Bahtatboy

Of course they're not being given first opportunity. That would be racial discrimination. If two people apply for a job, one British the other foreign, they have equal opportunity, neither has first opportunity.

Eeyore

So what you're saying is that British companies should ideally be required to hire British people even if they're not the best of the candidates who applied for the job? The fact that they're British should automatically override other considerations like qualifications and experience?

Bahtatboy

So now you've progressed to taking my quote of what UKIP said and turning it into my advocacy of it. You really shouldn't be allowed out.

Eeyore

Ah, so you agree that it would be a terrible idea? There's hope for you yet. Maybe.

Eeyore

And Farage's discomfort at being asked probing questions by well-briefed journalists continues...

James O'Brien interviews Nigel Farage on LBC Radio

scrubbedexpat141

You seem more interested in playing the man rather than the game.

Just an observation.

Meow

A couple of questions.

Do any posters really believe that non-British workers are being given first dibs at getting a job?

If so, is that not the fault of the specific employers rather than the government or political party?

I'm curious.

Bahtatboy

As to the 1st question--probably only in limited circumstances where unscrupulous employers seek to take advantage of foreign workers who are probably less aware of their employment rights than are British workers, and/or may be willing to work for less. Which leads to the second question: no, I don't think it is the policy of the govt or either political party in power.

The bigger question is: should it be? The govt already discriminates--legitimately--between EU citizens and non-EU citizens. So, a line is already drawn in the sand--what UKIP appear to be advocating (I think) is that the line should be drawn closer to home, basically on British beaches. Which, in line with UKIP's basis premise, is that we should be out of Europe, and therefore all foreigners would be treated the same (or similar). Every country I've ever worked in has just that policy--foreigners don't have the right to work there unless special dispensation is given, and in many cases my potential employer has had to prove that I have a skill set that is not available amongst that country's citizens.

Whether or not we should be going down that route I'm undecided about. On the one hand I'm an "internationalist", who believes that each country should concentrate on what its good at and, in theory, employ the people who are best placed to deliver. I witnessed first hand the effects of Japan's refusal to allow foreign rice imports--and, perversely, the effects when they relented. Both sets of effects had negative and positive aspects. America's continued (I think) like protection of its peanut industry is (or was) equally counter-productive to free trade. But on the other hand, government's first responsibility is to its own people--and in times of high unemployment, allowing foreigners in to take our jobs doesn't seem right.

shiraz1

And the rights of those Brits who live or work in The EU just go down the tubes?

Bahtatboy

That would be the corollary.

Eeyore

In other words, you're calling "Unfair!" when Farage's own words and deeds are turned against him by journalists who are properly briefed and won't softball him the way so many other journalists do?

Eeyore

Anyone unhappy with Farage actually facing some vaguely rigorous interviewing will be relieved to hear his appearance with John Humphrys on R4's Today programme earlier this morning.

Personally, I lasted eight minutes. It began with mutual chuckling and probably finished with a handjob.

scrubbedexpat141

britexpat76

shiraz1

Tom Mludzinski ‏@tom_ComRes
Having our immigration cake? 58% say Brits should be free to live/work anywhere in EU, 38% think ppl from EU shld be free to live/work in UK

What a surprise