What do the EU migrant numbers actually mean?

Well, compare them with the number of births in the UK. The plot below are data from the Office for National Statistics about the number of births since 1938 (i.e. ‘0’ is the year 1938 and the final year on this plot is 2014). The post-war ‘Baby-Boom years saw well over 800,000 births a year, as did the ‘late seventies spike’. Since then the total number of births has collapsed dramatically to around 600,000. When you hear about net-migration being around 300,000 then this is not some ‘incredibly large and unmanageable number’ but rather something like half the natural birthrate. Now you might argue that the natural birthrate is offset by a natural deathrate is well to yield a slowly rising population. Well, EU-migrants have a finite lifetime too.

Also view this with pensions in mind, pensions that are to a large part paid from contributions of current workers. Low numbers of births mean pensions become unsustainable sooner rather than later. Migration mitigates this effect. And think of this yet another way: when a baby is born into the UK it needs UK-investment in the form of childcare, parental care, primary school, secondary school, possibly sixth form, college or apprenticeships (and many more things) before it, economically-speaking, becomes a net-contributor to Society. An EU migrant however has had all these things paid for by their EU home-country before they come to the UK. The EU migrant brings the economic contribution to the UK while the majority of the investment-costs have been made in their home country. And if they follow the example of plenty of UK citizens … they might retire in Spain as well.

So when 300,000 EU migrants sounds daunting and an impossibility … it is actually a pretty sweet deal for the UK. Of course some of that extra economic productivity they bring into the country should be invested in housing and public services. Unfortunately those investments have been at an all time low in the UK … migrants or no migrants.

Births since 1938

By Frank Witte a member of one of the SY2E – Remain in the EU groups.

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UK citizens overseas, did you know you may be able to vote in the EU Referendum on 23 June?

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UK citizens, did you know you may be able to vote in the EU Referendum on 23 June? Register to vote now at gov.uk/register-to-vote. Make sure you don’t miss out on your chance to vote in this historic poll

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The United Kingdom should be leading the European Union and not running away from it.

Are we not good or brave enough to lead the EU

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Would we be commemorating VE Day if the UK had stuck two fingers up to Europe in June 1940?

Today at war memorials, in cemeteries and churches across Europe, if not the world, people will be gathering to commemorate the end of the War in Europe and the sacrifices people made to bring it to an end.

Despite what some are saying it was not a war one by a single nation, it was won by countries working together and standing together.

Although many, in fact nearly all, of the allied nations involved had been defeated in the field and had capitulated in the face of seemingly unbeatable forces, they had not been overwhelmed and broken.

One of the main reasons for this was the commitment of the UK to stand with its allies and lead Europe to a better future.

What would Europe look like today if in June 1940 the UK had abandoned its allies and its treaty commitments and sued for a separate peace?

Fortunately, people in the UK remembered that it is not in the British nature, the British psyche, to run and hide in the face of difficulties.

Europe required leadership, our allies needed help and support.

The UK did not retreat into inglorious isolation, the UK stepped up to the challenge and stood with its allies and led them. That is what we must do now.

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When taking a shot in the dark make sure you don’t shoot yourself in the foot.

Don't shoot yourself in the foot

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The UK has pooled sovereignty since 1603 – why are the Leavers so scared of the EU?

Some in the UK believe that the UK is wholly incompatible with any form of union or sharing/pooling of power.

This is most curious seeing as the UK’s history of union and pooling of power started in 1603.when England and Scotland formed a Union of Crowns.

In 1707 the Treaty of Union merged the countries two Parliament’s in what is referred to as the Union of the Parliaments.

Again in 1800 Acts of Union were ratified merging the Irish and British Parliaments.

Today we live in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

We have been part of a Union of Nation States for over 400 hundred years, a Union that has consistently pooled sovereignty and resources, centralised power and decisions far more closely than happens in the European Union

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EU Referendum franchise challenge – Court of Appeal hearing date

The Appeal Court hearing in the ongoing fight for democratic justice for all UK Citizens living in the EU will take place on 9th May 2016 according to the lawyers Leigh Day.

Leigh Day are acting for 94-year-old Harry Shindler, a Second World War veteran who lives in Italy, and lawyer Jacquelyn MacLennan, a UK Citizen resident in Belgium.

They are appealing against the undemocratic franchise terms in the EU Referendum Bill which denies UK Citizens living overseas a vote in the UK’s future membership of the EU, a matter that directly affects them and their right to live, work and retire in the other 27 states of the EU.

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7 Reasons for the UK to Remain in the EU

7 reasons why staying in the EU is good for the UK from Nicola Fell on Vimeo.

www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

This short animation lays out 7 reasons why we should stay in the European Union ahead of the referendum on Thursday 23 June 2016

Music – with thanks to Moby.

Voice – with thanks to David Dobbs.

Sources

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/a7739ec4-04c2-11e6-a70d-4e39ac32c284.html#axzz46BL9WSCq

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/ampp3d/four-compelling-reasons-should-stay-4467845

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/mar/07/why-green-groups-have-a-right-to-be-heard-on-the-eu-referendum

http://www.proeuropa.org.uk/twelevereasons

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jan/11/whats-eu-ever-done-us

http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/countries-and-regions/agreements/

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