Nick Boles on immigration

Have you noticed how John Redwood always seems to post his blog hours before any reasonable person gets out of bed? Well this mornings post (6.52am since you ask) makes interesting reading.

It reviews 'Which way up' by Nick Boles producing some interesting proposals on the limits of social policy towards immigrants, including

1. A cap on non-EU immigrants of between 20,000 & 50,000 per year.
2. A surety deposit from all non-EU immigrants repaid once taxes have been paid for a number of years or forfeited for any legal offences or if no taxes have been paid.
3. For EU migrants the UK should enforce the Directive which only requires a member state to allow free movement for the purpose of residence supported by work income or independent means. "Whenever a migrant from within the EU applies to a central or local government authority for benefits or housing or part of the NHS for non-emergency healthcare, that authority should be required to check whether the individual in question has a job or sufficient funds to support themselves in the UK. If they don't, they should be told to leave the country..."
4. No-one should be eligible for social housing until they have lived here for five years.

Interesting stuff - especially after this weeks speech from Ed Miliband on how Labour got immigration so wrong.