Its not his fault, i expect the Romanians stole his sunshine.

He's a total bellend. As unfunny as Eddie Izzard. Probably is him.

Both supported by the Tories fully.

Ian Duncan Smith and Cameron, Blair and everyone in Westminster who was involved in that decision red or blue is culpable in my book.

17bn when you include all migration wouldn't be that surprising. What needs to be calculated though is how much revenue is generated each year in terms of migration.

Including costs relating to pensions drawn by people who migrated and stayed in the UK, is a bit of a false premise, as someone would be claiming a pension for that job etc. Especially as that person would generate revenue over their lifetime into the system.

Similarly, you also need to compensate for net gain in temporary migration workers who will contribute tax and NI, but their withdrawal in terms of state spending will be much lower (working people in the 20s to 40s are likely not to be a cost in pensions, welfare, NHS, Education costs). That would need to be compensated against the sum total to establish a real cost.

However, it does raise an interesting problem, given that the primary beneficiary of cheap labour has been UK corporations who have managed to keep wages low by importing labour rather than competition for employees which typically involves wages.

During that time, the primary beneficiaries, UK corporations, have also seen reductions in corporation tax and increased subsidies and tax incentives, which have reduced their contribution whilst increasing their gain.

The failure to target these beneficiaries to recoup costs is a failure of government to provide for its society and citizens interest. This for me, is a greater sin, as by an large corporate interests in the UK got cheap labour, and lower taxes. Whilst the citizens of the UK, bore the brunt of the impact of migration onto society, especially following the Freedom of Movement.

Part of that profit needed to be filtered back, through taxation, into providing support for the extra pressure created by migrants and on UK citizens accordingly.

The problem isn't the migrants, or maybe even the EU, but the exploitation of these by UK interests because it allows them to maximise profits, and reduce their own social contribution.

We could leave the EU tomorrow, but the truth is, without actual change directed at the problems of the UK Corporate State and the separation of corporation from social contribution, the problem will continue. Because in the end, governments work not for the people but for the corporate interests of the UK.

17BN is probably an 'biased calculation', but its not wildly unrealistic conclusion. Migrant workers are being exploited by UK companies, to maximise profits, and in return are being reward by government by reduction in their contribution to society.

"One Nation Under God, has turned into One Nation Under the Influence of One Drug"
[Link]

I agree with Kermit, it is the Conservatives who have signed us up to increasing globalisation. They were wrong. It was a policy of the right, certainly not the protectionist left.

What's really weird is that now the Tories (or at least most of their voters) have realised this was a mistake, the Left won't back them purely out of spite. They're campaigning for even more globalisation. Bizarre. I cannot for the life of me see how any social democrat could vote for the EU, it's really weird.

The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.

I hoped as much

"It's not the bullet that's got my name on it that concerns me; it's all them other ones flyin' around marked 'To Whom It May Concern.'"