This is one of the classic grievances expressed in support of populist anti immigration agendas. I’ve seen quite a lot of these types of comments in the last few months especially since the new government made cuts to l pensioners’ winter fuel allowances and hiked taxes including expanding inheritance tax and increasing National Insurance contributions.
It is worth me saying up front that I did not vote for this government, in fact there is much about it that I don’t like. I particularly disagree with its recent tax decisions and whilst I think pensions along with social care need serious systemic reform, I thought that the cut to winter fuel allowance was cack handed to say the least.
However, it is important to double check those claims about foreigners. I think there can be a narrative along the lines that there are people out there to blame for why we think we are struggling and 9 times out of 10 in the world of politics it’s the foreigner who gets blamed.
So, here are some crucial facts.
- The overseas aid bill comes to around about £8 billion
- The UK had 67000 asylum claims in 2023. The peak was about 85000 in 2022.
- Small boat crossings peaked at 45000 in 2022..
- The large numbers for net migration into the UK include about 250,000 non EU students on visas.
- The biggest number of immigrants come in on work visas.
- The UK welfare bill is about £286 billion. The largest proportion, about £168 billion goes on the pension bill.
- The UK health budget is £202 billion.
- The UK will spend about £54 billion on defence this year.
- Meanwhile the UK also spends about £26 billion on railways and £6 billion on national roads.
There may be big pressures and challenges on how the UK taxes and spends but we need to stay clear of shallow and simply untrue explanations that blame our fiscal problems on asylum, immigration.and foreign aid.
Faithroots 