Let Australians live and work in Britain: London mayor Boris Johnson backs migration report

[webfact]

Let Australians live and work in Britain: London mayor Boris Johnson backs migration report
Nick Miller

SYDNEY: -- Australians would find it easier and cheaper to live and work in Britain under proposals in a new report backed by London mayor Boris Johnson.

Mr Johnson said he hoped the scheme would reverse the dramatic drop in Australian migration to Britain – from 40,000 in 1999 to 26,000 in 2011.

Mr Johnson was due to launch the report, How to Solve a Problem Like a Visa, in the British Parliament on Monday morning.

He - and the report - propose a "bilateral mobility zone" agreement between Australia and Britain, modelled on the trans-Tasman agreement between Australia and New Zealand.

Any Australian or New Zealander who wanted to travel to, live and work in Britain would get a free visa – although they would not get immediate access to welfare support.

The same would apply for British citizens who wanted to work in Australia.

"Extra Brits would never be seen as alien," the report predicted.

"Nor would Aussies or Kiwis in Britain. The issue may come down to political climates and the resulting political will.

"It would certainly allow a greater flourishing of our common unity.

"The UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand share the same head of state, the same language and the same common-law legal system. Critically, they are all highly economically developed democracies and there is also a distinct common culture and familial bond between them.

Full story: http://www.theage.com.au/world/let-australians-live-and-work-in-britain-london-mayor-boris-johnson-backs-migration-report-20141103-11fwfn.html


-- The Age 2014-11-03

[JockPieandBeans]

Mr Johnson

For some unfathonable reason, you are being touted as the next leader of the Con Party.

A tip for you.

If there is jobs available in the UK, then train all the workshy, lazy barstewards currently in the UK to do those jobs and get them off the welfare bill.

When those claiming jobseekers allowance has been reduced to almost zero, if there is still a need for people to fill jobs, then you can start with selected migration.

Sort out the basics and the rest will follow.

[Andrew65]

Why should Britain discriminate against our Aussie cousins anyway, when it seems like the dregs of the third world can rock-up & claim "the right to a family life", and screw the system for every penny. (With 'uman rights lawyers also probably being at public expense). There are currently thousands near Calais desperate to reach El-Dorado.

To quote Richard Littlejohn: "If you made this stuff up no one would believe you!".

To any Aussies who think you have a problem with immigration, take a look at the mother-country, especially after the ultra-liberal-lefties (AKA the Labour Party) have had their turn at the trough.

Any doubters/naysayers can reference the crime section of the London Evening Standard.

Lastly, before I get accused of hypocracy. I have lived in Thailand for fifteen years, and never once claimed a penny in state benefits (I neither want to, or would be allowed to anyway). I work outside Thailand anyway, currently northern Iraq

[RustBucket]

Mr Johnson

For some unfathonable reason, you are being touted as the next leader of the Con Party.

A tip for you.

If there is jobs available in the UK, then train all the workshy, lazy barstewards currently in the UK to do those jobs and get them off the welfare bill.

When those claiming jobseekers allowance has been reduced to almost zero, if there is still a need for people to fill jobs, then you can start with selected migration.

Sort out the basics and the rest will follow.

Actually, by removing a lot of the EU migrant labour, then unemployment will drop and wages will rise again making it a viable alternative to get a job, because at the moment, a large section of the public are actually better off financially being out of work, than being in work.

In the years since the floodgates opened, the average salary has dropped by 14% while big business has exploited this cheap labour from eastern Europe.

It's not a matter of lazy or workshy, it is being 'undercut' by cheap workers that is creating the problems. Couple that with vast rent increases in the private rental sector. Because of the migrant labour who will share a 3 bed house with 15 others.

People can't easily get a mortgage these days, making private rental their only other option. So if you had kids, no home of your own and limited skills, you would definitely be better off unemployed and you can't blame them for that, because the government were the ones who put them in that situation.

In the early to mid 80s when unemployment was at 3 million, then the UK started to prosper, the economy grew, we had a housing boom thanks to Thatcher. By the late 90s Britain was booming and unemployment dropped to 750,000 all by itself, because there were plenty of jobs and decent wages.

