colchar

They have demanded even more money from member countries, allegedly for youth employment and to help the Ukraine so it doesn't look like they learned anything from the results.

Shard

Racism in the UK is in the news this week:

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2...ise-in-britain

Some good graphics in the feature.

Shard

Although, that's 1.8/435 MN compared to 2.3/65 MN so the traffic is a bit heavier on the island.

jimf

Farage was interviewed by some Canadian on the radio the other day. Obviously she was trying to nail him for being a rascist etc but didn't really seem to get any traction. She even seemed not to understand that anyone from anywhere in the EU could move to the UK without any checks eg criminal etc. Farage should have explained to her that the equivalent situation for Canada would be, having signed up to NAFTA involving 3 countries for free trade, NAFTA turned into a federal AU project including all the central american countries with anyone from places like Honduras and Mexico being able to freely move to and work in Canada or claim Canadian benefits.

Shard

Impressive analogy ! Never looked it at that way.

Oakvillian

I heard that - it was Carol Off on As It Happens, wasn't it? I thought she was surprisingly ill-prepared (they normally have pretty good researchers on that show) and he, conversely, knew exactly what he was likely to be asked and what his talking points were. I'd put it more strongly than "not getting any traction" - she was completely outmanouevred (God, that's hard to write when referring to Farage).

jimf

I was being generous to her really but I didn't hear the start of the interview. She went the same way as Cleggy.........

Novocastrian

No, the 1.8M is only the Brits abroad within the EU. Not the total number of EU citizens living in countries other than their homeland. e.g. a significant fraction of the younger working populations of Spain, Italy and Portugal are currently resident in Germany.

Shard

The only time Farage was really outmanoeuvred was about two weeks ago on LBC FM by James O'Brien. If you like hearing the UKIP Man squirm, that is the interview to listen to. I had the pleasure of listening to it live!

Shard

Those EU citizens from Southern Europe are not really Brits though, are they.

Novocastrian

My point, as I expect you already know, is that your ratios of Brits abroad and total EU population compared to total EUs in the UK is comparing grapes to pomegranates.

Shard

Yes of course. Just pointing the differing immigration density between the more prosperous parts for Europe and the less prosperous. In theory that's a fundamental purpose of the union (wealth equalisation) but in practice it's a question of pace.

Novocastrian

I imagine that your hypothesis is right, but hardly surprising. However, I don't think it reflects a desire for wealth equalization but rather the obvious truth that people from the less prosperous regions are more prepared to do the dirty work in more prosperous regions compared to the locals. Win-win innit?

Shard

Such cynicism !

Novocastrian

Moi?