The Sun should use language that reflects reality, not their readers' prejudices.
Foreigners now make up almost one in ten of all dole claimers, according to page 2 of today’s Sun.
The statistic is just the latest rejoinder in a row between the government and Brussels over the extent to which migrants are moving from country to country as ‘benefit tourists’ within the EU.
A total of 9.4 per cent of all Jobseekers Allowance claimants this year – 142,300 – were ‘not British born’, according to the Sun. This compares with the 3 per cent figure cited by the EU – prompting the Sun to boast that the “statistics used by the controversial [EU] report are almost two years out of date”.
The Sun’s story, however, is quite misleading.
Firstly, why has the paper chosen to use the broad term ‘not British born’ in a piece about benefit tourists coming to the UK from other EU countries?
One in 10 job seekers allowance claimants are ‘not British born’, according to the Sun. This is not the same, however, as one in 10 jobseekers allowance claimants being ‘benefit tourists’ from other parts of the European Union – as should have been obvious to the journalist writing the piece.
According to the 2011 census, one in eight – 13 per cent – of UK residents was born overseas. To give an example of just how fatuous the term ‘not British born‘ is, here are a few British national treasures who would fall under the paper’s definition of ‘benefit tourists’ should they ever sign on for jobseekers allowance (unlikely, I know):
Tory MP Daniel Hannan – born in Lima, Peru
Joanna Lumley – born in India
Eddie Izzard – born in Aden, Yemen
Richard E. Grant – born in Swaziland
Boris Johnson – born in New York, USA
Bradley Wiggins – born in Ghent, Belgium
John Barnes – born in Kingston, Jamaica
None of these celebrities were British born. According to the Sun, they are therefore ‘foreigners’ and potential ‘benefit tourists’.
As to the wider row about migrants coming from places like Poland and Hungary to claim benefits and ‘steal our jobs’ (you’ve probably noticed a contradiction there that some of our political commentators are seemingly oblivious to), there is, as it happens, no precedent to support such claims.
Research published by the government last year found that almost 17 per cent of all British nationals were receiving working-age benefits compared to under 7 per cent of all those classed as non-UK nationals when they first arrived in the UK.
As of February 2011, those who were foreign nationals when they first came to the UK represented 6.4 per cent of claimants – despite making up 13 per cent of the population.
Working-age benefits are defined as income support, job seeker’s allowance, carer’s allowance and disability living allowance.
This is a long-term trend. In 2008-09, at the height of Labour’s policy of so-called ‘uncontrolled immigration’, A8 immigrants paid 37 per cent more in direct or indirect taxes than they received in public goods and services.
A8 immigrants also contributed 0.96 per cent of total tax receipts and accounted for only 0.6 per cent of total expenditures (see table; click to zoom).
The Sun may not have wished their terminology to have been interpreted in this way. They may also have been attempting to whip up hostility to migrants using phrases like ‘not British born’. Either way, they should use language that reflects reality, not their readers’ prejudices.
47 Responses to “Are 1 in 10 on the dole really immigrants?”
Alec
The claim by the the Sun – no matter how objectionably misleading it was – was that people who are not contributing to the Exchequer, never have and weren’t even born to parents who had are claiming benefits.
So, other similarly wooly thinking can be seen in the citing of those names born in [then] colonies where their parents were parts of the administrations. That wasn’t really another country in the political sense, was it?
Of the others, Johnson is more accurately described as having been born during a family holiday to New York. Wiggins had a British mother and was in this country before his second birthday. Both Hannan’s parents were British and he was educated in this country and always has been employed here.
The closest we have is Grant and Barnes. Yet, although Barnes clearly was born a Jamaican to Jamaican parents, but moved to this country as a minor and entered employment here at the first opportunity. Grant may have been born abroad to non-British parents, but his father was part of the colonial administration.
This piece would be on stronger ground if it questioned the tax-paying status of the owners of the Sun. Of course, that wouldn’t have made for a “ooo, must get some copy out asap”.
~alec
Alec
Hardly. He was born into the monarchy for goodness sake! Honestly, there are sound and reasoned arguments to make against this… yours, however, is about the same level as having a five year old tell us where babies come from.
~alec
Alec
To be accurate, Cliff Richard is Anglo-Indian so, presumably, his family’s presence in India dated back to the turn of the 19th Century with strong non-Euro branches.
~alec
OldLb
Is he on the Dole?
OldLb
So have you any references for how much money flows?
The cost of the NHS is 2K per person a year (roughly).
So for each Pole, we have 2K coming to the UK?
What about the US? Do we have cash coming from the US?
Nope, its a joke. There aren’t the flows to cover the cost of providing the insurance.