- UK family of nations must work together to stop Brexit
- Jardine: The Tories visa plan is a tax on nurses
UK family of nations must work together to stop Brexit
Liberal Democrat Leader Jo Swinson will tomorrow make the case to Remain voters in Scotland to back the Liberal Democrats to protect Scotland’s place at the heart of the EU, as she visits North East Fife as part of her Leader’s Tour of the UK.
Jo Swinson will be visiting Crafty Maltsters Farm in Auchtermuchty alongside Scottish Liberal Democrat Leader Willie Rennie. Speaking ahead of the visit, Jo Swinson said:
Voters in Scotland who despair with Brexit should vote Liberal Democrat to make it stop.
Our party is the home of Remain. We are the voice for the millions of people in every corner of the UK who have marched and protested against Brexit in towns and cities across the UK.
I want Scotland to be part of that growing, mass movement that is determined to keep our place in the European Union.
This is the Brexit election and we should have a single, clear focus when we cast our votes which is why I would appeal to the millions of people who want to Stop Brexit to back the Liberal Democrats.
The four nations of the United Kingdom are stronger when they work together so we should work together to stop Brexit.
Together we can put a stop to Brexit and get on with building a brighter future.
Jardine: The Tories visa plan is a tax on nurses
Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary Christine Jardine has slammed the Tories for creating a “Nurse Tax” on EU citizens who come to the UK to work for the NHS.
The new Tory policy extends the Immigration health surcharge of £400 to EU health professionals, coming to the UK to work in our NHS.
The fee, which is £400 per person per year, under Conservative plans could be payable directly out of doctor and nurse salaries.
This would mean an NHS worker from the EU with a family of four, would be expected to pay £8000 over five years. This is on top of the upfront visa application cost of £464 per person or £1856 for a family of four.
Commenting Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary Christine Jardine said:
The Conservatives have effectively created a new Nurse Tax. It is an insult to the thousands of people who dedicate their lives coming to work for our health service from the EU.
The NHS currently relies on 10,000 doctors and 20,000 nurses from elsewhere in the EU, and we’ve already lost more than 5,000 EU nurses in the last 2 years.
Brexit is making the nursing crisis worse, and the only cure the Tories can offer is a new Nurse Tax.
The Liberal Democrats have the solution to the nursing crisis, Stop Brexit so that we can build a brighter future for our precious NHS.
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12 Comments
Once again on the Today we had long segments on Labour and Tory plans but nothing about us. Is this because the BBC are ignoring us or because we have said nothing of interest. I do hope we are going to have some strong policy announcements on matters such as climate change, the economy and taxation.
If you see the £400 as health insurance for a year it is probably a reasonable figure compared to what Brits would have to pay if they became resident for a year in a foreign country (expensive for youngsters but a bargain for seniors), so is not outrageous. It is £8 a week deduction for a nurse on a likely income of at least £500 (much more with overtime) so I don’t think it will be a major discouragement., though personally I would have given health professionals an exception because of the job they do, Most voters will agree with the health surcharge rather than rant against it, I’d guess.
I do agree that the cost of visas generally is rather expensive and the up front costs do leave nurses et al from third world countries somewhat at the mercy of agencies who will cover their initial costs but expect a healthy chunk of their salaries in return so maybe some form of govn initiative where there is no visa costs but it is then recovered via the salary once here.
Frank don’t worry about EU nurses paying the £400 it isnt an issue they ain’t coming. That is why the government are desperatly raiding any third world country for any health professionals they can find. Ironic isn’t it, my relatives voted leave to get rid if the muslims and what happens they get rid of the EU nurses and the government tries to replace them with none white foreigners; they will be so, so happy. Just goes to show why you shouldn’t pander to xenaphobia, its based on stupidity and leads to stupid results, but then haters have to hate I suppose.
@frankie “my relatives voted leave to get rid if the muslims and what happens they get rid of the EU nurses and the government tries to replace them with none white foreigners”
While you voted remain to keep out the “none white foreigners”? Sounds horrible when put that way round, doesn’t it?
The racism argument always risks cutting both ways when Remainers are not more careful in their choice of words, especially when Brexiteers can happily point to doctors and nurses who are “none white foreigners” and speak English better than many of their European counterparts.
Ah poor Peter desperate deflection, point out the xenophobia of some leavers and your reply is to try to make out I’m as racist as them. However racism wasn’t my reason for voting remain it was the realisation that by voting leave we would open up Pandora’s box and no amount of delusion would prevent any number of ills flying out; and guess what they did and you really have no answer to that have you. I will now deal with your point about “While you voted remain to keep out the “none white foreigners”? ”
The politicians pushing a drastic reduction in immigration where the leavers
‘People in my street don’t speak English’ Farage says immigration was key to Brexit vote
NIGEL Farage has said immigration was the “absolute key” to winning the Brexit vote as he gears up to address Donald Trump supporters in Mississippi tonight.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/703541/Nigel-Farage-UKIP-immigration-Brexit-vote-Donald-Trump-Jackson-Mississippi-US-President
Coupled with Ukip’s “breaking point” poster featuring a column of Syrian refugees, it was not surprising that many voters believed the leave campaign was promising deep cuts in immigration. Ipsos Mori found that immigration rather than the economy was the main concern of voters in the last two weeks of the campaign.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/27/eu-referendum-reality-check-leave-campaign-promises
Now I know it is difficult to accept a main driver of leave was the fear of immigrants but is was and now saying it isn’t won’t make it so. The sad hang over to this campaign is my relatives still want to deport all the Muslims and they will be very upset when it doesn’t happen. Well what does that matter you may say, well they are prime candidates for the stab in the back theory. It will only take a populist to turn up and say “You where deceived by that closet remainer Depeffle and the elite, but follow me and all will be well” and like sheep they will follow. And that dear Peter is another of the ills you voted to unleash on us with your foolish decision to open Pandora’s box.
