It is a quiet night at Real Man (Monday always is) and so I am sitting here with two staff who are working away while I write. And so in wanders this old crone who says “I am from Bulgaria and have no money”. I rather sense that this will become an increasingly poor way for her to start a conversation.
The deal is that she cannot find work in the UK so would like those that do have work to give her some money. Hmmm so the two immigrants who are sitting here with me earning just above the minimum wage should hand over some of their after tax earnings to someone who came to the UK with the intention of begging and who will after January 1 supplement their begging income with welfare paid out of those taxes.
My response: if you cannot find a job in the UK you should go back to Bulgaria. Is that a bit harsh?
No. I believe in unlimited immigration (I am such a frigging tree hugger) but no welfare payments until you have paid five years taxes (I’d apply the same rule to the begging home-grown Jeremy Kyle class too). But begging is a crime. In my book – three strikes on that count are you are out. Why the hell should I give any of my after tax income earned by working my nuts off to folks who opt not to work or, worse, have moved to the UK with the explicit intention of not working?
Now what sort of “ist” does that make me?
a) a racist
b) a class-ist
c) a nationalist
d) a realist?
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