We now know what's on Cameron's EU reform list - not much!

According to the article, Cameron's shopping list is anything but ambitious. Starting off by asking for crumbs off the table just means that he'll get even less.



Read Article
 

1  FOR WORKERS FROM THE EU:

• No in-work benefits until they have been in Britain for four years.
• No social housing for four years
• No child benefit or tax credits paid for children living outside the UK

COMMENT: Does nothing to stop mass immigration forcing down pay and conditions as it sets no criteria on who can enter.


2  FOR UNEMPLOYED EU MIGRANTS:

• No support from the UK taxpayer
• Deportation if they do not get a job for six months

COMMENT: This does nothing to address the pressure on housing and services, since migrants still need somewhere to live and also education, health and other services. Neither does it address the surplus jobseekers keeping pay and conditions down.


3  OTHER IMMIGRATION MEASURES:

• Restrictions on EU migrants bringing in family members from outside the EU

COMMENT: Note the words, "outside the EU". Cameron is not going to try to restrict family members from within the EU.

• Longer bans on rough sleepers, beggars and fraudsters returning to the UK

COMMENT: Not a complete ban then, just a longer one. How much longer remains to be seen.

• Tougher rules on deporting foreign criminals

COMMENT: Rather unspecific aim that is easy to achieve since it only requires the most minor of tinkering and Cameron can claim victory.

• Refusing to allow other countries to join the EU without imposing controls on the movement of their workers until their economies have reached UK levels

COMMENT: It seems to me that Cameron is asking for something that already exists - when Poland and others joined the EU, the EU allowed countries to place restrictions on entry. The UK declined to take advantage of that of course.


4  PROTECTIONS FROM EU INTERFERENCE:

• A special 'opt-out' from the principle of 'ever closer union' between EU states

COMMENT: We've had opt outs before which the EU and our government quietly binned when they thought we wouldn't notice.

• Measures to strengthen national parliaments to club together to block Brussels diktats

COMMENT: This one says everything. If elected national Parliaments have to club together to veto the dictates of the unelected EU Commission, it just shows how powerful the Commission is and that the EU is well on its way to becoming a dictatorship.

• Rules to protect the influence of countries outside the Euro-zone

COMMENT: Given that the EU's objective is for the Euro to replace all currencies across the EU and for Europe to be homogenized, any concession the EU makes on this point will surely be short term at best. Furthermore, exceptions made for individual member states are whittled away as soon as possible, eg UK's rebate.