Hopefuls’ immigration views
Critics have said that successive governments have failed on immigration. What are your views on this issue?
PAUL ROGAN, UKIP, CALDER VALLEY
Not only failed but failed miserably. I would like to see a points- based immigration system as presently used in Australia to slash the volume of migration.
ALISDAIR MCGREGOR, LIBERAL DEMOCRATS, CALDER VALLEY
The critics are wrong. The UK’s only failures on immigration lie in not attracting more highly-skilled and dedicated immigrants to our shores. Immigration to the UK is driven by the strength of our economy and the fairness of our society. We should be proud to be a nation that offers opportunities for everyone to get on in life. A world where capital is mobile but people aren’t would be both poorer and less free.
JENNY SHEPHERD, GREEN PARTY, CALDER VALLEY
Migrating from your home country to another is not an easy or simple life decision - people migrate for a wide range of complex reasons. Migrants contribute hugely to our economy, society and culture. Problems associated with big influxes of immi- grants to specific areas result from government’s failure to enforce employment law and to invest adequately in public services, and councils’ failures to properly regulate houses in multiple occupancy. Scapegoating immigrants for problems of “austerity” isn’t going to solve anything.
CRAIG WHITTAKER, CONSERVATIVE, CALDER VALLEY
Immigration comes in two parts. Those from outside the EU and freedom of movement within the EU. The former has massively reduced under this Government. However we cannot control freedom of movement within the EU at present. As a country we need a conversation about our membership of the EU and what this entails. The Conservatives are the only party who can and will give the British people a referendum on our membership of the EU.
LABOUR, CALDER VALLEY
I refuse to be drawn into a race to the bottom on immigration. However, I also recognise it’s an area where a lot of people have strong feelings on the issue. Often rogue employers will use immigration to drive down wages. Labour will tackle this issue. We will ban recruitment agencies only recruiting overseas to undercut wages. Some industries bring people in because of skills shortages as is necessary. We will make those employers take on a British apprentice.
JOE STEAD, WORLD PEACE THROUGH SONG, CALDER VALLEY
Not only are there too many people in Britain, there are too many people on the planet. The problem of course will only be exacerbated as the years roll on. Australia, where one of my daughters now resides as an Australian citizen, uses a points system which makes more sense than just allowing anybody to waltz into a country willy-nilly. So a tightening up of the immigration laws would be sensible. Just how a government can, or will, go about this remains to be seen.
MOHAMMAD ILYAS, LIBERAL DEMOCRATS, HALIFAX
Liberal Democrats believe Britain must be open for business and growth but closed to people who abuse the system. Britain needs more students and more visitors to come to help our economy grow. We will encourage people to visit Britain, learn in Britain and contribute to Britain. We will say yes to doctors, experts, entrepreneurs and investors. But we will say no to criminals, traffickers and those who refuse to play by the rules.
HOLLY WALKER-LYNCH, LABOUR, HALIFAX
I have been disappointed to learn that even now, we are having to recruit skilled workers, from nurses to bricklayers, from across Europe because we are failing to invest in training the next generation here in the UK. I want to see us bridge the skills gap and take a pragmatic approach to immigration. We have seen some employers underpaying low-skilled migrant workers, which drives down wages and undercuts local workers which is unacceptable. The Labour government has pledged to clamp down on the exploitation of migrant workers and ban recruitment agencies that only recruit from overseas.
PHILIP ALLOTT, CONSERVATIVE, HALIFAX
Since 2010, net migration from the EU has doubled and further urgent work is needed to crack down on the abuse of EU free movement of people. The Conservatives will continue to do more to make the system fairer and more controlled by delivering the toughest system on welfare for EU migrants anywhere in Europe and reducing the number of workers coming here when new countries join the EU. We are also further strengthening the rules for people coming from outside the EU.