That would imply that said tradesman was making over a 100% mark up on the job though...
UK General Election 2015 | Conservatives win with an overall majority
- Thread starter langster
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It's a lot for stringent for non-EU folk than a lot of people think, agreed. I've seen that with my own missus who had a Msc Finance and similarly her sister, who couldn't find an employer willing to sponsor her despite her having a similar Msc.
The tier one visa, saying it is for 'high value' people is one way of putting it. If you buy either £1m or £2m of gilts and hold them for 2-3 years you qualify. Way for wealthy Chinese etc...to get UK passports and avoid outrageous school and uni fees.
Well, yeah, but can you really take him seriously when he is wearing a red rosette and a yellow one the next? He could get a half-half at least.
That's well below the national average salary tbf, hardly punitive. Thought it would be higher tbh.
It's not a question of 'putting a value on love' as you well know. You should get a job as a spin doctor...
It's punitive for 40% of the population if you ask the National Earnings Survey. And rising for each child involved. If you'd gotten your missus knocked up before the marriage you'd need £22,400. Then another £2,400 for any kid she might have had beforehand.
And while I would be an alright spin doctor, this is very much a question of putting a value on love. I'd have to start working a lot more hours than I want to to be able to afford it. And a good portion of working people wouldn't even manage it if they worked chef-like hours. It's also punitive for what I would imagine are one of the biggest groups who use this right - immigrants with a family abroad.
There are also those instances where the income isn't being declared in its entirety. A firm local to my parents has used the same Polish crew of builders on several occasions over the years, and it's always cash (10,000s).
Highly debatable.
There would still be trade with E8urope you know, as well as possibilities for bespoke agreements outside of the EU framework. It is already the case that the forces behind decision making are beyond British control, this being represented either by the Eurozone bloc and the Franco-German axis.
"Most likely a stop to complete free movement and trade" < A future without any basis in fact to suit your argument. Moreover, people in the UK are quite happy that we maintain the present border checks, something upon which most political parties agree.
Yes there may be some tariffing, but it is probable that a new economic treaty would be signed as soon as practicable.
What unnecessary things?
Why, would there no skilled migrants permitted in this different Britain?
No tourism? Oh do stop.
Treaties come and treaties go, no biggie.
Given the history or its member nations and the resources at their disposal, it saddens me to think that the best which could be contrive was the European Union. In leaving the EU Britain would aspire to something better, with its neighbours on the continent if possible and without tthem if they prove to be too obdurate.
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Might sound harsh, but few countries realistically are going to welcome masses of low paid workers' overseas families to their shores. It's not even a purely income thing. If you look at the Hong Kong thread in the general, Bury Red points out that even high earners moving there can struggle to get visas for their partners.
Anyway, I found a way of you potentially living the polar dream!
Immediate family (wife and kids) which this applies to is hardly going to be masses. To qualify for it you need British Citizenship to begin with and at that point, you're not really stopping masses entering the country, you're just making a bunch of individuals depressed. And I don't see how Hong Kong's rules have any bearing here, it's hardly the democracy we should aspire to.
And for £25,000 Jippy! I don't wanna pay, I want people to pay me!
Visa rules are a bastard wherever you go- my missus had to go to Spain and then come back for visa reason and we had a horrid morning at Lunar House once. But yeah, being strict on non-EU immigration while the gates are wide open to the EU does feel a bit like putting your thumb in the dyke, so to speak.
Yeah, asking a bit much of your family and friends with that amount. I was quite interested in the (very random) press release until then. Maybe Damien can sticky your appeal and the Caf can dig deep!
Speculation that Russell Brand's gonna back Labour today. I'm more sensitive to Russell's plight than most on here... but is that really helpful for the election? I feel like it would only hurt Labour's chances in most Tory marginals.
If your already a Tory voter than the chances are you pretty hate Miliband already, so I doubt it will have too much impact. It might have on impact on undecided voter(Only 65% turn out to vote last election)but even then I would still be surprised.
I have one question for people who want this...
How?
With regards to the EU, does Norway have an Australian style points system? No. Does Switzerland? No.
Anyone who gets a job in that country can work there. There is free movement of workers within the EEA.
Oh and guess what, most Eastern European people who come to this country do so to work. Most of the rest are students.
So, I'm all for a Australian stlyle system on immigration. But how.
No I don't see it as unfair. The system has been in place for a long time now and it works in keeping pretty much everyone they don't want to come here out.
