Watch the moment Britain’s projected population explosion causes a ruckus on GB News with host Alex Armstrong accused of “demonising” migrants.
Human rights lawyer Ivon Sampson joined Alex on the People’s Channel to discuss new figures showing England and Wales has seen its second biggest annual population jump in 75 years.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the population grew by 700,000 in the year to last June and was almost entirely driven by migration.
Sampson said politicians are to blame, a point Alex agreed with as he argued: “What is the point of a young person getting a degree and then going to be put into a low paid job?
GB NEWS
|Sampson accused Alex Armstrong of using language that would not look out of place in an Enoch Powell speech
“If we’re flooding the country with people, they’re going to suppress wages. If we’re going to bring people in from abroad who are going to earn less than the average Brit, why would the average Brit take a payout?”
Sampson took issue with Alex’s choice of words, saying ‘flooding the country’ was a turn of phrase that would not be out of place in an Enoch Powell speech.
“Focus on the statistics”, said Alex.
“Why would a British person take a pay cut to take a job an illegal migrant is going to do for half.”
ONS | The population continues to grow in England and Wales
Sampson said: “You’re confusing legal and illegal migration.” Alex quickly batted him down, saying: “I’m not. I just said legal migrants.
“I don’t think you have an argument here. You’re trying to find these soft, left arguments.
“Look at the facts. GDP per capita is down. NHS waiting lists are through the roof. House prices are through the roof. We’re not building homes, building hospitals and we haven’t got enough jobs.
“I speak to people daily who can’t get jobs. Even at Tesco because we’ve allowed that to come under skilled migrant visas. This is unsustainable.
GB NEWS
|Sampson joined Alex Armstrong on GB News
“I want skilled people to come to this country but we are inviting all of these unskilled people into this country and then giving them benefits because they can’t pay for high-skilled Britain.”
Sampson said: “The title of the visa you are talking about is called a skilled worker visa. Those are the people coming into this country because we don’t have enough people to fill these roles.
“What we need is investment in public services. We need to build cohesive communities. What you’re trying to do is demonise people bringing benefits to this country.”
Alex said “I’m not demonising anybody”, citing a personal story about his stepfather who was an illegal migrant and “worked his backside off”.
“We are seeing, time and time again, we are flooding the country with cheap labour and it’s suppressing wages. We have got to train people in this country or things will get worse.”
Sampson said: “I agree about the training, but you want to scapegoat migrants for issues like underfunded services.”
Alex said he is not scapegoating migrants and the Government is to blame.
“It’s a political cop-out. It’s a diversion tactic. It’s the Government saying ‘look over there’”, Sampson said.