I am eagerly expecting the time when somebody will take Nigel Farage to court for libel and deception. Just a quick look at the HO stats:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-tabs-q3-2012/

Table ee.01.q: Applications from Bulgarian and Romanian nationals for permission to work in the UK by date of application 2012 Q3

Accession worker card applications approved 167
Registration certificate applications approved 486

AND for OUTSIDE EEA: Immigration Statistics – July to September 2012
Out of Country visas issued Total :145,604
In-country grants of extensions Total:142,443

Not even bothered to look at Asylum stats which have dedicated not 1, not 2, not even 3 but 5 volumes.

The irony is that this will make him even more popular.

Because they come together. And the reverse applies these days, given out failing economy.

You’re confusing seeing a foreigner with a race to the bottom again. The reduction is what you’re practising on our economy.

Why do you persist in conflating opposition to mass immigration with hatred?

I lived briefly in Poland. There are very very few protections for the unemployed there and public services are horrendous. The answer given to those who don’t like it is: why don’t you go to England?

It is not the job of this nation to pick up the pieces of failed Thatcherite economics elsewhere.

This is extremely reductionist. He’s not lashing out anyone. Globalisation is a race to the bottom.

I agree David Lownton, it has always mystified me why the left doesn’t understand the effect mass immigration has on working conditions at the lower end. If the middle class liberals had to compete with migrant labour in their professions, I’m sure we would see radically different opinions.

Follow the money: do you ever hear the CBI or the Institute of Directors complaining about immigration? No.

I have to say my views on immigration have changed significantly over the last few years and I am appalled at the propensity for ‘liberals’ to shout down any opponent of mass immigration as ‘racist’. I have travelled all over the world and this country is by far one of the most tolerant and welcoming. But we are putting that at risk with this blind adherence to WTO rules and globalisation. It is not the job of the people of this country to pick up the pieces of failed economic policy in Eastern Europe and allowing these largely Thatcherite governments to off-load their unemployed to us does the people of those nations no good whatsoever.

As such Thorn is right to finger globalisation as the culprit for lost jobs but sadly has to conflate opposition to this race to the bottom with support for the BNP / UKIP.

”AND also you can add to the petition that EU is a two way street. And think about the tens of thousands brits already in these countries and abroad – how will they answer questions about your petition for awkward policies based on nonsense fears promoted by UKIP and BNP.”

Two wrongs don’t make a right, I’m afraid. British people have no more right to expect to work abroad than anyone else and I would ask what does he think about, for example, Brazil’s stringent controls on workers from Europe? It sounds to me like a sensible policy to build up the capacity of its own workforce.

Who exactly has benefited most from globalisation? If the answer is ‘us, because we can buy cheap goods from Asia’, I would reply that you don’t have much solidarity with the factory workers who have to produce those goods in appalling conditions. Instead I would posit that globalisation has really only benefited the super-rich, who are inimically opposed to our values and whose crisis – caused by the free movement of their money – we are forced to pay for.

A petition is full of lies, sorry.

“In 2014 EU restrictions are set be removed, allowing nationals of Bulgaria and Romania ‘free movement’ to the UK.” – There are no restrictions for movement since 2007.

“The move is similar to the one that granted access to around 600,000 Polish immigrants to enter Britain over recent years.” – Recent years are since 2004, when economy was booming, majority of these people went back to Poland, i.e. they did not settle here.

“Despite Bulgaria and Romania joining the EU in 2005, restrictions were put on the number who could move to Britain. However, those restrictions will be abolished in 2014.”
– Both countrues entered EU 2007 and this gave them the right for free movement in the entire EU, not only to great britain. There is no any restricions on the movement or settling in any EU member state.

“Once the restrictions are lifted all new comers will entitled to claim benefits, housing, child, job seekers etc.”
– Lifting the restrictions for employment means that people can apply for full time permanent jobs without explicit permition from Home Office. The entitlemnt for claiming benefits will be (hopefully) aligned with the rest EU citizens, which are however much more restrictive to EU than for UK citizens, so no worries.

“The impact will also put pressure on housing, infrastructure, schools, and heath care. All at a time the government are cutting pensions, jobs, public services and the armed forces.”
– Given the above – no any impact is expected at all.The above restriction are lifted for employment access to whole of EU, not UK only.

“I request the government suspends the easing on these restrictions for another 5 years.”

– UK goverment can not impose any further restrictions according the EU law. The restrictions have been applied in the previous year.

“The government requests to renegotiate the immigration laws within the EU.”

– Cherry picking again. 🙂 I don’t think so, unless you insist the UK to be again laughing stock as it was during the recent PM’s statements in Davos.

Instead of signing petitions against the locals (EU citizens) better look where all manufacturing, engineering and service jobs are going (Asia), and ask the Upper (leading) crust WHY and until when they will stimulate the Asian region instead of implementing policies for keeping its own population busy producing goods and services.
The same situation is all over Europe and US.
YOU CAN’T KEEP exporting jobs forever, because the buildings built by the chaps in question will stay empty.

AND also you can add to the petition that EU is a two way street. And think about the tens of thousands brits already in these countries and abroad – how will they answer questions about your petition for awkward policies based on nonsense fears promoted by UKIP and BNP.