Business for New Europe shifts position as Labour MP calls on his party to oppose free movement of workers in EU
Pro-European business leaders responded on Tuesday to the surge in support for Ukip by proposing to restrict EU immigrants' access to benefits, including a three-month qualification period for jobseeker's allowance and removal of child benefit for offspring not living in the UK.
The Business for New Europe group admitted there was "a massive credibility gap" with the public over politicians' assurances that EU immigrants could not access benefits and public services too readily. Ministers are expected to propose tightening of eligibility for housing, welfare and health benefits in the Queen's speech.
Business for New Europe has clearly calculated that if pro-Europeans reject any tightening of the eligibility rules, then the wider case for staying in Europe will start to lose respect.
The BNE shift also came as a Labour member of the Treasury select committee called for Labour to respond to the rise in support for Ukip by calling for an end to the free movement of workers in the EU.
John Mann, the MP for Bassetlaw in Nottinghamshire where Labour won back the council, is renowned for his blunt speaking, but also his knowledge of how his constituents are thinking.
On Labour List, he writes: "How is it fair that a youth can be born in a council house, live in it for 18 years and then lose out in allocation to a Polish family who have been in the country for a few months. How is this social justice?
"Why is it fair that a 58-year-old man, disabled from coalmining loses his incapacity benefit, but a family new to the country gets full housing benefit?
"Why should an employer be able to employ from a Polish agency and refuse to interview a local person seeking work?"
Calling for greater directness from the Labour party, he writes: "It is time to stop meddling with vague concepts. Let us have clear social justice priorities."
He adds: "The top priority in housing for those who have lived in social housing as children; no benefits for anyone until they have paid national insurance for two years; no free flow of capital to avoid taxes; no zero hours agency contracts with no employment rights; no open market in labour in the United Kingdom, rather a system of work permits, including for all Europeans."
At the same time he insisted the Ukip surge was a bigger problem for the Conservatives than Labour since it is the Tory core vote that was defecting.
He writes: "These people always vote and never vote Labour or Liberal. There is nothing worse than having to fight for your core vote."
BNE'S chairman, Roland Rudd, also acknowledged the need to respond to the public mood.
He said: "We need to be clear that migrants are less likely to be on benefits than native-born British citizens. People are concerned about immigration, and while mainstream politicians have been more willing to speak up about it of late, there is unfortunately still a massive credibility gap.
"With immigration consistently coming up as one of the public's top three concerns in opinion polls, many people are concerned that the system is unfair.
"We need to fight the myths while at the same time reassuring people that we are making sure the system is fair, defendable and one that the public can trust."
BNE's proposals include a three-month qualification period for jobseeker's allowance and reform of EU rules on child benefit which allow individuals to claim Benefit for children out of the country.
Rudd said: "The fact that jobseekers can in principle claim benefits as soon as they arrive is one of the things that make people think it's just not fair.
"There's nothing unreasonable about asking new entrants to wait for three months; other EU countries have firmer rules, so there is no reason for the UK not to."
The group added that migrants from the eight members who joined in 2004 paid 37% more in taxes than they received in services in the UK between 2004 and 2009. Reported by guardian.co.uk 10 hours ago.
Pro-European business leaders responded on Tuesday to the surge in support for Ukip by proposing to restrict EU immigrants' access to benefits, including a three-month qualification period for jobseeker's allowance and removal of child benefit for offspring not living in the UK.
The Business for New Europe group admitted there was "a massive credibility gap" with the public over politicians' assurances that EU immigrants could not access benefits and public services too readily. Ministers are expected to propose tightening of eligibility for housing, welfare and health benefits in the Queen's speech.
Business for New Europe has clearly calculated that if pro-Europeans reject any tightening of the eligibility rules, then the wider case for staying in Europe will start to lose respect.
The BNE shift also came as a Labour member of the Treasury select committee called for Labour to respond to the rise in support for Ukip by calling for an end to the free movement of workers in the EU.
John Mann, the MP for Bassetlaw in Nottinghamshire where Labour won back the council, is renowned for his blunt speaking, but also his knowledge of how his constituents are thinking.
On Labour List, he writes: "How is it fair that a youth can be born in a council house, live in it for 18 years and then lose out in allocation to a Polish family who have been in the country for a few months. How is this social justice?
"Why is it fair that a 58-year-old man, disabled from coalmining loses his incapacity benefit, but a family new to the country gets full housing benefit?
"Why should an employer be able to employ from a Polish agency and refuse to interview a local person seeking work?"
Calling for greater directness from the Labour party, he writes: "It is time to stop meddling with vague concepts. Let us have clear social justice priorities."
He adds: "The top priority in housing for those who have lived in social housing as children; no benefits for anyone until they have paid national insurance for two years; no free flow of capital to avoid taxes; no zero hours agency contracts with no employment rights; no open market in labour in the United Kingdom, rather a system of work permits, including for all Europeans."
At the same time he insisted the Ukip surge was a bigger problem for the Conservatives than Labour since it is the Tory core vote that was defecting.
He writes: "These people always vote and never vote Labour or Liberal. There is nothing worse than having to fight for your core vote."
BNE'S chairman, Roland Rudd, also acknowledged the need to respond to the public mood.
He said: "We need to be clear that migrants are less likely to be on benefits than native-born British citizens. People are concerned about immigration, and while mainstream politicians have been more willing to speak up about it of late, there is unfortunately still a massive credibility gap.
"With immigration consistently coming up as one of the public's top three concerns in opinion polls, many people are concerned that the system is unfair.
"We need to fight the myths while at the same time reassuring people that we are making sure the system is fair, defendable and one that the public can trust."
BNE's proposals include a three-month qualification period for jobseeker's allowance and reform of EU rules on child benefit which allow individuals to claim Benefit for children out of the country.
Rudd said: "The fact that jobseekers can in principle claim benefits as soon as they arrive is one of the things that make people think it's just not fair.
"There's nothing unreasonable about asking new entrants to wait for three months; other EU countries have firmer rules, so there is no reason for the UK not to."
The group added that migrants from the eight members who joined in 2004 paid 37% more in taxes than they received in services in the UK between 2004 and 2009. Reported by guardian.co.uk 10 hours ago.