You know the rest.... Labour got into power, inherited the biggest war chest for 100 years and blew the lot, sold off half our gold reserves when gold was at a record low and sat back and let the banks set us up for a massive economic crash, while ignoring the FSA countless times. O top of which opening the flood gates and letting anyone and everyone into the country to take job off the UK citizens and driving down pay.

If I was back in the UK today, living with my ex-wife and three kids. I would be better off unemployed than employed, so where is the incentive?, and don't say 'pride'.

I don't blame the Brits, they have been lied to and let down by two successive crap governments to the point that they now find themselves having to work 40 hours a week for their poverty.

Edited November 3, 2014 by RustBucket

[JockPieandBeans]

Rustbucket

No disagreement from me.

If I was back in the UK today, living with my ex-wife and three kids. I would be better off unemployed than employed, so where is the incentive?, and don't say 'pride'.

And there is the crux of the problem.

I have no desire to get into a bunfight. It is perfectly clear to most people where the UK\s problems lie and what is required to fix them. One of the biggest being career Politicians.

As I said previously, in a lot of respects, the UK has to go back to the basics to enable it to move forward.

[Andrew65]

Mr Johnson

For some unfathonable reason, you are being touted as the next leader of the Con Party.

A tip for you.

If there is jobs available in the UK, then train all the workshy, lazy barstewards currently in the UK to do those jobs and get them off the welfare bill.

When those claiming jobseekers allowance has been reduced to almost zero, if there is still a need for people to fill jobs, then you can start with selected migration.

Sort out the basics and the rest will follow.

I think for barstewards jobs, only foreigners need apply.

A mate of mine works in a processing factory in my hometown, he's been there over 20 years. The last time that I saw him, he reckoned that 80% of the 3,000 employess are now Polish (it's by far the largest private employer in the county,( I would think about 80-90% of staff were local people). Figures released quite recently reveal that the county now has "mass-unemployment", for the first time in it's history.

I do not for one minute believe all that I hear about lazy Brits. Just that foreigners are far more easy to: underpay, manipulate, lie to, and generally treat shabbily (newspeak for much more "employable"). Just look at the much-maligned Burmese in the LOS.

[jpinx]

Maybe Mr Johnson needs to look a bit more carefully at the demographics in Oz nowadays -- it's not all ex-brit families anymore. Also -- anyone coming to UK from Oz looking for work is just another unemployed person. It's not improving any situation............

[oldsailor35]

Aussies wishing to work in UK.

Conditions apply.

e.g. 1914-18

1939-45.

Otherwise you are not needed. Bugger off ! We have plenty of keen applicants looking to take advantage of our very good conditions.

Edited November 3, 2014 by oldsailor35

[Andrew65]

Mr Johnson

For some unfathonable reason, you are being touted as the next leader of the Con Party.

A tip for you.

If there is jobs available in the UK, then train all the workshy, lazy barstewards currently in the UK to do those jobs and get them off the welfare bill.

When those claiming jobseekers allowance has been reduced to almost zero, if there is still a need for people to fill jobs, then you can start with selected migration.

Sort out the basics and the rest will follow.

Boris is indeed an extremely greedy piggy

Britain already has a rich posh bloke as prime minister, why not another. Just another guy totally removed and "out of touch" from the needs & concerns of the majority of the population.

If as a country, the UK wishes to be bent over and shafted by the US, Boris is yer man, he was born there after all.

A third runway for Heathrow nah......., Boris Island will be a much better (i.e. lucrative) for Bozzer & his chums.

Harley Street, Eton, Harrow etc (Who cares if it costs 30 grand a year to send little Tarquin there!?).

If were going to elect our leaders, a good place to start is with someone who has lived in the real world, as the majority of people know it!

[simple1]

A very successful recruitment campaign has just been run by the London Ambulance Service in Australia. Don't know why there are not enough qualified UK nationals to fill the vacancies.

EDIT: Off topic, but I know two attractive Thai women, friends of my stepson, who completed their studies and now working as nurses in Oz.

