UKIP Bluff Called on Bilton Housing Claims!

Border controls are the responsibility of the UK government and not Rugby Borough Council. This has not stopped UKIP's candidate in the Bilton by-election raising the issue. He writes "Councillors seem only focused on house building programmes to cope with the significant immigration pressures which our town faces". Rugby Liberal Democrats have examined UKIP's claims.

There are 2.3 million citizens of other EU countries living in the UK. The 2011 census says that 4,800 live in the borough of Rugby. At two people per household that is 2,400 houses. So does UKIP have a point?

Lets imagine UKIP winning 326 constituencies at the next general election. The Queen would then invite Nigel Farrage to become prime minister. Britain would leave the EU. (For now we will skip over the effect on jobs, prices and Britain's reputation). EU citizens would no longer have a legal right to live in Britain. Lets assume that UKIP would then be successful in deporting Arsene Wenger and the other 2.3 million EU citizens living in Britain. Would we then have 2,400 empty houses in Rugby?

No. There are 2.2 million Brits living in other EU countries. If Britain left the EU these Brits would no longer have the right to live abroad. Lets assume that UKIP directed the returning ex-pats to spread them "fairly" over the country. Rugby's share would be 3,400. At two persons per household the returning ex-pats would take up 1,700 houses.

Since the 1975 referendum we have had free movement of goods, firms and people across Europe. Some Brits have chosen to work and retire abroad and some people from the continent have chosen to work here. As Rugby is a popular place perhaps 1,400 more people live here as a result of the 1975 referendum than if Britain had voted no. That is about 700 houses or just one tenth of the number of homes which will be built on the Radio Masts site.