Council tax 'rises for migrants'

harryaldridge · 08-08-2006, 08:33 AM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5255038.stm

Quote:

Sharp council tax rises may be needed in the next few years to fund housing and education for immigrant families, says the Local Government Association.

The LGA, which represents local authorities in England and Wales, says rises of 6% on top of inflation-related increases may be needed in some places.

It says councils do not get enough cash to fund the services because official figures under-estimate migrant levels.

But ministers say funding is fair and based on the best figures available.

The claims come after Home Secretary John Reid called on Sunday for a migration advisory committee to recommend an "optimum" level of immigration.

'Invisible population'

LGA chairman Sandy Bruce-Lockhart has written to Mr Reid asking if he has asked for more accurate immigration figures to be compiled and, if so, when they will become available.

Figures on migration to the UK are provided to the Home Office by the Office for National Statistics.

But the decision on how much money to allocate each local authority to pay for services to immigrant families based on these figures is taken by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).

In his letter Lord Bruce-Lockhart says: "Working migrants have become an invisible population whose children need school places, who need to be housed appropriately and in some cases need social services. Official statistics have failed to reflect this.

"Unless accurate, up-to-date figures on migration are produced so that the proper funding to councils can be reflected, this could pose severe problems in the future as services get cut, or council tax has to rise disproportionately for growing migrant population."

He cited the example of Slough, Berkshire, where officials figures put the number of immigrants far lower than the number the local authority believes has settled in the area - and where he council chiefs say a 6% council tax surcharge could be needed over the next five years.

Official estimates put the number settling in Slough in 2004 at just 300 but there were 9,000 new National Insurance registrations in the town that year - only 150 of which were for British nationals.

Lord Bruce-Lockhart said it was "unacceptable" that more accurate figures were not available.

Providing accurate figures was the joint responsibility of the Home Office and the DCLG, he said.

In his letter, he also asked Mr Reid to indicate what the government's policy would be towards Romania and Bulgaria, which are due to join the EU next year.

He said Britain was one of only three existing EU countries to allow unlimited immigration from the last wave of countries to join the union, including Poland and the Czech Republic.

The DCLG said it was working with the best figures it had to make sure grants to local authorities were fair and based on the best possible data.

The Home Office said it did not comment on private correspondence.

I hope UKIP starts shouting loudly today!!!

ops:

mkpdavies · 08-08-2006, 09:27 AM

Normally you are supposed to feel smug when you are proven right.

Why is it I feel like a hollow shell?

John Page · 08-08-2006, 09:52 AM

If UKIP had got down to coherent policy themes, we could be knitting together our themes of leaving the EU, controlled immigration, and lower taxes.

But we haven't, because among the current failing leadership only David Bannerman recognises the need for any policy strategy at all, and he has shown no grip on implementation.

With enemies like UKIP, who needs friends?

Aardvark · 08-08-2006, 10:11 AM

I feel the same. For years and years I have sat and watched as we have been lied to and the figures distorted for political gain. I have been vilified as a racist for daring to speak my mind, even when all I've done is suggest that there isn't enough room in the south of England or that water resources are scarce.

Now suddenly we are right. What political advantage is there in that? The answer will be in Labour's private polling which probably shows the BNP set to take several seats across Labour's heartlands. Reid is making the right sounds, but we all know that it is too little too late.

There has no doubt been an estimate of how many Bulgarians and Romanians are going to come here. They are poorer and less developed than the 10 previous accession countries. Look how many Albanians are here and their countries - Albania, Kosovo (Serbia) and Macedonia - aren't in the EU. A survey of Turks found that 45% expect to emigrate in search of work when they join the EU (about 40 million). If half the population of Bulgaria and Romania decide to up sticks and only ourselves, Sweden and Ireland will take them it doesn't bode well at all. We could get 5 million in the next 12 months. If they have the same respect for law and order that the Albanians have then we will all be burgled and assaulted.

I think Reid is leading up to the declaration that we won't accept Bulgarians and Romanians. If we do then the country will collapse.

The government has also started to do the maths. If they don't give money to local authorities then the authorities will have to raise the money themselves. Government caps local authority spending which means a cut in services. The NHS will not get any more funding, which will mean a cut in services - to add to the cuts we are already experiencing. We will have gridlock (no new roads), trains too expensive to catch, power cuts (no new power stations) and water shortages (rationing in the south east) and millions of unemployed - we have 1.6 million unemployed (1 million claiming benefits) and the rate is increasing. There will be a housing shortage the like of which this country has never experienced - the government is already talking of seizing houses that are empty for more than 6 months of the year (this in a property based society). There is no capacity to build the houses in the south east that Prescott was pushing for - there really isn't enough water and God doesn't seem interested in increasing the supply.