Edited November 3, 2014 by simple1

[David48]

A very successful recruitment campaign has just been run by the London Ambulance Service in Australia. Don't know why there are not enough qualified UK nationals to fill the vacancies.

s1 ... ran out of likes for the moment.

100% correct what he writes.

[malcoml]

It is actually quite easy for Aussies with a British ancestry to work in the UK now.

I think demand is in the figures dropping near 50%. It is not because people can not go there, they just don't want to anymore.

I doubt Australia will open the door to a million Brits wanting to relocate. We did this for Kiwis and now we have 500K of them.

[kamahele]

Mr Johnson

For some unfathonable reason, you are being touted as the next leader of the Con Party.

A tip for you.

If there is jobs available in the UK, then train all the workshy, lazy barstewards currently in the UK to do those jobs and get them off the welfare bill.

When those claiming jobseekers allowance has been reduced to almost zero, if there is still a need for people to fill jobs, then you can start with selected migration.

Sort out the basics and the rest will follow.

I'm thinking that the UK might be better off with educated Australians who want to work, rather than lazy native borns who don't want to work and instead live on the dole.

[simple1]

It is actually quite easy for Aussies with a British ancestry to work in the UK now.

I think demand is in the figures dropping near 50%. It is not because people can not go there, they just don't want to anymore.

I doubt Australia will open the door to a million Brits wanting to relocate. We did this for Kiwis and now we have 500K of them.

Australia has a managed migration programme, visa numbers are allocated each financial year. For 2014 / 2015 total planned migrant visa allocation (excluding Kiwis ) is 190,000.

https://www.immi.gov.au/media/statistics/statistical-info/visa-grants/migrant.htm

[samran]

It took a about 30 seconds for this to turn into a british moan fest of immigration.

This thread makes he rather arrogant assumption that Australia would want to open its doors to Brits. And vice versa

There are merits in both ways of doing things.

- a managed non discriminatory migration system based on skills, where one can cherry pick the best and brighest. This is the current australian system for the most part.

- a reciprocal free movement of labour scheme, as which exists between Australia and New Zealand.

I wouldn't have too many issues with the latter. The free flow from NZ isn't totally free, there are still character tests and a criminal record will see you turned back at the border. The tide will ebb and flow depending on the job market. At the moment kiwis are leaving oz to take advantage of the better economy in NZ.

Australia is crawling with poms and irish anyway escaping the GFC. So long as they subscribe to the broad ethos of Australia and realise that we are an immigrant country, sitting on the edge of Asia and the greatest economic transformation since the industrial revolution and they leave their litte englander attitudes at home, then I'm fine with that.

Ed: To be honest I think a true free flow won't happen, but a good compromise might be the E-3 visa system that the US has for Australin workers, where essentially, if you have a degree and have a job offer, you get an indefinite renewable 2 year work visa for working in the US. Fair, and keeps out the rif raff at the same time.

Edited November 3, 2014 by samran

[parmo2]

I remember when the Australian government used to give british ten pounds to emigrate tthere

I think this scheme is a good idea, earls court has never been the same since the Australians left.

The more cultured ones remained

[samran]

I remember when the Australian government used to give british ten pounds to emigrate tthere

I think this scheme is a good idea, earls court has never been the same since the Australians left.

The more cultured ones remained

Essentially up to 1972, a british subject could land in Australia and so long as they said they wanted to settle, were granted residency upon arrival.

Then the UK joined the then EEC, and the door was shut on Australians, so Australians shut the door on the brits.

[chickenslegs]

Maybe Mr Johnson needs to look a bit more carefully at the demographics in Oz nowadays -- it's not all ex-brit families anymore. Also -- anyone coming to UK from Oz looking for work is just another unemployed person. It's not improving any situation............

I'm pretty sure Boris was only talking about white Aussies and Kiwis.

(I use this emoticon to indicate sarcasm)

[rgs2001uk]

It took a about 30 seconds for this to turn into a british moan fest of immigration.

This thread makes he rather arrogant assumption that Australia would want to open its doors to Brits. And vice versa

There are merits in both ways of doing things.

- a managed non discriminatory migration system based on skills, where one can cherry pick the best and brighest. This is the current australian system for the most part.

