Lazy Britain

I think one of the most astounding stories that I have ever read in a newspaper, is the news that 350,000 Polish people have arrived in this country in the last two years. At the risk of being controversial I find it staggering that a settlement of people of this order warrants only secondary positioning in the newspapers, as I work most weekends it takes me a day or two to catch-up with the Sunday papers. I just happen to find it incredible, this news given its social and economic impact only rates page 13 of the Sunday Times. If you look at this anyway it has significant effect in all areas of life be it provision for hospitals or housing.

Obviously things must be fairly desperate in Poland when unemployment is in the region of 20 per cent, so if I was Polish I would find it hard to resist settling in the UK.

I read in the Guardian, how London would grind to a halt were it not possible to exploit people from Africa, and East Europe with poverty pay so that the affluent can have their cleaners, au pairs , plumber's etc . Just what sort of people are we, that the affluent expect people to do menial tasks for minimal money. Yesterday as I recovered from a working Weekend, I listened to the today programme on Radio 4 and and listened as the presenter said that British people are no longer willing to work for low pay and wondered why this idiot was not himself on £5.05.

It never ceases to amaze me how people on very good incomes, are so reluctant to see people doing menial tasks for a living wage.

The middle-class or rather middle income class are quite happy to accept that they can pay a Polish National less than they would their British counterpart and do not consider this any form of discrimination, however should working class complain about being displaced by cheaper Polish workers then they get accused of being lazy or racist.

In the Sunday-Times editorial "Calling all Poles" the author refers to Poles speaking English better than the natives (so you can see the mindset of the author) he then goes on it to say how Poles have filled jobs that local workers are unable or unwilling to do. Would this journalist work for the minimum wage I don't think so.

The thing is whilst British Industry is wallowing in a sea of cheap labour enjoying a short term benefit, it's a pity these businesses cannot see the other side of the coin which will be increased pressure on public services health, policing, welfare education etc.

The Home Office predicted that roughly 5000 to 13,000 migrants would arrive from the enlarged EU not 350,000 , unfortunately it is those at the bottom rungs of society who will pay the cost for this error in lower wages whilst middle income/middle-class people smugly pontificate about the Polish work ethic forgetting that they are themselves exploiting these people.

Can anyone recommend a plumber ?