UK IMMIGRATION POLICY 2015

There is no doubt that Immigration Policy in the UK is one of the most contraversial subjects at present in the UK and the EU.

There is so much misleading debate between Politicians and Citizens that it is timely for one British Citizen to express an opinion - and a new Policy within the EU.
If the UK does not remain in the UK after 2017 Referendum, that is a different matter although I believe that my suggestions will still apply.
When discussing Immigration, it is important to qualify what we mean by the word Immigration.
From the British viewpoint I think that it means -

• Immigrants from the European Union countries
• From The British Commonwealth Countries such as India, Pakistan,, West Indies amongst others.
• Immigrants wanting to become British Citizens
• Benefit and Healthcare Tourists, 
• Asylum Seekers
• One Immigrant recorded means eventually 4, 5 or more family members with high birth rates.

So, when we talk about Immigration we had better define who we are talking about .Otherwise, we enter the world of fantasy. misinterpretation, false conclusions, double talk, racialism and sheer Political points scoring - all to the detriment of Democracy and the decent British Citizens. 

It is a fact that there are nearly 30.000 Asylum seekers still awaiting a decision after many years in free living quarters and about £36 per week social benefits.
There is a continuous flow of migrants striving to enter the UK via Calais France. The Mayor of Calais recently blamed the UK Government for this turmoil in Calais Because Migrants from Yemen, Egypt, Somalia and other countries see the Benefits in Britain as El Dorado.

So what should the UK do about Immigration ?

• Most British Citizens are not against Immigration. We need an influx of trained, decent people to staff many of our job vacancies in the NHS, Education and Government Departments to give just a few examples.
• So, just like in Australia, there must be a Points System which can be used according to the Job Vacancies in the UK.
• Many thousands of Immigrants are serving the UK well already and they are welcome to continue to do so., 
• However, these Immigrants remain citizens of their country of birth.
• The UK will not strive to stop Immigration but will seek to control Immigration in the interests of The UK taxpayer.

One of the Foundation Stones of The Treaty of Rome and following Treaties is The Free Movement of Labour across National Boundaries.

The UK can comply with this rule but on an equal playing field basis.

Foreign Nationals should be supported by their own  Country of Origin and not by the UK Government for any financial benefits or by the EU as proposed below.

This means that if they need Social Subsidies, their country of origin and as holders of a Foreign Passport - they should claim from their country's' Government.
They do not get British Social Security payouts.
They are not entitled to free housing or Welfare payments.

• The UK must end the current practice of paying Child Allowances to Immigrants such as from Poland who get payments for their children living back in Poland or any other EU country.
• The practice of the UK allowing 1 adult immigrant into the country - who then qualifies to bring his 4 children and wife with him - and then his Mother, Father, Uncles, Nephews,in fact his whole family should be ended.This is crazy and extremely costly to the British Taxpayer.

This covers the EU and the British Commonwealth countries.
Workers Yes - dependants - NO  - unless they bring sufficient monetary resources with them so that they are not a burden on the British Taxpayer.

For EU Immigrants, a fund should be established in Brussels - The EU Welfare Fund ( EUWF ).
Healthcare and Social Costs should be charged by the UK - and all the other EU States directly to this fund for repayment.
This will avoid the current practice of certain member states from not repaying their citizens bills.
The EU would then be responsible for retrieving theses monies from the member state. Failure to repay would be mean penalties which would hurt.

• Regional needs must be another qualification for a Work Permit.
• Immigrants from the EU or Commonwealth should not be able to enter the UK and just disappear from the system. They must qualify on the Points / Regional basic needs.

A Job Vacancy must be advertised for 3 months before an Application from an Immigrant can be considered.

• A big loophole in the current Policy is twofold -

1. The Applicant is an Asylum Seeker or he/she wants to study in the UK.

There are so much conflicts in the World that if there is not a cap on Asylum Seekers, the UK will be overrun with these people.This is where the United Nations should come in. They should identify Emerging Nations who need Labour and seek to get these Governments to take these Asylum seekers.
Since this is a Global Problem we need Global solutions.

2 -Students seeking entry to study here can be a good thing. However, they must have sufficient funds available and if they need Healthcare If they need help, costs must be re-funded by the proposed
EUWF.
If they come from Commonwealth countries or elsewhere. their Governments must deposit funds into  a OSRF - Overseas Students Refund Fund - so that the costs to the UK Taxpayer are not abused.
If these Government fail to set up a Fund and there are Student Extra Costs, an appropriate amount of money must be deducted  the UK Overseas Development Fund. That will make them think twice about being a Debtor or non Payer.

