Quote Originally Posted by jon1959 View Post
It is nothing to do with record levels of immigration - all to do with the character and beliefs of Nigel Farage.

And I don't see the irony. In my opinion (based on everything I have read and heard) Farage is a racist, and Corbyn is not an anti semite.

Different cases, different evidence and different judgements. That is just my informed opinion. You have another opinion. It happens.

I do agree that immigration, changes to population, demands on public services and housing, and everything else related to those questions should be debated - and it is an important issue in the election. I don't think that the necessary information about social and economic costs and benefits has been put out there. The contributions (skills, taxes, jobs) seem to be missing whilst the demands on services and homes is put in lights. I have little sympathy for conservative angst about cultural change, but I agree that as a society we need to understand and take a position on how or if we should absorb high levels of net immigration. To do that we need to get under the headline figures.

We are a rich country with massive inequalities of wealth and life opportunities. We can afford to build more houses and hospitals if we need them, but governments and their supporters have different priorities and make different choices.

Of course there are other parts to the picture too. If all our criminal (Sext Beast) pensioners who have decamped to Spain were made to come home and depend on the NHS it would break the system even more! I wonder if Farage supports 0% emigration as well as 0% immigration?
For what it's worth I think neither Corbyn or Farage are racist. It is effectively illegal to be so. Both could and would have been arrested. I do think both flirt with the idea and both get caught up in two common contemporary mistruths; that being concerned about high immigration is racist and that criticising Israel is antisemitic. Neither are true. In both cases I think they can be a little guilty of turning a blind eye too, and associating themselves at times with people they shouldnt.

But fundamentally, the topic raised is critical to our country, particularly those at the poorer end of the spectrum who typically compete in terms of housing, jobs and even cultural space. The wealthier typically benefit more from high immigration, increased demand being great for landlords or business owners for example.

I do generally think the left have dropped a bollock on this and we've seen that across the world really. I think Labour will learn pretty sharpish how key sustainable migration is to service delivery and community cohesion etc. I really hope so, or else people will likely look elsewhere.