Controversial Position

So, having watched some of the Leader's debate tonight (although not all, as they helpfully scheduled it for a different time), it was a little more predictable than last time. Everyone had picked up the tricks and gimmicks to look and sound sincere. At least this shows our politicians can learn!

The one thing I wanted to have a bit of a rant on was immigration. For the second week in a row, this came up, and every politician leaped to the strong, we will defend the borders, we will fight them on the beaches, we will never let them claim benefits stance. It sounds a little laughable to me.

Firstly, it's ironic that this is a favourite right-wing comment; yet tied with right-wing free-trade economics, this is the classic realisation of it. Someone who brings in a skill from elsewhere, either that is needed or at better value, and gains market share. It is applauded for businesses. For individuals, we must keep the buggers out, though.

Obviously I have a slightly biased perspective here, but having seen the umpteen hoops that Chrissi has to jump through to even think about moving here, the debate seems slightly farcical.

Immigration, overall, is a good thing. It's never said, but it's good. It means we have a viable service industry, and help to support an increasingly aging British population. It causes some problems when times are less good, but ingeniously, that is why immigration is so wonderful - economic migrants will migrate somewhere else where they can be better off in that scenario. Noone is going to emigrate to a country where they're going to be worse off, unable to get jobs. It's illogical.

The lack of reality and populism to what is essentially a thinly disguised BNP policy is rather tragic in my view. I know this is a somewhat controversial position, but it's all too rare to hear it articulated that immigration is a good thing, that we're not talking about great numbers of people, that realistically, there is far more scaremongering than there should be because it sounds plausible and strong.

Feel free to disagree, however, I'm interested in any comments on this - if only to try and have a discussion where it's not about a challenge as to how tough you can be!