Of course it might turn out okay if enough Brits can be persuaded to leave, but the situation in Spain and France, where the Brits are going, is getting worse. The south of Spain is full and is rapidly turning to desert - there is real talk of not allowing people to fill their pools. Many Brits are looking to come back and Spanish property prices are falling.

Apocalypse now! :roll:

The Government knows that the next GE, if held at the same time as the Euro elections, could see BNP taking Labour seats. We need to be organised so that we can take the Eurosceptic votes in Europe.

John Page · 08-08-2006, 10:29 AM

Yes and we should be - ahem - in pole position to lead this debate, with our positions on these issues already well known to the public.

But we're not. That's because the present leadership - including the exalted Farage - have the strategic vision of a short-sighted flea.

08-08-2006, 09:27 AM	#2 (permalink)
mkpdavies Uber Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Woking Posts: 30,604	Normally you are supposed to feel smug when you are proven right. Why is it I feel like a hollow shell? __________________ http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/ http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/ http://lpuk.org My ignore list Labour, Blue Labour, Lib Dems

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08-08-2006, 09:52 AM	#3 (permalink)
John Page Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Welwyn Hatfield (Herts.) Posts: 1,878	If UKIP had got down to coherent policy themes, we could be knitting together our themes of leaving the EU, controlled immigration, and lower taxes. But we haven't, because among the current failing leadership only David Bannerman recognises the need for any policy strategy at all, and he has shown no grip on implementation. With enemies like UKIP, who needs friends?

08-08-2006, 10:11 AM	#4 (permalink)
Aardvark Moderator Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Oxonia Posts: 3,760	I feel the same. For years and years I have sat and watched as we have been lied to and the figures distorted for political gain. I have been vilified as a racist for daring to speak my mind, even when all I've done is suggest that there isn't enough room in the south of England or that water resources are scarce. Now suddenly we are right. What political advantage is there in that? The answer will be in Labour's private polling which probably shows the BNP set to take several seats across Labour's heartlands. Reid is making the right sounds, but we all know that it is too little too late. There has no doubt been an estimate of how many Bulgarians and Romanians are going to come here. They are poorer and less developed than the 10 previous accession countries. Look how many Albanians are here and their countries - Albania, Kosovo (Serbia) and Macedonia - aren't in the EU. A survey of Turks found that 45% expect to emigrate in search of work when they join the EU (about 40 million). If half the population of Bulgaria and Romania decide to up sticks and only ourselves, Sweden and Ireland will take them it doesn't bode well at all. We could get 5 million in the next 12 months. If they have the same respect for law and order that the Albanians have then we will all be burgled and assaulted. I think Reid is leading up to the declaration that we won't accept Bulgarians and Romanians. If we do then the country will collapse. The government has also started to do the maths. If they don't give money to local authorities then the authorities will have to raise the money themselves. Government caps local authority spending which means a cut in services. The NHS will not get any more funding, which will mean a cut in services - to add to the cuts we are already experiencing. We will have gridlock (no new roads), trains too expensive to catch, power cuts (no new power stations) and water shortages (rationing in the south east) and millions of unemployed - we have 1.6 million unemployed (1 million claiming benefits) and the rate is increasing. There will be a housing shortage the like of which this country has never experienced - the government is already talking of seizing houses that are empty for more than 6 months of the year (this in a property based society). There is no capacity to build the houses in the south east that Prescott was pushing for - there really isn't enough water and God doesn't seem interested in increasing the supply. Of course it might turn out okay if enough Brits can be persuaded to leave, but the situation in Spain and France, where the Brits are going, is getting worse. The south of Spain is full and is rapidly turning to desert - there is real talk of not allowing people to fill their pools. Many Brits are looking to come back and Spanish property prices are falling. Apocalypse now! :roll: The Government knows that the next GE, if held at the same time as the Euro elections, could see BNP taking Labour seats. We need to be organised so that we can take the Eurosceptic votes in Europe.

08-08-2006, 10:29 AM	#5 (permalink)
John Page Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Welwyn Hatfield (Herts.) Posts: 1,878	Yes and we should be - ahem - in pole position to lead this debate, with our positions on these issues already well known to the public. But we're not. That's because the present leadership - including the exalted Farage - have the strategic vision of a short-sighted flea.