• Finally, criminals from the EU or Commonwealth must be re-patriated and the expense of prison paid for by the Foreign Government. The UK does not want Foreign Criminals. This must be applied to UK Criminals who commit crimes in Foreign Countries.

Is these ideas sensible for the UK or not ?

They are for debate and challenge but maybe - just maybe - most of the ideas make sense in 21st Century Britain. They are not Racialist Policies. They are sensible suggestions fro the British Taxpayer and Citizens.

BUT -  A Warning. EU Commission President, Barroso has said - New restrictions could breach the fundamental principle of free movement  of labour 
.
My response could be - Does the Treaty of Rome 1957 Articles 83 and 84  and subsequent Treaties define that the free movement of labour means that EU citizens must have the right to enjoy all the existing levels of Welfare payments at the same  rates and conditions in every country in the EU ?
If not because they cannot afford on par rates - is this not an EU problem to deal with and solve- with subsidies paid out of the EU Budget or EUWF as suggested earlier?
The UK is already a net contributor to the EU Budget. Why should the UK pay more by subsiding workers from other EU states such as - Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, and others ?
Why should not the EU subsidies these poorer states for Welfare payments ?

When the founding fathers of the EEC drew up the Rome Treaty 1957 - Holland, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Germany, Italy - they were advanced economies. Even after the 1973 Treaty , the EU did not envisage admitting many poorer countries who would need vast subsidies and whose economies were weak. There was a failure in 1973 and subsequently to deal effectively with these issues. This was a failure of the collective  EU Members and not the UK Governnment who were reluctant to use their Veto.. Perhaps in hindsight they should have used the Veto.

You must decide. After all - it is your Country - is it not ? Or, are we at the mercy of the EU 
Commissioners and the EU Parliament ?

EUREKYS

EUREKYS is the REGISTERED  TRADE MARK of 

RAY WILLIAMS MA MPhil MBA DIPM
Business Adviser, Composer, Songwriter, Author

CREATING A SUCCESSFUL FUTURE

ANOTHER LANDMARK FOR EUREKYS MUSIC

A World Class successful singer is interested in recording some of my songs. I have given her first option. A very exciting new development.

NEW LANDMARK FOR EUREKYS MUSIC

As at the 1st September 2014 more than 40.000 people have listened to my music compositions across the World on Digital Radio Stations and on YouTube - in one year.
Thank you everyone.

My Slideshow

THE VISION OF 1961

SCHOLARSHIP TO THE USA 1961
A Study of American Marketing Developments

I can look back for more than 50 years on my first visit to the USA as a Travelling Scholar of what is now called The Chartered Institute of Marketing. I had won this award by obtaining the highest marks in the UK in the Diploma examinations in the subjects Marketing and Market Research.as well as writing a winning article on The Future of Marketing.
As a result of my 3 months stay in the USA during which I spent 4 weeks with Remington Univac   and Doyle Dane and Bernbach a leading Advertising Agency in New York, Johnson and Johnson in New Jersey, North American Philips in the USA and Canada - I completed a Report entitles -
Trends in American Marketing.

Here is s summary of the visionary trends that I noted from my research and as stated in my article.

SUPERSONIC TRAVEL
I suggested in my essay to the Scholarship selection committee that in the future British Airways would have flights to New York that would take only 3 hours.
This was many years before Concorde took to the skies.

DEVELOPMENT OF COLOUR TELEVISION
My study involved work with NBC - National Broadcasting Corporation and RCA -  Radio Corporation of America in New York and some of the leading TV channels in the USA. Colour Television was still in its infancy and it was unknown in the UK. I outlined in my Report some of the technological problems as well as the scope for Marketing in colour.

NOCTURNAL SHOPPING
Another trend that I studied - unknown in the UK at the time, was Nocturnal Shopping.
Today, Shopping Centres like ASDA, Tesco, Morrisons are open sometimes all night.

MARKETING SPECIALISM
In the UK in 1961, Advertising Agencies did not have separate Marketing Departments. In the USA, agencies such as Doyle Dane and Bernbach had well developed specialist Marketing Departments. They had also developed a stronger appreciation of Consumer Research and Customer Profiling.

MARKETING AS A PROFESSION
In 1961 in the UK the emphasis in Business was on Production and Selling in that order. Marketing as a prime driving force was not developed. In the USA Marketing as a professional tool was well developed.
I attended New York University classes on Marketing which made me realise the full potential of Marketing being a very important concept which the UK should embrace.

