Are you suggesting every person who is Leigh born works hard and all immigrants are claiming benefits ?

I don't think we should steryotype anyone just because of where they happen to have been born.

Maybe I am missing your point.

Well I am not a young man anymore but we have had immigration into this country and emigration since I was a little lad.

I remember the late Enoch Powell arranging large immigration into the UK of West Indians to do jobs British people did not want and that was in the fifties when he was employment minister.

I also remember the mass relocation of Asians to the UK from Uganda when Idi Amin was Dictator of Uganda.

For me I don't see immigration as a good or bad thing as it is a fact of life for most countries with developed economies.

Through the course of my life I have met people from various countries and have quite a few friends from and in other countries. It is not ones nationality that matters to most' I think it is down to the way people conduct themselves.

On a per person basis, immigrants from Eastern Europe contribute more in tax and consume less in public services than the UK average.

This isn't a myth....

House of Parliament Monday 2nd September
The house 'Took Note' of European Union Document No 9124/13 namely a draft directive designed to prevent discrimination against EU nationals seeking work in other member states.
'Took Note' means that the document was debated by our politicians for exactly ZERO seconds !!!
The British Government will be required to provide ''adequate judicial or administrative means of redress to EU immigrants who can show that they have suffered discrimination, ie a tax payer funded compensation scheme. It will also have to designate a body or bodies for promotion and support of equal treatment.
This means a taxpayer funded quango to help EU workers bidding to beat British workers to job vacancies and make sure that their family members can fully access our welfare state.
The final substantive duty contained in the draft is for Britain to ''disseminate information on free movement rights'' that is to actively let EU workers know that they are more than welcome to come and compete for jobs.
All this attracted not a word of scrutiny from our Lib Dem / Labour / Conservative reps in the Commons.
FIGURES ISSUED UP TO MARCH S SHOW THAT THE EUROZONE CRISIS HAS LED TO A BIG UPSURGE IN MIGRANTS ARRIVING FROM SPAIN (+50%) GREECE(+44%)PORTUGAL(+43%) FROM JANUARY 2014 THESE SO CALLED EURO REFUGEES WILL BE SUPLEMENTED BY A TIDAL WAVE OF MIGRANTS FOR ROMANIA AND BULGARIA, ALL KEEN TO EXPLOIT THEIR NEW UNRESTRICTED ACCESS TO OUR WELFARE SYSTEM.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT ?

Again, sorry to let the facts get in the way of a good headline but there is no "unrestricted access to our welfare system" -

UK law

- For contributory benefits, such as contribution-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, entitlement is based on whether a claimant has satisfied the contribution requirements and other conditions for the benefit, regardless of nationality.

- For income-related benefits, such as Income-Based Jobseekers Allowance, however, all claimants must satisfy the so-called Habitual Residence Test before they can claim means-tested benefits. The Habitual Residence Test has two elements: a legal right to reside and an objective assessment of habitual residence. A person has a ‘right to reside’ if they:

> are a British Citizen or have the right of abode in the UK; or

> have leave to remain in the UK under UK Immigration rules; or

> have a right to reside under EU law

This is much stricter than, say, Germany or The Netherlands, so much so that the EU is challenging it but is unlikely to be able to overturn the policy.

Which is why, as I said earlier, EU immigrants are net contributors to the Treasury coffers!

We will have to agree to disagree then!

I had a food processing business in Ireland with 15 employees doing hard, manual work on irregular shifts but well paid.

The only local guy there was the GM, all the other employees were Polish despite there being 30% youth unemployment in the town. They were flexible, intelligent and able to work on their own initiative and I had no complaints.

The local guys were on very generous benefits packages and did not want to do the hard work for what they considered to be little gain.

The Polish guys wanted to work hard and long to set themselves up for life.

I suppose our personal experiences shape our perceptions so, as I said, let's agree to disagree!

A few years ago a local junior school was having to deal with teaching kids with 14 different native languages

That was a fact

I'm sorry but I don't believe it.

What school and which languages?

Leytheeze
Athertonianeeze
Bongseeze
PlattWazeese
Abrameeze
Hindleyeeze
even the odd one with Wiganeeze (but we shan't mention them in case it hurts some peoples sensibilities)
to name but a few

There are a number of eastern Europeans living close to me and they come across as lazy and arrogant. As previously stated they are not here for work just the benefits. They are having kids year by year as a means of further income. They are not interested in integrating and live their life to their own standards which is far below what is normal for this country. Also in the area there a many British low life's who do not work and have no intention of doing so. These people are only interested in drugs and alcohol and are a blight on society. The situation will not improve as long as there is a dearth of jobs in the area and private landlords let their rented properties to turn areas into slums.

Well that school is to be applauded. There is a 2 year old living across from me whose mother is from Poland. Her dad is English. The little girl speaks to her mam in Polish and her dad in English.

The parents both work. BTW her mam speaks English too. And to me too as does her little girl.

How much would a single person get for coming to the UK' not working' getting bladdered all day and living rent free ?

No wonder they come in their hundreds of thousands, give over. We have a great country folk don't just come here to drink all day do nothing all day apart from producing kids into the world so they can drink more.

Fourteen different languages do me a favour. When I have been to Toulouse to watch Leigh I have to order the drinks in the bar. " Gee us 6 pints lad et vite. " We always get them.

Live and let live.

As I put 14 different native languages, which must make teaching ' English ' subjects problematic for ' home ' students

Not making an issue of it, just a simple fact

The issue isn't the ones who work it's the ones who don't , and these don't tend to be the poles but other migrants
The problems created by landlords and councils in the density of location is ruining areas, as these same areas are used to dump the local scum as well
It is logical that the cheaper housing attracts the rentals and we have a nimby attitude to the problem, with the people least effected often being the most supportive of the Christian/socialist rose tinted view of the problem
I believe benefits are earned and watching our town lose its pride and culture to spongers of all races and creeds has led me to believe that no cash should change hands but the basics of life be provided and controlled ie food bought, heat light and clothes provided for anyone claiming more than 6 months or contributing less tha 20 years