Mail EU Victory That Isn’t

The Daily Mail is a happier place this morning, as the paper can claim it still has influence with Young Dave: “I DO share your concerns on migration, declares Cameron days after Mail's explosive poll: PM unveils sweeping new restrictions on access to benefits” is the triumphant headline (you can read all about that “explosive” opinion poll right HERE).

So what are these restrictions? “There will be time limits before out-of-work benefits can be claimed”. That isn’t new, as anyone who knows about the “habitual residency test” can tell you. “Migrants who currently get jobseekers’ allowance after less than a month will have to wait three months before claiming”. They already do have to wait three months before claiming.

“Benefits will no longer be paid indefinitely, with payments stopped after six months unless people have a genuine prospect of employment”. That’s just another way of putting what is already in place. “Beggars and vagrants from EU countries will be removed and barred from re-entering Britain for 12 months”. That, too, is nothing new: those without work already have to leave.

“Most controversially, the Government is planning a new ‘minimum earnings threshold’ – below which benefits that top up earnings, such as income support, will be cut altogether. Government sources said the threshold had yet to be set, but would aim to prevent EU workers topping up low incomes with benefits”. Note use of the word “planning”. That would be illegal, and the Coalition knows it.

How can I be so sure on all of this, especially the “three months before claiming” part? And why is the Daily Mail being singularly disingenuous pretending otherwise? Ah well. Here we have to check out J Clive Matthews’ excellent Nosemonkey’s EUTopia blog, where all is revealed in a post from April 2010 titled “The EU’s role in UK immigration”. And it’s not good news for the Dacre doggies.

Responding to scaremongering over “uncontrollable” immigration, Matthews cited a report in one of the day’s papers titled “Homeless migrants will be ordered to leave”. This told readers “Officers told the migrants that, under EU rules, if they haven’t worked for the last three months they can removed from their host country”. And, as the man said, there’s more.

“People from EU countries have a right to travel freely in the EU and can live in the UK for up to three months if they can support themselves ... After that time, they can only stay in the country if they are working, they are registered students or they are self-supporting”. So no benefits. And the paper Matthews quoted from? Why, look, it’s the Daily Mail! Facing both ways at once take 94!!

What a load of two-faced steaming hypocrites. No change there, then.