SIX YEARS ON 1967
I was fortunate in 1967 to be selected with some 40 other Senior British and American Executives to study at Harvard Business School. I remember listening to Professor Theodore Levitt talk about Marketing in depth - he wrote the famous book Marketing Myopia.  I also studied under Professor Ladendorf and Professor Ed Burske ( Editor of the Harvard Business Revue ). In 1967 thanks to the work of The Institute
of Marketing in the UK, the role of Marketing was becoming accepted by the business community It took a few more years before Marketing was recognised a s a profession.. I also remember the Professors predicting the Information Age - when computers would dominate communications and the spread of the Knowledge Society. How right they were.
As Chief Executive of Ofrex Limited, we had already installed an IBM 360 series computer - mainly for payroll work

THE NEXT 50 YEARS
What will be the trends over the next 50 years to 2064 ?
Perhaps you have the vision to predict the future just like my studies in the USA a long time ago.

STRATEGY FOR NEW MUSICALS

Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh dominate the world of the Musical Theatre.

Lloyd Webber also dominates ownership of some of London's major theatres such as The London Palladium and Drury Lane Theatre.

In 2013 it is estimated that more than 8.5 million people will have seen West End musicals with a turnover of some £350 millions. So, Musical Theatre is big money - and big losses in some cases.

If you are a budding composer and creator of musical theatre you need to be realistic in your Strategy if you want to break into this highly competitive market. So, what is my advice ?

Firstly, understand that you need a large amount of funding - risk capital - even if you have a brilliant musical score and a great script. This first step will be very difficult. The dominant players will attract capital due to their reputation and contacts. It is doubtful if you an unknown will be able to do so !

Musicals are normally collaborative productions. You will find it difficult to attract collaborators or partners - so do not waste you time and effort trying to do so. I have found that we live in a Noreply Society - if you do try to contact prospects, they will almost certainly ignore you. 
Success makes them aloof, selfish and unavailable - unless you are in their magic circle of like Prima Donas !

So, you must be realistic and modest in your expectations. What should you do then ?

STRATEGY FOR NEW MUSICALS

• Your musical must be tailored to a low cost flexible production such as - use effective lighting to maximize the appearance of sets. Do not suggest high cost stage scenery. Use lighting changes on simple sets
• Keep cast numbers within about 12 people to reduce artists costs with some multi roles for each member of the cast except the principal players.
• It goes without saying that your musical score and script must be original and very creative for a 2 hours long musical with a 20 minutes interval
• Make sure that the choreography is lively and appealing.
• Make sure that the cast wardrobes are colourful and low cost productions. 
• Use recordings for your musical numbers - ie the themes and do not use costly musicians except where there is an amateur production.

KEY OBJECTIVES

In Stage 1 ignore any attempt to launch your musical onto the London Stage or any international musical theatre stages. You will fail !

Realise that the Market for Musical Theatre is in general as follows -

• Capital Theatres such as London and New York
• Major Provincial Cities Theatres and Groups.
• Minor Cities and Towns Theatres
• Suburban small theatres stages
• NODA - National Operatic and Dramatic Association Theatre Groups
• Amateur Theatres Production Groups
• Schools and Collages Theatre Groups
• Stage School Productions
• Online Internet Exposure and Downloads.

Your best option is to promote your new musical vis the NODA Members list and the Amateur Theatre Groups. If you succeed, you will gain considerable valuable experience at low financial risk. You can then tackle some of the other Market Segments as listed above.
At present there is a tendency fro productions to be The Golden Oldies - such as South Pacific, The King and I,  42nd Street, West Side Story and so on.

I believe that it is time to see on stage some new refreshing 21st Century Musicals. In order to create and encourage new talent in Britain for the benefit of the Arts in general, I also believe that it is good to break the dominance of the Big Two Composers.

PROMOTING THE NEW MUSICAL

If you have a low budget, I suggest that you concentrate your efforts on the main segments which I have listed as Stage 1 Priorities. You can use Direct Mail on a selective basis as well as the Internet - place a Video and Music on YouTube. Also invest in  iTunes - Google Play - Virgin - Spotify and other Social Media sites. See my article The Online Digital Music Revolution 2013 for further helpful,hints.

If you are lucky, find a Champion who is impressed with your work and who will open doors for you in the Musical Theatre World.

BEST OF LUCK TO YOU.