Prime Minister David Cameron has backed a new fund to help areas such as Boston cope with the demands placed on services by immigration.
Mr Cameron gave a major speech in Staffordshire recently in which he pledged support for communities where there is a large amount of migrant labour.
The 2011 Census showed almost 10,000 foreign-born residents live in Boston, with 12.1 per cent of Boston residents holding non-British EU passports. Politicians in the town contest both figures as being too low.
During his speech Mr Cameron said if he continues as Prime Minister: “We will continue with our welfare and education reforms, making sure that it always pays to work, training more British workers right across the country, but especially in local areas that are heavily reliant on migrant labour and supporting those communities with a new fund to help meet the additional demands on local services.”
Earlier he had said: “There are three dangerous views we need to confront. First is the complacent view that says the levels of immigration we’ve seen in the past aren’t really a problem at all. Also, that globalisation is an unalloyed gold, and that those complaining about immigration just need to get with the modern world.
“Often the people who have these views are those who have no direct experience of the impact of high levels of migration.
“They have never waited on a social housing list, or found that their child’s classroom is overcrowded or felt their community has changed too fast.
“And what makes everyone else really angry is that if they dare to express these concerns, they can be made to feel guilty about doing so.”
“I want young British people schooled enough, skilled enough and keen enough to work so there is less demand for foreign workers. Put simply, our job is to educate and train up our youth so we are less reliant on immigration to fill our skills gaps.”
Boston and Skegness Conservative candidate Matt Warman welcome the Prime Minister’s comments.
He said: “Lincolnshire has long relied on seasonal, migrant workers, whether that’s working in the leisure industry in Skegness or on the land picking and packing. We of all people know it’s not racist to talk about immigration.
“But policies, set in train by Labour, meant migrants got more in benefits in Britain that they do in France or Germany. The Conservative Party is reforming welfare, setting up a new fund to ease pressure on over-stretched services and making sure our towns are able to cope with people who come to work.
“Nobody should pretend immigration is simple to handle and we are the only party with a credible, sophisticated policy to tackle the real issues today and also grow the economy for the long term.”/Boston Standard
