Quote:
Originally Posted by OLD BOY
How will this address the issue that was so often raised at the referendum that immigrants were stealing lower paid jobs and pushing wage levels down?
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The problem is that the evidence seems to suggest that the drive down of wages is very small and less than a couple of percent for the lowest skilled jobs only. The effect on high skilled workers is to push wages up. As is often the case, it's feelings over evidence that wins.
Of course, you have to ask why immigration levels have been so high where we do control immigration? Also, why have we not made any effort to control immigration of EU migrants using the rules available to us? Is it lack of will, lack of money or do successive governments approve of the levels secretly?
If it's will, we have to question the competence of successive governments. If it's lack of money, the post Brexit arrangements will cost more so that doesn't solve anything. If our governments over the years internally want immigration, we strongly have to ask what benefit this is to the UK and what might we lose without free movement.