What I do see as unfair is the moneymaking exercise created by the refusal of family visit visas which under new regulations have no appeal rights. I have numerous examples of ludicrous refusals if you're interested.
Home student fees have caught up with international student fees thanks to Cam and Clegg. Doubt wealthy non-EU students will mind £2-£3k a year more/less.
Not good economic news ahead of the Tory plans to refocus the campaign on the economy.
I'm all for the free movement of people within the EU as long as they have a job.
Health insurance should be required until they have 5 years of paying NI and then they're entitled to NHS care for free.
Likewise with benefits - they cannot be claimed until there are 5 years of paying NI. And, in fact, the benefits thing should extend to non-migrants for certain benefits.
This would clamp down on "benefit tourists" which I think is actually the probably most people see relating to migrants.
The benefits system as a whole is largely abused and I think more caps to encourage work are needed. There are numerous well known problems:
- Many wouldn't be much better off by going out and working vs the benefits they receive so think "why bother".
- Many change they're lifestyle to get more benefits so they don't have to work.
- Those on jobseekers who manage to find a few days here and there have to literally jump through hoops coming on and off jobseekers and having to have void periods whereby the can't have the benefit and have to get it backdated, if at all. This causes many to work 'cash in hand' or simply not bother unless it is full time.
Taxation loopholes really need to be clamped down upon. Companies also shouldn't be able to 'set up' where there is lower tax and be able to move all this tax around to the lower tax rate. If something is sold in the UK then the tax needs to be paid, no moving it about or getting around it.
Also, many see politics in general as pretty pointless. They all stand round in a circle with one party saying one thing and others disagreeing just for the fun of it and nothing much really happens. The general election is a load of promises to try and win votes and then a game of trying to implement as little as they can get away with until the next election.
I think the system needs to change. People need to start working together. As other posters have pointed out Labour and Conservatives in general are actually the 2 most similar parties because they are constantly edging each other on and promising the same thing except for some differences - the media however seem to have agendas. It'd be more beneficial all round if these people could work together and actually solving these key issues. If that was an option, it'd get my vote! The voting system needs to change from FPTP too, although the AV wasn't the solution - doesn't mean there isn't one.
(I do actually seriously think a Conservative/Labour coalition assuming one can't get a majority would be the best thing going forward compared to the alternative coalitions being flirted about the place).
Health insurance should be required until they have 5 years of paying NI and then they're entitled to NHS care for free.
Likewise with benefits - they cannot be claimed until there are 5 years of paying NI. And, in fact, the benefits thing should extend to non-migrants for certain benefits.
This would clamp down on "benefit tourists" which I think is actually the probably most people see relating to migrants.
The benefits system as a whole is largely abused and I think more caps to encourage work are needed. There are numerous well known problems:
- Many wouldn't be much better off by going out and working vs the benefits they receive so think "why bother".
- Many change they're lifestyle to get more benefits so they don't have to work.
- Those on jobseekers who manage to find a few days here and there have to literally jump through hoops coming on and off jobseekers and having to have void periods whereby the can't have the benefit and have to get it backdated, if at all. This causes many to work 'cash in hand' or simply not bother unless it is full time.
Taxation loopholes really need to be clamped down upon. Companies also shouldn't be able to 'set up' where there is lower tax and be able to move all this tax around to the lower tax rate. If something is sold in the UK then the tax needs to be paid, no moving it about or getting around it.
Also, many see politics in general as pretty pointless. They all stand round in a circle with one party saying one thing and others disagreeing just for the fun of it and nothing much really happens. The general election is a load of promises to try and win votes and then a game of trying to implement as little as they can get away with until the next election.
I think the system needs to change. People need to start working together. As other posters have pointed out Labour and Conservatives in general are actually the 2 most similar parties because they are constantly edging each other on and promising the same thing except for some differences - the media however seem to have agendas. It'd be more beneficial all round if these people could work together and actually solving these key issues. If that was an option, it'd get my vote! The voting system needs to change from FPTP too, although the AV wasn't the solution - doesn't mean there isn't one.
(I do actually seriously think a Conservative/Labour coalition assuming one can't get a majority would be the best thing going forward compared to the alternative coalitions being flirted about the place).
Sounds like a pretty sharp slow down. Could be just a blip.
He might have some appeal for new young voters who are considering the Greens, however an overly conceited windbag with a tendency for dramatics isn't likely to much of a game changer at this point.
Ah yes, it worked a treat during the last EU accession period. Not only is it unfair but it is discriminatory, similarly are many other rules which target non-Europeans. If the country had grater control over continental immigration this flexibility would allow us to be more receptive to greater numbers refugees for example.
