London would be 'less interesting place' without UK immigration

October 23 2009 by Liam Clifford

Immigrants living in the UK make London a more interesting place.

According to Andrew Neather of London’s Evening Standard, it has taken the controversy over BNP leader Nick Griffin’s appearance on Question Time to get political figures to talk truthfully about the impact that immigration has on the UK.

Neather formerly worked as a speech writer for the government and wrote the 2000 speech given by Barbara Roche, which called for a relaxation of the UK immigration rules to allow more migrants to move to the UK.

Neather says the speech was based on a report by the Performance and Innovation Unit entitled ‘Migration: an economic and social analysis’. He says this report stated that increasing immigration would be good for the labour market of the country and would enable the government to make the UK truly multicultural.

In recent years, however, many within the political system have called for a reduction in the number of immigrants living in the UK – a sentiment that has been exacerbated by the recent recession.

Last night’s appearance of Nick Griffin on Question Time, and the controversy it has caused, has prompted politicians and the public to once again consider the benefits that the influx of immigrants has brought to the UK since 2000.

Today’s column in the Evening Standard by Neather states, ‘the results [of mass immigration] in London, and especially for middle-class Londoners, have been highly positive. It's not simply a question of foreign nannies, cleaners and gardeners - although frankly it's hard to see how the capital could function without them.’

London is a far more interesting and culturally diverse place than it was in the 1990s, which is thanks to the recent immigration boom. In fact, its cosmopolitan nature is also what makes it such an attractive city for tourists and businesses.

Neather concludes, “we're too small a country to afford an open door - but, by the same token, if the immigrants dry up, this city and this country will become a much poorer and less interesting place.”

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