Enlargement Matters

Bruno Waterford The Daily Telegraph Brussels correspondent reports today that more than half of Britons are opposed to EU enlargement after the latest round of expansion triggered a massive influx of migrant workers, according to a new poll.

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The European Commission's Eurobarometer shows that for the first time a majority of the British people, 51 per cent, is against the EU's eastwards expansion. The number of opponents has jumped by nine points over the last six months. Only 36per cent now support enlargement and 13 per cent are undecided.

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It is hardly surprising that EU Commission officials blame public alarm over immigration as 437,000 migrants flocked to Britain after Eastern European countries such as Poland joined the EU in May 2004. Initial British government estimates had put the total of expected migrants at only 13,000. Only 36 per cent of Britons were against enlargement in the autumn 2004, according to surveys held at the time.

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The editor of this blog commented on the BBC in July 2004 that the governments had no idea of the number of immigrants entering the EU and thus could not predict what numbers would arrive from Eastern Europe in the next few years. Along with other commentators making the same point he was derided as alarmist and racist by 'little Europeans'. Both comments were vigorously denied both at the time and subsequently.

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Britain was forced to impose restrictions on workers from Bulgaria and Romania, when both countries join the EU on 1 January. Though 'self employed' workers will not face (as we understand the rules) restrictions on entry, despite asking the question to the Government as to how self employed workers will be controlled, we are still none the wiser (probably because we did not get a reply).

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Perhaps the Federation of Small Businesses may want to take up the issue - which will be an interesting exercise since it has a policy of not replying to the editor of this Blog's questions. However they may, possibly, respond to each other's communications - two negatives making a positive as it were.
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Anyway, much to the dismay of our EU masters the UK Government's restrictions on Bulgarians and Rumanians, is in contradiction to the 'open borders' ethos. Thus the UK is being accused of not entering into the sprit of 'the (EU) project'.

The EU enlargement issue has very much damaged the EU in the eyes of the British people, with opposition to membership up three points and negative perceptions of Brussels rising seven points, reports The Daily Telegraph today.

The reaction to all this from Her Majesty's Government (and supported in effect by the Loyal Opposition), will undoubtedly be to spend vast sums of British taxpayers money on 're-educating' the British people. Thus is how we are now governed.