State of the parties as 2015 General Election looms.

[amateur51]

Nonsense. For example, the Migration Watch UK report takes the UCL report and challenges, quite correctly, the assumptions it makes about the level of tax paid by immigrants and the level of benefits claimed. UCL's assumptions are wrong. The assumptions have been adjusted, and it therefore gives different, more accurate values.

Nothing wrong with that.

If you like, the Migration Watch UK report is identical to the UCL report. It uses exactly the same methodology as UCL (UCL's!), but improves the basic assumptions. No-one is arguing with this except, perhaps you.

What you say is fine in the abstract, but doesn't really apply here.

And has anyone asked UCL to respond to MigrationWatch's reinterpretation of its findings? That's the crucial part that's missing, surely.

And the question of who funds MigrationWatch of course.

[MrGongGong]

Could someone else bring to the poster's attention that Migration Watch refuses to publish details of it funding sources and as such it is an organisation of some dubiety.

Thank you.

Indeed
So WHO is paying them ?

[aeolium]

I think you've missed my point. All think tanks, research-bodies etc are susceptible to subjectivity. And if you limit your view to agencies that 'have no axe to grind' you might lose out on the best work, and end up with something, in absolute terms, that is not very good.

No, I didn't miss the point. I accept that there is going to be an element of subjectivity involved in the interpretation of complex data, but it's also more likely to be a judicious interpretation if it is not swayed by predisposition, i.e. if those looking at the data have no particular ideological interest in the results it provides. I think the problems that arise when there is such an ideological interest can be seen by looking at those groups who persist in denying the human contribution to global warming contrary to an enormous weight of scientific evidence and overwhelming scientific consensus. The reports which such groups provide are much more likely to be "not very good".

[Beef Oven!]

.................The reports which such groups provide are much more likely to be "not very good".

But this one is very good. And that's the point.

[amateur51]

But this one is very good. And that's the point.

Says ... who?

Oh you!

Anyone else?

And what has UCL said about MigrationWatch's commentary on its results?

And who funds MigrationWatch?

[Beef Oven!]

Or the problems that follow may in fact be rather different from those presented in the media....one "problem" masking another.

'Masking', you say?

How come Southampton are pretending to be Man Utd?

If that's not masking, then I'm a Dutchman.

[MrGongGong]

And who funds MigrationWatch?

?

[ahinton]

'Masking', you say?

How come Southampton are pretending to be Man Utd?

If that's not masking, then I'm a Dutchman.

A Dutchman? Oh, no! Were a certain UK party (which dares not speak its name, at least on this forum) to seize power, you might no loner be permitted to stay in Britain or indeed get back there from the Netherlands if you happen to be there right now - and either would surely be a tragedy of no small proportions both for you and for the rest of us!

That said, do you by chance happen to know who funds MigrationWatch? The "About US" page on its website - http://www.migrationwatchuk.org/about-us - states "as we are not a membership organisation, we rely on donations of whatever our supporters can afford, as well as on subscriptions to our papers (at a cost of £25 per year) from those who would like to have hard copies" but, since it is not made clear who its supporters may be, who can say? The prospect that it's "provided research for the Cross Party Group on Balanced Migration led by Frank Field MP (Labour) and Nicholas Soames MP (Conservative)" does at least appear to be of some interest to the extent that one might otherwise have imagined those two MPs to have come from different planets, never mind different countries...

[teamsaint]

'Masking', you say?

How come Southampton are pretending to be Man Utd?

If that's not masking, then I'm a Dutchman.

masking? We have it taped.

[ahinton]

masking? We have it taped.

Hmmm - but is the tape double sided?...

[Beef Oven!]

masking? We have it taped.

Bloody well get down the table, where you belong and stop all this disrespect.

[teamsaint]

A Dutchman? Oh, no! Were a certain UK party (which dares not speak its name, at least on this forum) to seize power, you might no loner be permitted to stay in Britain or indeed get back there from the Netherlands if you happen to be there right now - and either would surely be a tragedy of no small proportions both for you and for the rest of us!

If stranded in Netherholland, Beefy could do a lot worse than have breakfast here.

http://www.luxembourg.nl/nl/index3.php

Very nice.

[Beef Oven!]

A Dutchman? Oh, no! Were a certain UK party (which dares not speak its name, at least on this forum) to seize power, you might no loner be permitted to stay in Britain or indeed get back there from the Netherlands if you happen to be there right now - and either would surely be a tragedy of no small proportions both for you and for the rest of us!

That said, do you by chance happen to know who funds MigrationWatch? The "About US" page on its website - http://www.migrationwatchuk.org/about-us - states "as we are not a membership organisation, we rely on donations of whatever our supporters can afford, as well as on subscriptions to our papers (at a cost of £25 per year) from those who would like to have hard copies" but, since it is not made clear who its supporters may be, who can say? The prospect that it's "provided research for the Cross Party Group on Balanced Migration led by Frank Field MP (Labour) and Nicholas Soames MP (Conservative)" does at least appear to be of some interest to the extent that one might otherwise have imagined those two MPs to have come from different planets, never mind different countries...

Stop all this, now - use your time writing music.

[ahinton]

If stranded in Netherholland, Beefy could do a lot worse than have breakfast here.

http://www.luxembourg.nl/nl/index3.php

Very nice.

But is it really, when one has to bear in mind that it sells grocer's apostroph'es, as illustrated by
""One of the world's great café's"
(New York Times)"
innit's blur'b?...

[Beef Oven!]

If stranded in Netherholland, Beefy could do a lot worse than have breakfast here.

http://www.luxembourg.nl/nl/index3.php

Very nice.

Food and Holland = Oxymoron