Freedom from information

 

The BBC was very eager to nail the government on its supposed ‘misleading’ figures for death rates in the NHS at weekends [Not so keen to get to the real figures though] with a FOI request.

Strangely the BBC shows a marked reluctance to similarly nail the government when it comes to genuinely dodgy immigration figures that the government admits it won’t reveal because ‘ it might prejudice the outcome of the EU referendum. ‘  Yes we can’t have facts and information relevant to the debate interfering with the debate.

From the Telegraph:

Ministers ‘hiding full scale of EU immigration’

Experts say that while official migration figures suggest just one million EU nationals have come to Britain over past five years, more than two million have registered for national insurance numbers

Hundreds of thousands more EU migrants may have come to Britain than disclosed in official records, experts have warned as ministers were accused of hiding the full scale of immigration.

Official figures published suggested that 257,000 migrants came to Britain last year, with a significant rise in the number of Bulgarians and Romanians.

However over the same period 630,000 EU citizens registered for a national insurance number, which would entitle them to work or claim benefits in Britain.

Jonathan Portes, Principle Research Fellow at the National Institute of economic and social research, has asked the Government for more detail of the national insurance numbers.

However, his request has been rejected on the grounds that it might prejudice the outcome of the EU referendum.

He said: “It is very difficult to understand why there should be this sudden divergence. I do not believe that you can explain this huge discrepancy now by saying these are people only here for a few months then going back. It is massive and it did not used to be this big.

“The Government is hiding this data. They claim it would interfere with the renegotiation. It is genuinely outrageous. Which ever side of the argument you are, on immigration or on the EU, the electorate deserves to have the facts and the data.”

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7 Responses to Freedom from information

  1. john in cheshire says:

    Perhaps the best way to get the most benefit from this for the leaving camp is to assert that the two million figure is the most accurate and therefore challenge Mr Cameron and his remainiacs to prove otherwise. As it is, that’s only those with NI numbers, I feel there are at least as many here without any record of their presence. Given the number of foreigners one encounters every day, I’d put the number of immigrants at well over ten million.

       27 likes

  2. Philip_2 says:

    Cui Bono? Its not us for sure. Only a foreign power would insist on such a massive invasion. Although we may blame Labour Politicians for creating the ‘benefits’ culture that attracts them all (like flies) to the UK it is the EU that has enabled our borders to be systematically eroded. Lord Owen ( former Labour foreign Secretary) who you would have thought was pro Labour and Socialism is now confronted with the obvious fact that we are inundated and cannot cope with any more. We need more like Owen to admit they were wrong about the EU motives. We need more Owens to admit that the EU is not in our best interests.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3463147/Former-Labour-foreign-secretary-Lord-Owen-says-UK-leave-EU-s-dangerous-British-security-slams-Cameron-s-failed-negotiations.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

       17 likes

    • RJ says:

      I just want to make sure that I understand the numbers.

      Over the last 5 years one million EU national have come to Britain, and of that number over two million have applied for National Insurance numbers while the rest are working in the black economy.

      Now I understand. The government is lying again and because the truth might hurt the EU the BBC doesn’t want us to know about it. The world makes sense again.

         28 likes

    • taffman says:

      Philip_2
      Then bravo Lord Owen!
      And from ex Labour MP at that , would you believe it .

         12 likes

      • Up2snuff says:

        He’ll be getting ‘what for’ from old Shirls and a batterin’ on the ear’oles “Disgracing the memory of dear old Woy!”

        He’s a Doc. He’s looked at the EU from different directions and made his careful diagnosis. (I hope.)

        I appreciate that.

           8 likes

        • chrisH says:

          Tebbit, Lawson, Owen yesterday and now Howard today?
          With Gove and Johnson among others today?
          This ought to be a winning team on a level field….as if the BBC and EU will give us THAT.
          Time to take the ball away, and put the skids under the EUBBC.
          With talent like the above -this should be the REAL Momentum that Britain has long craved.
          Why not our OWN news cycle.
          This is the chart today-but some rising climbers and new entries surely to some pop pickers!
          1. Savile
          2. Cologne
          3.Calais
          4. P.I.E and Labour
          5. Abbott and Corbyn( no matter HOW unpleasant THAT might turn out to be)
          6. The Ed Stone
          7. Andreasen, Thorburn, Bulger, Qatanda, Hamza, horsemeat…slurryday, watch them wade in their filth on our rest day
          8.Ukraine…the Owen Scud of the week award with a ceremony to thank him.
          Eight Days a Week…and back to Savile again.
          Ron Greenwood said “simplicity is genius”…so come on UKIP and friends!
          Defang the EUBBC-OUR agenda, not theirs Enoch deserves it!
          Byee….give us a bark Arnold!

             6 likes

  3. chrisH says:

    Brighter types than me on this site-and beyond-are able to compile things like sewage production, waste disposal-and yes the NI cards issued if you`re daft enough to trust the state to give you its real figures…not Charles or Kenneth Clarkes ones.
    Physically re sewage-got to be an indicator.
    But there again-shoplifting from Netto, alternative gynaecologial provision in the non-cosmetic sector and -the obvious-the quantity and categorising of BBC effluent, flatulence and sewage as evidenced in what it chooses to commission and broadcast by way of fiction and news(and and the same, granted)-may well be equally valid as far as More Or Less are concerned.
    But they ain`t.
    So the TRUE number of immigrants would appear to be correlated with the hysterical lies and deflecting flurries from the BBC, with a skew towards ever increasing sheep dipping and geldings for the dissidents and refusniks.
    There`s an easy equation here…..

       7 likes