Peter Watson:
Your comment is nonsense, bordering on offensive even, because Frankie wrote nothing about his own anti- Brexit motivation. He reported on the motivations of some (I presume not all) of his relatives.
In what way can you maintain that keeping out non white foreigners is part of opposition to Brexit? Do you think the EU stipulates who, from outside the EU, can and who cannot find employment in the UK or any other of its member states? Think again.
There is no doubt that immigration was a major factor in the Brexit vote and the Tories reaction to the loss of European workers in all areas of our workforce just shows this whole EU exit shenanigans up for the farce it is!!
@Frankie @Martin
For what it’s worth, I voted Remain and would again. My complaint is with the Remain campaign which before and since the Referendum has been its own worst enemy. Even on this site I find frankie’s ridicule and abuse of visiting “lexiteers” just makes them seem more reasonable and sympathetic.
Demographically, polling would appear to show that a higher proportion of people who dislike immigration, don’t have degrees, and who are older, voted to leave the EU than voted to remain in it. The Remain campaign has extrapolated from this to depict Brexiteers as if they were all old, uneducated racists but this clumsy tactic of stereotyping Brexiteers is undermined every time one who ticks none of these boxes speaks up.
Worse, rather than just relying on a demographic ticking clock that assumes Brexiteers are dying off while Remainers reach voting age, the Remain Campaign should have been trying to change hearts and minds rather than alienating the people it needs to win over.
We’ve had 3.5 years to react to what the result of the 2016 Referendum told us about how voters view their politicians, the UK and the EU, but the campaign to remain in the EU appeared to learn nothing and has not changed the strategy which shocked them with its failure in 2016. Even now the outcome of this General Election and/or any People’s Vote is too close to call, and if we leave the EU their ineptitude means that Remainers will be just as culpable as Brexiteers.
Peter you are asking me to be more understanding of the delusional and under no circumstances to point out their delusions. Well that isn’t going to happen. I will however address your point “should have been trying to change hearts and minds rather than alienating the people it needs to win over.”. Firstly no amount of talking to them will change their minds and I will explain why. They are driven by three key emotions hate,fear and puzzlement. They hate the lives and the problems they have. They fear someone will take away what little they have. They are puzzled that a nation of victors are doing so badly, especially compared to the nations they defeated.
Now how do you tackle this delusion, for many it is far to late years of being told they are special while reality shows they are not has driven them to a place from which no amount of argument can bring them back. To those who may break free of this delusion, words will not break the thick chains of delusion only actions. What actions are they, well the main one is this “My life is getting better, the grim grind is less grim and will be less grim next year and even less grim the year after”. If you can’t provide that then no amounts of words will reach them and they will sink further and further into hate, fear and puzzlement which won’t be good for them (and the many others who join them) but dear Peter neither will it be good for the rest of us.
There is a wave of populism sweeping around the globe and we can attempt to ride it and achieve great things or stand in its way and say tis not for me. But if we don’t ride it others will and instead of having a Roosevelt setting out a “New Deal” we will have other darker forces setting out their agenda.
Much as many in Scotland would like to be more independent of their neighbours south of the border, most realise that independence is not a credible policy unless England encourages them to do it. It is under Boris Johnson doing just that. The union makes economic, political and social sense though only if the constituent parts are allowed a fair voice and more autonomy.
@ Peter Hirst. “Much as many in Scotland would like to be more independent of their neighbours south of the border, most realise that independence is not a credible policy”. Are you sure of that , Peter ? In a recent poll published in ‘The Scotsman’, that isn’t the case, and the Scottish Greens, as well as the SNP, support Scottish Independence.
“Given a choice between a no-deal Brexit and an independent Scotland, there was a 54-46 lead for independence, up two points since April. The poll of 1,003 voters in Scotland carried out between Wednesday and Friday found 45% of people believe Scotland will be better off economically as an independent country within the EU rather than staying in the UK after Brexit. Just over a third (35%) disagreed while one in five (20%) said they did not know.” The Scotsman 13 October, 2019.
Interesting to note the Daily Express and Piers Morgan fiercely support the Union.
“Interesting to note the Daily Express and Piers Morgan fiercely support the Union.
For heaven’s sake. That really is a very silly point David. I mean, Nigel Farage and Nick Griffin support electoral reform you know. Makes you think, doesn’t it eh???
No! An idea isn’t responsible for who supports it.