Silent Majority Speaks

Britain has traditionally been one of the biggest net contributors to the EU because we do not get as much money back from Brussels in farm and regional subsidies as our rivals.

According to Treasury figures, between 1995-2002, Britain's average contribution taking the rebate into account, was £2.6billion, or £43.55 per head of population.

The French - the biggest recipient of farm subsidies - contributed £1billion a year or £16.08 per head of their population.

So that's why they told us there were just 95 Polish plumbers here! Daily Mail Reporter - November 23, 2005

Ministers have no idea how many Eastern Europeans are working in Britain, it emerged yesterday. The Home Office released figures showing there are nearly 300,000 workers from new EU states here - nearly 20 times the number it estimated would come when they joined last year.

It admitted this figure does not include the self-employed - meaning there may be hundreds of thousands more Eastern Europeans here. The loophole finally solves the so-called 'Polish plumber' mystery. Last month, Immigration Minister Tony McNulty was met with incredulity when he said that statistics showing there were just 95 plumbers from Poland working in Britain were accurate. Soon after, the Daily Mail managed to find that number of Polish plumbers within 24 hours in London alone.

And yesterday's figures confirm that while there are only 110 Eastern European plumbers signed up on the Worker Registration Scheme,m there are likely to to be thousands more self-employed. A Home Office spokesman said: "The Worker Registration Scheme is for employees. It does not cover self-employed people who work in the UK because they do not need to register."

The loophole undermines the credibility of the scheme, which was designed to keep track of Eastern European workers and allow ministers to control numbers if necessary. In 2004, the then Home Secretary David Blunkett said the scheme placed an obligation on workers to register. He also said that it would mean they would work legally and not 'fuel the sub-economy'.

In fact, many Eastern European building workers are thought to be part of the black economy, avoiding tax and insurance payments. Last night, Mr McNulty admitted that the scheme could be wound up early. "We're now in the throes of assessing whether we need the Worker Registration Scheme through to 2009 or whether we should keep it under review on an annual basis," he told Channel 4 news.

Tory Immigration spokesman Humfrey Malin said last night; "The immigration system under Labour is a shambles. It is quite clear that there are many people coming into the country who are not on the official figures."

Losing control and credibility

Comment - Daily Mail, November 24, 2005

Careless with truth, habitually incompetent, a breaker of promises - why should New Labour be believed on a word it utters over immigration and asylum? Time and again, we were assured that only a relative handful of migrants would arrive when Britain - virtually alone in the EU - threw open its doors to workers from Easter Europe last year. Other governments imposed restrictions when the 10 new accession states joined. Not New Labour, which insisted there would be no problems.

Only weeks ago, Immigration Minister Tony McNulty paraded statistics to show just 95 Polish plumbers are working in Britain, seemingly vindicating predictions of only a modest inflow. And then, of course, we had Tony Blair's repeated pledges to deport failed asylum seekers and reduce the 285,000 backlog by the end of the year. So much for rhetoric. Now the facts.

A handful from Eastern Europe? Between July and September there were a record 60,000 applicants for work permits. That brings the total since last year to nearly 300,000 - 20 times higher than Government estimates. Yes, 20. Even that does not tell the full story.

Home Office statistics don't include the self-employed. Tens or even hundreds of thousands more Eastern Europeans are living here (and probably working in the black economy) than are officially registered. Ministers haven't a clue.

That doesn't stop them peddling absurd claims about Polish plumbers. (Incidentally, the Mail had no trouble finding 95 within a day, in London alone).

Oh, and as if all that weren't bad enough, we learned this week that Mr Blair's promise to remove failed asylum seekers can't be taken seriously either. He admits he isn't going to meet his targets - though even if her did, it would take 20 years to clear the existing backlog. Sadly, we have grown all to accustomed to this Government's failures, cover-ups and deceits over immigration.

Remember how Beverley Hughes had to resign as Immigration Minister over the racket i nvisas for Bulgarians and Romanians? And how the civil servant who exposed the scandal was fired? The truth is that for years, Ministers have actively encouraged immigration without any proper consultation. As this paper has long argued, there is a case for effectively managed economic migration. But if the policy is to work and social harmony is to be preserved, there has to be honest, open, informed debate.

Sadly this Government makes such a thing impossible.