- a reciprocal free movement of labour scheme, as which exists between Australia and New Zealand.

I wouldn't have too many issues with the latter. The free flow from NZ isn't totally free, there are still character tests and a criminal record will see you turned back at the border. The tide will ebb and flow depending on the job market. At the moment kiwis are leaving oz to take advantage of the better economy in NZ.

Australia is crawling with poms and irish anyway escaping the GFC. So long as they subscribe to the broad ethos of Australia and realise that we are an immigrant country, sitting on the edge of Asia and the greatest economic transformation since the industrial revolution and they leave their litte englander attitudes at home, then I'm fine with that.

Ed: To be honest I think a true free flow won't happen, but a good compromise might be the E-3 visa system that the US has for Australin workers, where essentially, if you have a degree and have a job offer, you get an indefinite renewable 2 year work visa for working in the US. Fair, and keeps out the rif raff at the same time.

Australia is crawling with poms and irish anyway escaping the GFC. So long as they subscribe to the broad ethos of Australia and realise that we are an immigrant country, sitting on the edge of Asia and the greatest economic transformation since the industrial revolution and they leave their litte englander attitudes at home, then I'm fine with that.

Re written for the sake of non PC BS.

Australia is crawling with Lebos and Muslims anyway escaping the ravages of the ME. So long as they subscribe to the broad ethos of seperation of church and state, womens rights, leave behind such thoughts as FGM and honour killings and realise its an immigrant country, sitting on the edge of Asia (and not Saudi Arabia) and they leave their little muslim pakisatni, lebo attitudes at home, then I am fine with that.

Signed your pommie neighbour from SA.

[rhythmworx]

If it came into effect I would book my flight to Oz immediately.

[samran]

It took a about 30 seconds for this to turn into a british moan fest of immigration.

This thread makes he rather arrogant assumption that Australia would want to open its doors to Brits. And vice versa

There are merits in both ways of doing things.

- a managed non discriminatory migration system based on skills, where one can cherry pick the best and brighest. This is the current australian system for the most part.

- a reciprocal free movement of labour scheme, as which exists between Australia and New Zealand.

I wouldn't have too many issues with the latter. The free flow from NZ isn't totally free, there are still character tests and a criminal record will see you turned back at the border. The tide will ebb and flow depending on the job market. At the moment kiwis are leaving oz to take advantage of the better economy in NZ.

Australia is crawling with poms and irish anyway escaping the GFC. So long as they subscribe to the broad ethos of Australia and realise that we are an immigrant country, sitting on the edge of Asia and the greatest economic transformation since the industrial revolution and they leave their litte englander attitudes at home, then I'm fine with that.

Ed: To be honest I think a true free flow won't happen, but a good compromise might be the E-3 visa system that the US has for Australin workers, where essentially, if you have a degree and have a job offer, you get an indefinite renewable 2 year work visa for working in the US. Fair, and keeps out the rif raff at the same time.

Australia is crawling with poms and irish anyway escaping the GFC. So long as they subscribe to the broad ethos of Australia and realise that we are an immigrant country, sitting on the edge of Asia and the greatest economic transformation since the industrial revolution and they leave their litte englander attitudes at home, then I'm fine with that.

Re written for the sake of non PC BS.

Australia is crawling with Lebos and Muslims anyway escaping the ravages of the ME. So long as they subscribe to the broad ethos of seperation of church and state, womens rights, leave behind such thoughts as FGM and honour killings and realise its an immigrant country, sitting on the edge of Asia (and not Saudi Arabia) and they leave their little muslim pakisatni, lebo attitudes at home, then I am fine with that.

Signed your pommie neighbour from SA.

um, okay. So apart from the fact that my threshold of 'crawling' differs from you (1million+ UK born people living in OZ), what bit did you think I might disagree with you on? Suggest you check back on some of my posts about rule of law adherence before you go off again....

Edited November 3, 2014 by samran

[rgs2001uk]

It took a about 30 seconds for this to turn into a british moan fest of immigration.

This thread makes he rather arrogant assumption that Australia would want to open its doors to Brits. And vice versa

There are merits in both ways of doing things.

