Interestingly a much delayed Government study into the effect that the EU is having on the UK has just been released.
It should have been released nearly a year ago however the Government thought it was too pro-Europe & had parts of it re-written then delayed as it might impact the European elections.
So we now have the much more (in the Conservative Party's eyes) balanced viewpoint.
It might surprise the euro-skeptics that phrases & facts like this remain then...
It quotes estimates that suggest there are 2.3m Europeans living in the UK - and up to 2.2m British citizens living in Europe.
That is a 'wash' as far as the huge number of Johnny foreigner that have supposed to infect the Islands then..
"The impact of the labour market is considered across a range of different sectors, including manufacturing, engineering, legal services, agriculture, hospitality, financial service and health care; and with regards to highly skilled, low skilled and regulated professions.
Manufacturing was another area considered in the report
"The effects are viewed as largely positive, providing a wide range of skilled labour and opportunities for UK workers and their employers in other member states."
Ah, again we go there as well then!!
It does not identify benefit tourism as a big problem, citing evidence which suggests most Europeans come here to work and have a strong work ethic, and are less likely to rely on state hand-outs than Britons.
Enough said..
In its evidence, the National Farmers Union said: "UK agriculture and horticulture has benefitted greatly from the free movement rights of workers...the impact has been large and positive.
"It has alleviated skills shortages and provided a welcome source of energetic and motivated workers eager to undertake work that is not being filled by the resident labour force."
Yes waste of time asking British benefit claimants to go out & work on the land..
So there you have the main points of the not too favourable EU study then...
Difficult to see much UKIP ammunition there. But I guess fear-mongering & rampant nationalism rarely needs to concern itself with the actual facts of the matter..
