Tuesday 10 February 2004

A population swap?

Professor Duguid makes some useful points about the plans to bring more immigrants into Scotland:
It would enable the government to avoid addressing the scandal of Scotland’s huge number of fit, unemployed people on welfare
I have no problem with people coming here who are willing to support themselves. The Herald (no direct link to the article) has a story today about a Latvian couple that have been told to leave the UK even although they can probably be here legally after 1st May. They don't want to live at the expense of the taxpayer and are keen to work:
They are both enthusiastic about the prospect of working, having been denied the opportunity since they came to Britain three years ago. Mr Suhotskis, who worked in the building trade in Latvia, buying and renovating properties, said he would find it easy to get a job in Glasgow.
So why is it "easy to get a job in Glasgow" when 20% of the city's population is on welfare? I say: Ship out all those fit, unemployed people in Glasgow to Eastern Europe and replace them with hard working and entrepreneurial folk from the Baltic countries.