- a managed non discriminatory migration system based on skills, where one can cherry pick the best and brighest. This is the current australian system for the most part.

- a reciprocal free movement of labour scheme, as which exists between Australia and New Zealand.

I wouldn't have too many issues with the latter. The free flow from NZ isn't totally free, there are still character tests and a criminal record will see you turned back at the border. The tide will ebb and flow depending on the job market. At the moment kiwis are leaving oz to take advantage of the better economy in NZ.

Australia is crawling with poms and irish anyway escaping the GFC. So long as they subscribe to the broad ethos of Australia and realise that we are an immigrant country, sitting on the edge of Asia and the greatest economic transformation since the industrial revolution and they leave their litte englander attitudes at home, then I'm fine with that.

Ed: To be honest I think a true free flow won't happen, but a good compromise might be the E-3 visa system that the US has for Australin workers, where essentially, if you have a degree and have a job offer, you get an indefinite renewable 2 year work visa for working in the US. Fair, and keeps out the rif raff at the same time.

Australia is crawling with poms and irish anyway escaping the GFC. So long as they subscribe to the broad ethos of Australia and realise that we are an immigrant country, sitting on the edge of Asia and the greatest economic transformation since the industrial revolution and they leave their litte englander attitudes at home, then I'm fine with that.

Re written for the sake of non PC BS.

Australia is crawling with Lebos and Muslims anyway escaping the ravages of the ME. So long as they subscribe to the broad ethos of seperation of church and state, womens rights, leave behind such thoughts as FGM and honour killings and realise its an immigrant country, sitting on the edge of Asia (and not Saudi Arabia) and they leave their little muslim pakisatni, lebo attitudes at home, then I am fine with that.

Signed your pommie neighbour from SA.

um, okay. So apart from the fact that my threshold of 'crawling' differs from you (1million+ UK born people living in OZ), what bit did you think I might disagree with you on? Suggest you check back on some of my posts about rule of law adherence before you go off again....

But what is good for the goose is not good for the gander. Clearly you forgot to leave your whinging pom attitude back on mud island then?

Never had a whinging Ozzy attitude until I came here, I took my cue from the Thais whom I live beside.

Gotta lurve Thailand, no such PC BS nonsense here, Thai way or the highway, pity good ole blighty could learn a lesson or two.

My Ozzy mates say the same.

Mud Island? got me there.

Those poms and paddys you refer to are your ozzy brethern, maybe they are more ozzy than you?

You know the ones that actually built the country, rather than the Johnny come lately freeloaders, or dole bludgers as i believe you ozzys refer to them as.

[Lissos]

If there is jobs available in the UK, then train all the workshy, lazy barstewards currently in the UK to do those jobs and get them off the welfare bill.

Currently, JSA is being claimed as a fill in by many workers, and the entire system in Britain plays along with it.

Right now the national minimum wage is £6.50 ph, the standard offered by most employment agencies.

The living wage foundation has calculated £7.85 ph to be a living wage (outside of London)

"Bypass employment agencies, then. Why go to the middle man?", is the usual answer, except it isn't that easy anymore.

In many generally 'non' skilled' jobs such as warehousing and factory, employers are now using employment agencies exclusively for the luxury of renting and discaring disposable workers that they can legally send home with one hours notice (once in house) and can also cancel a promised day's / week's with one hours notice legally, too. It is not unusual to turn up for work on a monday after being told on the previous friday that you'll have work all next week, and then be sent home two hours later on the Monday and then find yourself with no income for the rest of the day or week. Employers rely on hopefull workers then signing back onto JSA to fill the gap, when this happens (far more often than people would think).

Essentially, job security for workers is dead, loyalty to workers is dead, yet simultaneously employers are demanding more and more commitement from these same disposable workers they rent, or they are struck off and blacklisted if they reverted to another workplace for work in the meantime and couldn't make it back to the former workplace on the very day that the workplace demands. It is a fear tactic employed all the time, to ensure you have a load of workers on a hook, left in limbo land with no income but fearfull of taking a day's work elsewhere lest they end up blacklisted .

