British jobs for British workers?
News that there has been a significant increase in immigrant workers claiming benefits in the UK has again cast doubts on Gordon Brown's claim to secure "British jobs for British workers". This was one of the government's major strategies at the last Labour Party conference when the government was under severe pressure from the rampant Tory party. However, while the infamous quote from Gordon Brown caught the headlines and imagination of the UK public it has most certainly come back to haunt him.
Conscious that in reality the statement is nonsensical and practically illegal under EU laws, Gordon Brown has taken something of a backward step of late. However, we have yet to see any response from the UK government with regards to the increase in immigrant workers claiming UK benefits although there have been signs of social unrest in certain parts of the country. Unfortunately, if left to fester for some length of time this has the potential to push voters toward some of the more radical parties in the UK with the potential for further social unrest.
The fact that immigrant workers are able to claim the full range of UK benefits after working in the UK for only 12 months, whereas many UK workers have been paying taxes for decades, is perhaps one of the downsides of EU membership.
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