Gloucester Saint

Clearly there is public concern about the rising migration numbers over the last 25 years. This has accelerated support for hard right and populist parties since the financial crisis of 2008 and particularly the austerity of 2010 onwards. A lot of people, especially just above minimum wage/benefits, or a hybrid of the two, feel poorer and that their living standards have declined since the 2000s. Actually, it has, they are not just feeling it. Part of the issue is that wealth inequalities are unsustainable, along with the pressure on public services. Migration curbs by themselves will not make the difference the public wants to key public services. The very wealthiest have to contribute more and that’s another reality all political parties need to face. Also, do you want our relatives in respite, end of life or other forms of social care looked after by trained people with the emotional competences to give them the experience they deserve or do you want Tiffany or Tony forced by welfare sanctions who don’t give a fuck? Leading to far more scandals like this https://www.hughjames.com/blog/doncaster-care-homes-child-abuse-scandal/ Because with an ageing population that’s the choice being made. The birth rate is not going to rise unless work and jobs are made a lot more secure and people feel a lot more confident to plan family lives together. Universities will also recruit less numbers from China and elsewhere if they are actually allowed to be the market organisations the Browne Review anticipated them to be, by putting fees up by at least inflation, and more if needed. Tice is a 🤡 though saying ‘net zero immigration’. Zero thought for the country’s future needs more like, and as bad as their pathetic budget plans published in the last election shredded by the IFS. As for the Tories, they spent ten years plus setting arbitrary targets without any planning for why those figures were what was needed, and missing every single one. They have not learned a single thing. And their hard Brexit cut the economy by an eye watering 6%, hitting middle and lower and middle earners hardest and enriching their donors and hedge fund friends who shorted the market (see Crispin Odey’). A thin levelling up agenda didn’t touch the sides or come anywhere near what EU regional structural funds had offered. In response to someone else, the NHS is undergoing from what I discern from outside looking in far harder cuts than anything the Tories did as the wasteful Lansley set up is demolished. Hunt wanted to do it but politically couldn’t which is understandable. As a Lib Dem, I’m less fussed about migration but clearly people are so trying to meet them in the middle. But there are tough decisions to be made, I’m not sure I trust Labour with them tbh. But I trust the Tories even less as they did nothing but enrich their donors through asylum accommodation as numbers soared and Reform couldn’t run a bath as UKIP have proved every time they’ve led a council, let alone anything national.

And the manager who brought it about happens to be available.

It could’ve been the mid-70s again but for the 3 promoted teams being so far adrift, with Man U and Spurs spending time in the second tier. Even more staggering that they are competing a European final. Lord knows what the Forest owner was thinking of there.

Step forward Nigel and destroy our economy like MAGA USA has just done.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/farage-reform-nhs-local-elections-starmer-b2742970.html All very well, but no serious counter suggestion on how to fund it https://fullfact.org/health/reform-nigel-farage-pay-for-nhs-labour/

And BBD was on loan by January, 0 goals/assists, and Sugawara effectively out of favour by then after mistaking football for volleyball. For only Fernandes and Ramsdale to work out is about right for SR transfer windows though as a success rate.

Inevitable given Canada’s been using it for a few years and Germany using dialect-based AI on speech since 2017 https://www.context.news/ai/ai-will-help-make-life-or-death-calls-in-rammed-uk-asylum-system https://www.ibanet.org/artificial-intelligence-in-immigration

Only Downes has the engine and even he lacks the physical power of himself to enforce. Don’t know what Martin was thinking.

One good job, one poor. Not ‘Bo Selecta’ but worth a look.

I was being harsh so fair play for pointing it out.

The legal entrants already pay some of the heftiest visa and health surcharge fees in the world, which rose 40% in 2023 alone and remember, the health surcharge is annual for however long they’re here and they pay it for each of their dependents as well. So they’ve often spent ten grand before they even get on the plane. Some larger commercial employers will pay the up front costs or via large research grants for scientists but not for the majority. Where I think the country has to be more direct is where we are receiving people from Turkey, Albania or similar nations where there isn’t a clear conflict people are fleeing from (people smuggling for Albania) is turning those around as economic cases rapidly to send a message. That would make a dent in the numbers quite quickly. The genuine asylum cases from conflict zones are a different beast and have to be considered properly case by case. We could do it quicker though. That’s a legal requirement and won’t change even if God forbid, Reform ever got anywhere near power. That would the least of our worries after they’d reduced the economy to ruins in a way far beyond Truss or Rachel from Accounts.

And it was the sheer cost and VFM vs how many it was going to remove, more have been removed through accelerated processing (or just some) than Rwanda would ever have achieved. It’s why Israel canned their scheme. That’s on top of the £15bn Johnson and Braverman tied us into on asylum accommodation. There’s plenty I can pick holes in with Labour but the Rwanda isn’t one of them, unless the supporters of it are saying they are willing to pay an extra 5p in the pound in tax to fund it, on top of the world’s most expensive visa system?

