Getting a balance
Yesterday, I hosted a breakfast meeting and was lucky enough to have the renowned journalist and broadcaster, Andrew Neil, as guest speaker. When he is not on our television screens, Andrew publishes the excellent magazine “The Business” which recently sponsored a Conservative City Future reception.
In this week’s issue, the magazine leads on the topic of population change which has became prominent this week after the Office of National Statistics predicted that the UK population is set to increase by 4.4 million to 65 million by 2016.
The UK is now home to nearly 61 million people, some 20 million more than a century ago and 50 million more than 1801. Record rises in immigration is helping to fuel this surge.
There can be no denying that this country has benefited, and continues to benefit, from immigration. A government report earlier this month attributed about 17 per cent of overall economic growth between 2004 and 2005 to immigration. Last year, migration bought £6 billion into the economy. People born outside of the UK now account for 12.5% of our working population.
However, another report published by the Government this month pointed to the negative affects immigration has brought to the UK. Whilst the Government may be thankful to immigrants for boosting our economy, it has failed to address serious issues that a growing population brings - mainly the pressures on our inadequate public services such as housing, healthcare and education. For example, in the East of England, migration has led to a clear and at times difficult increase in GP caseloads and at accident and emergency departments.
If there is no proper balance, public opinion will be increasingly disaffected by the rapid and noticeable increase in our population.