“Brexodus?” What Brexodus?

Number of EU nationals working in the UK has reached a record high

Despite Brexit’, UK is still the place to come for work

There are now almost 2.4 million EU nationals working in the United Kingdom — the highest total on record — according to the latest official figures released by the Office for National Statistics.

EU nationals working in the UK

Number of EU nationals working in the UK is highest ever 2.38 million

This figure does not include their partners and dependents

Three years after the EU Referendum it continues to increase

Almost 100,000 EU workers have been added to the total in the past 12 months

The figure has more than doubled in the last 10 years

Remain MPs’ narrative is once again proved hopelessly wrong

Here is what the Office for National Statistics actually said.

“The number of EU nationals working in the UK has reached a record high.” “Since 2009, the number of non-UK nationals from outside the EU working in the UK has been broadly flat.“ In contrast, the number of non-UK nationals from the EU working in the UK has generally increased, reflecting the admission of Poland and other East European countries to the EU in 2004.”

(Office for National Statistics, 14 May 2019)

Where’s the Brexodus?

Since the Referendum, we have regularly been faced with stories from the BBC and in the mainstream media about the flight of EU nationals from the UK. Readers will be aware of Project Fear tales regarding a ‘Brexodus’ affecting the NHS, universities, and colleges, as well as the plumbing, building and agricultural sectors.

Just as with the threats from Remain MPs of mass unemployment, if the UK voted to leave, the facts tell a different story.

Rather than an exodus of EU nationals, the Office for National Statistics says that the number working in the UK has reached a record high of 2.38 million.

That’s over 1 million more than the number of non-British nationals from the rest of the world. The simple truth is that the UK remains a big draw for those from the EU27 countries.

‘Despite Brexit’, the EU continues to export its unemployment problem to the UK. The UK’s unemployment rate is now just 3.8% — less than half the rate in France, and nearly a quarter that of Spain.

It’s important to reflect on what these figures mean. These are not votes; these are real people who have made the life-changing decision to uproot themselves, and in many cases their families, and to come to build a new life in the United Kingdom.

Not all will stay of course, but it’s clear from the numbers that a large proportion do. The figure of almost 100,000 extra EU workers in the last 12 months is a net figure. It accounts for those who have left in that time and is, therefore, a real increase.

Naturally, each of them needs somewhere to live, at a time when housebuilding remains at an inadequate level. If they have children, places at schools will have had to be found and more teachers will have been needed. GP surgeries and hospitals will have experienced a higher workload. At the same time, these EU workers are of course contributing to the economy and will be paying taxes.

As ever, I don’t fully believe the numbers

I think the real numbers are much higher, as a result of my past analysis of the huge increase in the number of National Insurance numbers issued by HMRC in recent years. That said, I have simply reported the latest ONS official figures, as these cannot be contested by Remain MPs.

There must surely come a point where Remain MPs have to give up and admit that they got everything hopelessly wrong…..?

Who am I kidding? That will never happen. Even when they’ve been voted out of office at the next general election.