All of this is ideal for everyone except workers. Ideal for Government who can skew the figures they feed to the public via the BBC to make it 'appear' like things are on the up and people are in work, ideal for middle men employment agencies who rake in profit from what they charge companies per hour for the convenience of discardable people, and ideal for companies who take the hit of the higher rate they are charged by an employment middle man for the luxury of being able to use people that they have no obligations towards whatsoever. Contacting such companies yourself in an attempt to bypass the middle man is futile now for this reason. Employers don't want to take on permanent staff and they also don't want to take on seasonal workers for a few months on their own in house contracts anymore. Everything has been handed over to middle men

.

For all the truly workshy in Britain, there are also plenty who have a great work ethic (including the young) but are being continually kicked in the teeth for their efforts, by a calculating and devious collusion that punishes you for hard work (kicks you out the door earlier, to no income).

[samran]

It took a about 30 seconds for this to turn into a british moan fest of immigration.

This thread makes he rather arrogant assumption that Australia would want to open its doors to Brits. And vice versa

There are merits in both ways of doing things.

- a managed non discriminatory migration system based on skills, where one can cherry pick the best and brighest. This is the current australian system for the most part.

- a reciprocal free movement of labour scheme, as which exists between Australia and New Zealand.

I wouldn't have too many issues with the latter. The free flow from NZ isn't totally free, there are still character tests and a criminal record will see you turned back at the border. The tide will ebb and flow depending on the job market. At the moment kiwis are leaving oz to take advantage of the better economy in NZ.

Australia is crawling with poms and irish anyway escaping the GFC. So long as they subscribe to the broad ethos of Australia and realise that we are an immigrant country, sitting on the edge of Asia and the greatest economic transformation since the industrial revolution and they leave their litte englander attitudes at home, then I'm fine with that.

Ed: To be honest I think a true free flow won't happen, but a good compromise might be the E-3 visa system that the US has for Australin workers, where essentially, if you have a degree and have a job offer, you get an indefinite renewable 2 year work visa for working in the US. Fair, and keeps out the rif raff at the same time.

Australia is crawling with poms and irish anyway escaping the GFC. So long as they subscribe to the broad ethos of Australia and realise that we are an immigrant country, sitting on the edge of Asia and the greatest economic transformation since the industrial revolution and they leave their litte englander attitudes at home, then I'm fine with that.

Re written for the sake of non PC BS.

Australia is crawling with Lebos and Muslims anyway escaping the ravages of the ME. So long as they subscribe to the broad ethos of seperation of church and state, womens rights, leave behind such thoughts as FGM and honour killings and realise its an immigrant country, sitting on the edge of Asia (and not Saudi Arabia) and they leave their little muslim pakisatni, lebo attitudes at home, then I am fine with that.

Signed your pommie neighbour from SA.

um, okay. So apart from the fact that my threshold of 'crawling' differs from you (1million+ UK born people living in OZ), what bit did you think I might disagree with you on? Suggest you check back on some of my posts about rule of law adherence before you go off again....

But what is good for the goose is not good for the gander. Clearly you forgot to leave your whinging pom attitude back on mud island then?

Never had a whinging Ozzy attitude until I came here, I took my cue from the Thais whom I live beside.

Gotta lurve Thailand, no such PC BS nonsense here, Thai way or the highway, pity good ole blighty could learn a lesson or two.

My Ozzy mates say the same.

Mud Island? got me there.

Those poms and paddys you refer to are your ozzy brethern, maybe they are more ozzy than you?

You know the ones that actually built the country, rather than the Johnny come lately freeloaders, or dole bludgers as i believe you ozzys refer to them as.

Dunno - I don't make judgements as to who is more 'aussie' than me. Plenty of quick to judge people who are ready to do that in spades - that is declare what is a 'real' Australian....

But if you want to trace linage, I'm sure as hell my Aussie linage goes back proably 130 years longer than yours does. But we will never beat people like Chooka who've got 10 millenia on us.

As for the Thai way or the highway...I guess you speak read and write Thai fluently? Don't hang out in little enclaves of too many other foreigners?

As for the dole bludger stuff...where did I say that? As said, we are a nation of migrants. Every generation adds something new.