They aren’t high is why Dragan has a lot of subsidising and writing off to do, which is the price for retaining a blagger and bullshitter (Rasmus) in a key role for far too long. Bazanu and Larios will be heavily subsidised loans out until the end of their contracts, Stewart might as well keep for his final year as he’s decided he wants to play football again, Smallbone the new manager will look at but if they want a midfield two he’ll be off on a nominal fee (1 year left). Aribo and Onachu have buyers, not concerned there. Sulemana - interest but will be a fraction of the £22m rip off fee, Stephens ok as cover, ditto McCarthy. Taylor will be interesting.

Hjulmand is little different to Thorup who Norwich just sacked.

Agree with many points there and thanks for responding. I think with Rwanda it was the sheer cost on top of what the Tories had already burdened the country in with, which their donors have profited to the tune of £383m https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2720n2kkjo Triple the original costs Johnson estimated whilst stopping processing asylum cases so people failing could be swiftly removed. They weren’t, creating the chronic backlog. And people wonder where the budget black hole came from! Don’t agree with what Reeves has done to address it since but an appalling and unacceptable inheritance Johnson and Braverman need to apologise to us for.

Zero I’m afraid, KWP looking likely to be Fulham unless Silva does a flit, Ramsdale has a market and alleged release clause for £25m, Bednarek release clause £6m, Fernandes and Dibling have markets, just how many clubs bid and whether it meets valuation. The hope is that we get fees for some of the others eg Aribo, a modest fee for Smallbone, Sugawara, Manning, BBD. AA possibly.

On 25% of the wages (even taking the relegation reduction into account) he’ll be earning next season perhaps. Ditto McCarthy.

Dirk Gerkens has a pickle to get out of.

Wait until you try the American beef

As I’ve observed from years of posts that you are more of an economically left of centre poster (like me) with some social views more on the right, I’m genuinely curious about what immigration is the most/least frustrating for you or whether you potentially support some migration in certain scenarios. I’m a Lib Dem voter and focused on reducing asylum cases, but that probably isn’t the case for most Labour/potential Reform. Is it? - Healthcare workers eg nurses, doctors, surgeons, dentists legally? - Social care workers legally where we’ve got ever growing demand with an ageing population and the locals won’t fill the vacancies - Agricultural seasonal workers on temporary permits - Construction workers fully qualified in areas of skills gaps which can’t be filled in the short-medium term - Footballers at different levels of the UK pyramids, plus other sports - Scientists or other academics temporarily in refuge here from a conflict zone working and publishing whilst their homeland’s issues are resolved - Scientists moving to the UK to work and paying visa/health surcharge costs - Students/young people from the EU on exchange trips of 12 months with UK youngsters able to go the other way - Students studying in the UK - Ukrainian families seeking refuge in areas near or in the conflict zones who are working/studying in the UK - Illegal economic migrants from Asia working in UK businesses - Asylum seekers from nations not formally observed as being in conflicts where there may be regional issues or people smuggling eg Turkey, Albania - Asylum seekers coming via France by boats and other means - Asylum seekers from nations or regions with a significant record of terrorism against Western targets/citizens if even if the individuals don’t - Asylum seekers seeking refuge from formally-recognised conflicts

Don’t know about better but Cooper would be a very sensible and practical choice for what is required. So they won’t appoint him then.

There’s some truth here but also a massive unknown in how Reform will behave and perform in positions of responsibility. Because in Thanet and Derbyshire it was an unmitigated implosion beyond even the Tories 2020-24. They already parted company with Lowe and a lot of their new councillors are ex-Tories who were too hot to handle there and very individualist. Unless the mavericks can somehow knit together, they’ll be a bigger and high profile party of protest but that will be it. That’s why despite a breakthrough result last week, I wouldn’t be getting the bunting and open top bus out quite yet. Top of the league in August. Their policies are going to be scrutinised far more now as Corbyn’s were after 2017. They are a feature on the landscape now, definitely, but a long, long way to go before we know if it’s automatics, play-offs, mid-table or bottom half.

🤦‍♂️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cpdzd2pqgvwo?at_campaign=sport_england_top_stories&at_link_origin=sport_homepage_content&at_medium=BBC_Products

What a dreadful mess the Tories left on asylum - their donors profiting to the tune of £383m at our expense whilst Johnson and Braverman stopped processing cases which built up the enormous backlog. Would have been far bigger again if Rwanda farce had proceeded. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2720n2kkjo Not a coincidence that some of the largest concentrations are in areas Reform contested heavily/won last week.

The true state of what the Tories left behind on asylum. Their donors made £383m profit from asylum accommodation whilst Braverman stopped processing cases https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2720n2kkjo And to think the Rwanda cost would have come on top.