Cheer me up, someone

[Workingman]

Bad news is good news, it always has been.

The problem with 24hr news is that non-news has become news in order to fill the available time/space. Nature abhors a vacuum, and so does the media so we get: Car hits lamp post in Stevenage, there were no fatalities. A police statement said .... blah, blah, blah.

[Lozzles]

True enough WM.

[cromwell]

I'm awith Aggers on this one. I don't see anything to be cheerful about in the news of the census.
Unlike BBC Look North, whose coverage was "All these new people coming to live in Yorkshire... isn't it just great?. Helped along by some numpty Professor from Sheffield's Hallam University (Motto: We're redder than a bucket of blood).

I don't know what he was a Professor in; cliches, probably. "Vibrant.. diversity.. wonderful.. economic benefits...".

That was an exception on the TV though. Most of the chattering classes have fallen very silent on this issue.

The (unintentionally) funniest thing I ever read on London's multiculturalism came in a column written in the Daily Telegraph of all places, written by a lady whose name was along the lines of Candida Double-Barrell. Candida had always sworn, she said, never to send her children away to school as she had been sent away.

However, she did. Why? Because "I felt it was important not to burden my children with my own preconceptions" or some such. How very noble, I'm sure.

Nothing to do with the fact that the local primaries are full up with the children of recent arrivals, 90% of whom don't speak English? Surely not.

Sorry for the outbreak of extreme cynicism, even for me. But immigration is a subject that will curl my lip every time, because the reasons given - more likely slogans shouted and repeated - bear no resemblance to any form of reality that I can see.

[Suff]

If we stay in the EU we have to accept uncontrolled immigration.

End of.

Either get used to it or get out.

Nothing else is negotiable. The EU is moving to one country, the UK is a very desirable place for people to move. Nothing and I mean Not One Single Thing will change in that picture whilst the UK remains within the EU.

People should understand this. There are issues and there are problems. Problems cause issues. Immigration is an issue. The problem is the free access to our country and labour markets from other EU citizens.

[cromwell]

I agree with all of that Suff, not least since Cameron also seems to want Turkey to join the EU.
But, two of the top three countries for immigration over the last ten years were India and Pakistan, which aren't in the EU (Not yet anyway).
How come 400,000 people from Pakistan emigrated here? That's more than half the population of Leeds inside ten years.

[Workingman]

Bangladesh isn't in the EU either, nor Iraq.

Thankfully they didn't come to Leeds in great numbers. They already have their strongholds (I won't call them Ghettos) in Bradford, Oldham, Leicester, Birmingham and London. These are the places which would blow first.

[Suff]

but 50.000 poles did come to Edinburgh in 3 years. That's 10% of the city population in 3 years. That is EU migratory work in progress. The main point being most of them will eventually go home. But they will be replaced with others.

The biggest impact is from transient EU employees. The worse and underlying issue is the volume of others outside of the EU who come over and stay. But we have to take out the load of the EU influx before being able to deal with the others.

In my estimation anyway.

[Aggers]

All this leads me to one conclusion....

VOTE FOR UKIP

[shazsha]

I'm a kinda glass half full person and, although this country has it's faults, I prefer to look at the positives.

We have a wonderful health service compared to a great many countries.

We have a decent education system.

We have a welfare system that makes sure none of us starve.

We have access to free libraries and museums and art galleries.

I have enough food and heat to get me through a winter-things many people don't have.

I see the positives in the majority of our young people.

I have many friends of ethnic origin.

Yes, I'll admit there are many problems within this country but, overall, I enjoy life and appreciate the things we do have.

[Workingman]

I agree Shaz, but let the media loose on your list and it would, and does, turn it on its head.

The NHS is falling apart, schools are failing pupils, the welfare system is a "scroungers" charter, and on and on and on.

Good news is saved for the last slot on the bulletin: "And finally...."