General Politics Thread

[Carl Cort's Hamstring]

So the government has for years claimed that >100,000 students a year stay beyond the length of their original student visa. This number made up around a third of the total immigration figure on which the Tories based policy, whipped up the kind of xenophobic panic in the right-wing press that led to Brexit, and generally ripped up lives and families.

Well today, the ONS slightly revised that figure down to...

4,600

 

[strichener]

1 hour ago, Carl Cort's Hamstring said:

So the government has for years claimed that >100,000 students a year stay beyond the length of their original student visa. This number made up around a third of the total immigration figure on which the Tories based policy, whipped up the kind of xenophobic panic in the right-wing press that led to Brexit, and generally ripped up lives and families.

Well today, the ONS slightly revised that figure down to...

4,600

 

That would be the same ONS that provided the government with the  previously estimated number of 100,000?

[Carl Cort's Hamstring]

Just now, strichener said:

That would be the same ONS that provided the government with the  previously estimated number of 100,000?

A fair point. 

They also said that this might not necessarily affect the overall net migration on the basis that there might be other things that they've got completely wrong in the other direction to offset this change.

Inspiring.

[NotThePars]

Presumably the implicit point is that the government shouldn't set policy around an institution that can't get figures correct to even the nearest hundred thousand.

[Fullerene]

2 minutes ago, NotThePars said:

Presumably the implicit point is that the government shouldn't set policy around an institution that can't get figures correct to even the nearest hundred thousand.

This is just a dry run.

Once we leave the EU, an extra £35 million a week to the NHS will become 2 boxes of plasters and an extra pillow.

[NotThePars]

This is just a dry run.
Once we leave the EU, an extra £35 million a week to the NHS will become 2 boxes of plasters and an extra pillow.

Maybe we should nationalise the Premier League and run the country off the profits.

[Baxter Parp]

12 hours ago, Bully Wee Villa said:

 

That was a capitalist Labour Party. Corbyn is taking them in a different direction.

 

Aye Trident and Brexit.  So different.  Either way their wee video is a pack of lies and xenophobia. 

Edited August 24, 2017 by Baxter Parp

[strichener]

1 hour ago, Carl Cort's Hamstring said:

A fair point. 

They also said that this might not necessarily affect the overall net migration on the basis that there might be other things that they've got completely wrong in the other direction to offset this change.

Inspiring.

Who knew that counting people in and out of an island could be so difficult!  At least they tell us they are now counting.

[Baxter Parp]

1 hour ago, strichener said:

That would be the same ONS that provided the government with the  previously estimated number of 100,000?

No, it's based on actual evidence from a poll of 100m travellers.

https://www.ft.com/content/cd0da692-8820-11e7-bf50-e1c239b45787

Same ONS that prepare the data for GERS though.  Fucksake.

"The ONS also admitted this week it had underestimated how much foreign students pay in tuition fees to universities and colleges by up to £2.1bn a year"

Holy crap.

[strichener]

2 minutes ago, Baxter Parp said:

No, it's based on actual evidence from a poll of 100m travellers.

https://www.ft.com/content/cd0da692-8820-11e7-bf50-e1c239b45787

Same ONS that prepare the data for GERS though.  Fucksake.

"The ONS also admitted this week it had underestimated how much foreign students pay in tuition fees to universities and colleges by up to £2.1bn a year"

Holy crap.

I am not sure what you are disagreeing with here TBH.  The 4.600 is based on sampling of "exit checks" on 100m transits whilst the 100,000 was based on someone hitting a random number generator at Alton Towers.

[topcat(The most tip top)]

No, it's based on actual evidence from a poll of 100m travellers.
https://www.ft.com/content/cd0da692-8820-11e7-bf50-e1c239b45787
Same ONS that prepare the data for GERS though.  Fucksake.
"The ONS also admitted this week it had underestimated how much foreign students pay in tuition fees to universities and colleges by up to £2.1bn a year"
Holy crap.

That's £40,000,000 a week

Why don't we spend that on the NHS instead of not noticing it

[John Lambies Doos]

Presumably the implicit point is that the government shouldn't set policy around an institution that can't get figures correct to even the nearest hundred thousand.

 

Or that institution is so incompetent it really shouldn't exist anymore

 

[DeeTillEhDeh]

Momentum pushing some really misinformed shite about the SNP on Facebook and getting serious telts.

[trainspotter]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41045099

Mr Johnson said he pushed the point of political compromise to Libyan politicians.

He said: "I think the politicians need as it were to suppress their own selfish interests, compromise for the good of the country and get behind the UN plan."

Even taking into account that it's Boris, it's still a spectacular lack of self-awareness.

[Baxter Parp]

https://inews.co.uk/essentials/news/education/students-sitting-gcse-maths-needed-18-pass-year/

Students sitting GCSE maths only needed 18% to pass this year’s exam

Imagine if this was Scottish pupils.

[Granny Danger]

Conservatives under investigation over call centre use during election campaign.

http://news.sky.com/story/conservatives-under-investigation-over-call-centre-use-during-election-campaign-11004673

I thought this had been investigated and dismissed but apparently not.  

South Wales Police said they were carrying out an investigation of "scale and significance".

[Carl Cort's Hamstring]

I dislike George Osborne as much as the next right thinking person, but the incredibly vindictive war he's waging against Theresa May through the Standard is very entertaining.

https://www.standard.co.uk/comment/comment/evening-standard-comment-britain-must-welcome-international-students-a3620031.html?amp

Quote

In other words, the Home Office’s policy-making on immigration for the past seven years was based on wholly inaccurate information. 

Now the new Home Secretary, Amber Rudd — who is sensible and rational — has commissioned research into the economic benefit that foreign students bring to Britain and the damage that would be done by reducing their numbers. She should be congratulated.

[Jmothecat2]

I dislike George Osborne as much as the next right thinking person, but the incredibly vindictive war he's waging against Theresa May through the Standard is very entertaining.
https://www.standard.co.uk/comment/comment/evening-standard-comment-britain-must-welcome-international-students-a3620031.html?amp

In other words, the Home Office’s policy-making on immigration for the past seven years was based on wholly inaccurate information. 

Now the new Home Secretary, Amber Rudd — who is sensible and rational — has commissioned research into the economic benefit that foreign students bring to Britain and the damage that would be done by reducing their numbers. She should be congratulated.

Yeah no fan of Osborne either but it has been great. Tbh the premiership of May shows the different levels of Toryism and whilst I am still unhappy with a lot that Cameron and Osborne did it's clear that they weren't as bad as a lot on the Tory party are.

[Crùbag]

Corbyn's visit to Scotland aint exactly set the heather aflame. And not knowing that we have our own system of law?

 

[NotThePars]

Saw somedy suggest that Corbyn was referring to the ECJ. Don't have a clue myself as I haven't followed the visit too closely apart from his visit to Kittys.