pay is 70% of your last salary, provided you worked for long enough, but this is for a limited time and then it is reduced to an amount it is almost impossible to live on thereby providing an incentive to work.

I think that if unpaid work was provided for the unemployed their number would reduce significantly and would reduce the black economy.

If public sector workers were sacked at the same rate as the private sector when they were not competent then standards would improve. This is not to imply that most of them are not competent but the fact that the threat of losing your job would make people more conscientious.

I don't understand why we have a large Somali population in Birmingham and why New Malden is largely Korean. Nothing against these people but why are they here?

And finally, when people arrive here on a visa we should ensure they leave when it runs out.

If we implemented these and other measures we would be able to give more help those who are sick or cannot work for perfectly good reasons.

I shall now duck and run

Movedalot,

""In the Netherlands unemployment pay is 70% of your last salary, provided you worked for long enough, but this is for a limited time and then it is reduced to an amount it is almost impossible to live on thereby providing an incentive to work""

Neither Continental Europe or Scandinavian countries have demonized their welfare State or the unemployment, as we have, and we do.

"Insentive to work" is'nt in their language. It vis seen as perfectly normal to be unemployed.

Unemployment pay in these "other" countries is high because the workers in these countries pay far higher income tax rates than we British, so being unemployed is not seen as the "norm", it is not stigmatized as in Britain.

Britain is a low income tax nation, wheras Europe and Scandinavian countries workers pay much higher income tax rates. And their welfare State models are well funded, where as ours is not.

movedalot

ivanhoe I didn't vote for a coalition! And I don't consider immigrants an easy target, but you must admit there are an awful lot of them here from the EU, etc. putting pressure on our taxes and services. And then there are the Bulgarian and Romanians apparently about to descend on us! Where is the money coming from for this? How will we cope with these extra numbers making use of schools, hospitals, doctors, benefits? They come here because is just give them houses, benefits, health care. The other European countries aren't as soft. We need to limit the numbers allowed in the country!

I assume the Somalis have fled the dreadful civil strife there - and would the Koreans be from North Korea? Who could blame them for getting out of such a totalitarian nightmare?

I was a Conservative Association Member until the day little Willy Hague was made leader... since then I have voted Lib-Dem.

feetlebaum I think you will find that the Koreans around New Malden are mostly South Korean so no totalitarian nightmare!

It's quite interesting that janthea who describes herself as 'a Conservative who would never vote any other way' and Vampirequeen, I think on another thread who described herself as 'Labour, would vote for a pig if it had a red rosette' (or something similar, from memory) are actually concerned about the same issues.

People who don't live in this country or pay taxes here are entitled to an opinion on the way the place is run but personally, I discount that opinion. They ain't got skin in the game

I understand the Koreans in and around New Malden are ex-pat workers associated with the Korean companies in the area. So presumably their companies are bringing employment to the locals as well, and the Koreans themselves would be well-educated and not living on welfare.

I also think they eventually go home - as opposed to being immigrants.

Riverwalk I think you are correct about the Koreans. I think most of them work for companies in London (banks, etc) and are here for a limited time. They are well educated and their children attend locals. I would be surprised if any of them are on benefits.

sel I think I said that vampirequeen and I agreed on a number of points but she didn't comment. I agree that people who don't live in the UK have no idea about what is going, other than reading things in the press and we all know how the press distort things, as does TV!

Doesn't the EU work on a reciprocal system? Isn't that why British pensioners who retire to France and Spain still get the annual increase in their pensions?

absent Aren't pensions for people living outside the UK paid for by the UK and not the country in which they are living. Probably the same goes for benefits.

Therefore, should not people who come from the EU be paid by their own country for benefits.

River & Janthea No they don't all work for Samsung or other Korean companies and don't all work in London. New Malden is the highest Korean population outside Korea and many are thrid generation. It seemed to me they were hardworking, lovely people but that is not my point. I would like to know by what right they are here? I worked in NM for some years so do know what I am talking about.

janthea , Did you vote for David Cameron in 2010. ?, this is my question to you.

The Tories, care of their supporters and voters, and from 1979, decimated this country and its infrastructure by severe lack of investment over 18 long years.

""They come here because is just give them houses, benefits, health care""

Rubbish. Benefits cant be claimed unless full time work has been achieved for one full year, and then immigrants only get one third what British claimants get.

As far as housing is concerned ?. Who was it who stopped building council houses in the 80's ?. Margaret Thatcher during her "right to buy".

The Tories and their supporters are soley responsible for this countries demise, immigrants are as usual, scapegoats.

Ivanho Just chekced with DS and it seems he takes home a higher proportion of his salary than he would if in the UK. Therefore the NL is not a higher tax country than the UK. I'm waiting to find out what their rate of VAT is.

I voted Tory as was obvious from my statement that I did not vote for a coalition!

Moved on the Korean thing .... are you sure about the highest population outside Korea?

There are millions of Koreans in the US, especially in LA - I've been to Korea Town there, can't imagine New Malden is the same!

Riverwalk That's what they always say about New Malden.

RIver that was quoted a few years ago but I suspect it has something to do with the proportion of the local population. That would certainly make sense.

Not relevant to this thread but you should have seen them when Korea was doing very well in World Cup Football. They had such fun and really enjoyed themselves all together wihtout any trouble. We watched from our office window.

Ivan VAT in NL is 21% so not much different ot here.

Ivanhoe I know you don't debate but perhaps you'd do me the courtesy of replying.

I'm confused - in your email that was broadcast across the airwaves you say:

" In my view we British are now a pampered nation ......."

But then you go on to say that we are low-waged, insecure, no council house building, etc.

Doesn't sound very pampered to me - or is there another meaning to the word pampered that I'm not aware of?

And, as for the British "expecting the French to bow and scrape" - have you ever lived in France, or is this one of your sweeping generalisations or dubious claims?

Everything's blue and red to Ivanhoe. I expect it's only the Government and Conservative voters who he considers to be 'pampered'.

Ana, its in the ether that the middle classes are pampered in our meritocracy

Their wants over everybody else's needs.

This is where Labour went wrong in ditching its core working class values for working class people, and adopting middle class values of greed and self interest just to get into power in 1997.

ivanhoe ???? Really!?!

In the ether?

Ivan "Their wants over everybody else's needs." This is a very bold statement, please explain how the middle classes wants override everyone else's. I disagree.