But what has this got to do with the merit of the proposal?

Edited November 3, 2014 by samran

[Thongkorn]

why would an Aussie want to work in Britain, Britain turned its back on Australia, New Zealand and a lot of other country's, the British people where coned into joining the EEC, free trade agreement, not the totalitarian Europe of today. But i agree they are our Cousins regardless.

Edited November 3, 2014 by Thongkorn

[samran]

why would an Aussie want to work in Britain, Britain turned its back on Australia, New Zealand and a lot of other country's, the British people where coned into joining the EEC, free trade agreement, not the totalitarian Europe of today. But i agree they are our Cousins regardless.

Many of my mates have gone to work in finance, law and big corporates in London, and have done very very well. So there is the career thing.

Granted, London isn't the UK, but it is a dynamic city with decent job opporunities for people with the right skills.

Having said that, what you say does ring true. Australia was well and truely screwed over with the UK immigration act of 1971. One wonders why Australians with long memories would want to forgive.

Then again the economist in me is for freer - but not entirely free - movement of people.

[Cats4ever]

I remember a cartoon in the Guardian in 1973 when the UK entered EC and VAT (8%) started. Basically it had a Barry McKenzie ( bluff, chisel jawed, big hat) type Aussie at immigration in the foreigner's queue, stating "Look here sport, no pommie bastard's going to call me a ". Of course, they were times when it was harder to offend people, and it was in a UK paper.

Edited November 4, 2014 by Cats4ever

[rgs2001uk]

For Samran ref post number 25.

.I guess you speak read and write Thai fluently? Don't hang out in little enclaves of too many other foreigners?

Speaking, conversational more than fluent, there are whole swathes of the language I havent bothered to learn, eg religion, medical terms, legal and engineering terms. I will never be an Andrew Biggs.

Reading no problem, struggle with newspapers and abbreviations at times, my writing is like a kids and my spelling is atrocious.

To be honest about the only things I write these days are my name and address.

Yes I probably should and could put in more effort,but I dont know how much longer we will be here so havent bothered to progress any further.

Live in a farang enclave, LOL nice one, first time I have heard of Bang Kapi being referred to as a farang enclave, I am the only farang in the village.

As hard as it may be for some to believe, the last time I spoke to a farang was in Pattaya about 3 weeks ago, I wont speak to another til tomorrow again in Pattaya.

Reason for going to Pattaya is to meet up with visiting friends, if my friends didnt go there neither would I, personally I prefer Bang Saen or Rayong.

[samran]

For Samran ref post number 25.

.I guess you speak read and write Thai fluently? Don't hang out in little enclaves of too many other foreigners?

Speaking, conversational more than fluent, there are whole swathes of the language I havent bothered to learn, eg religion, medical terms, legal and engineering terms. I will never be an Andrew Biggs.

Reading no problem, struggle with newspapers and abbreviations at times, my writing is like a kids and my spelling is atrocious.

To be honest about the only things I write these days are my name and address.

Yes I probably should and could put in more effort,but I dont know how much longer we will be here so havent bothered to progress any further.

Live in a farang enclave, LOL nice one, first time I have heard of Bang Kapi being referred to as a farang enclave, I am the only farang in the village.

As hard as it may be for some to believe, the last time I spoke to a farang was in Pattaya about 3 weeks ago, I wont speak to another til tomorrow again in Pattaya.

Reason for going to Pattaya is to meet up with visiting friends, if my friends didnt go there neither would I, personally I prefer Bang Saen or Rayong.

I was actually being facetious.

I really don't care too much one way or another. Just that plenty of people on Thai visa like bashing up foreigners back home for not fitting in, but do little themselves to get beyond asking for the 'check bin' in Thai.

So was just checking . Well done on your level of attainment. Plenty don't even bother.

[Robby nz]

It is actually quite easy for Aussies with a British ancestry to work in the UK now.

I think demand is in the figures dropping near 50%. It is not because people can not go there, they just don't want to anymore.

I doubt Australia will open the door to a million Brits wanting to relocate. We did this for Kiwis and now we have 500K of them.

How lucky OZ is for who else would do the work :