By the way, do you intend to respond to any of the questions/points i raised regarding your anti-referendum post?
Seems to contradict what the bbc is saying in its story. Construction falling is the biggest contributor it seems- might be in part driven by concerns about the election outcome.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-32493745
How can the service sector be responsible for more than 100% of growth?
Because it's offset by falls in other sectors.
Sorry I haven't yet as that would need to be a long response and I'm a bit busy for it.
UK is not a country with an active migration policy. Most people think the country is full therefore the visa system is there to stop under-qualified people from outside the EU from coming here.
Stopping EU migration will not change a thing for non-EU migrants. I absolutely guarantee it. Being from a non-EU country I know most of the obstacles that the latter face and that it would take most likely decades to overcome them.
The Tories seem to think otherwise as they pull focus on Bojo.
Did anyone see the Panorama last night?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05t3flh
The celebrity stats guy from America, Nate Silver, who predicted the result correctly in every single state in the last US elections was brought in to predict the UK election. Tories to gain most seats, Labour not able to form a majority coalition, basically stalemate.
http://fivethirtyeight.com/interactives/uk-general-election-predictions/
Not sure what happens then.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05t3flh
The celebrity stats guy from America, Nate Silver, who predicted the result correctly in every single state in the last US elections was brought in to predict the UK election. Tories to gain most seats, Labour not able to form a majority coalition, basically stalemate.
http://fivethirtyeight.com/interactives/uk-general-election-predictions/
Not sure what happens then.
Nate Silver's election prediction:
Some of you might also be interested in the Telegraph's Coalition Builder.
ETA: Just seen Colin's post.
Some of you might also be interested in the Telegraph's Coalition Builder.
ETA: Just seen Colin's post.
I really do hate sensationalist headlines. Even the Daily Mail who are favourable to the Tories has "shock for Osborne as economic growth halves" as the title.
Why don't they represent it in a balanced way: January to March 2015 down 0.1% from same period in 2014. Comparing two different 3 month periods is completely flawed. The Construction industry for instance always performs poorly over that period for obvious reasons.
Time to open the fighting pits.
Huh? Growth was 0.9% in Q1 2014. It's 0.3% for Q1 2015... down 0.6% year on year. That's a pretty stark slowdown.
It was really, really low on substance. Richard Bacon was definitely the wrong choice to host the show. You'd learn more from spending five minutes on the fivethirtyeight side than you would from watching the show. It didn't help how awkward and un-televisual Silver is either.
Just for clarity...
I thought Q1 last year was 0.4%? Or am I thinking of Q4 the year before?
/Edit: Yea I was thinking Q4 the year before. Still it would be interesting to see the breakdown as a like-for-like 3 month comparison.
I also get the impression from reading NS's blog that he's
a) Underestimating the SNP effect based on the 'incumbent effect', which Scotland are completely rejecting.
b) That he's overestimating the 'shy Tory' effect in parts of England. There's clearly something, but I don't think it's as widespread as he thinks, and not really relevant at all in large of England.
a) Underestimating the SNP effect based on the 'incumbent effect', which Scotland are completely rejecting.
b) That he's overestimating the 'shy Tory' effect in parts of England. There's clearly something, but I don't think it's as widespread as he thinks, and not really relevant at all in large of England.
The media are actually being soft on the Tories by comparing today's figure to the previous quarter (down 0.3%) rather than the correct year on year comparison (down 0.6%).
Steady on, Brand's a furlong clear of Boris in the conceited stakes.
I caught most of his appearance on the Andrew Marr Show at the weekend (Leanne Wood is like a female version of IDS), and the Tories' campaign would certainly be fairing better with him leading it.
That's a good point. I guess the only way would be to be completely out of the EU. And I'm not sure that's such a good idea.
True that! I suppose sensationalist "Shock as..." and "Blow as..." click bait headlines are here to stay regardless.
I dunno. It's hardly a shock- US GDP growth is slowing and the eurozone is barely in growth. It's hard to increase growth when your biggest trading partners are either slowing or in contraction. The UK is still the fastest growing economy in the G7.
As for the coverage, can't see many actively sugaring the pill- view from both sides below.
UK economic growth halves ahead of general election
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/apr/28/uk-economic-growth-slows-ahead-of-general-election
UK GDP growth falls to slowest pace in three years with just nine days until the election
From the Telegraph- can't get link, I've maxed out my 20 free articles.