Viviane Reding’s criticism of David Cameron’s concerns about immigration show how completely out of touch she is with voters. Reding, the Vice-President of the European Commission, is reported to have said ‘free movement and the supposed invasion of people who want to take advantage of social security and of the health system is an invention of politicians who like to have populist movements in order to win elections’. Can it be that Reding is a secret supporter of Nigel Farage? Her comments, hot on the heels of her decision to press ahead with proposals for a European Public Prosecutor’s Office despite the opposition of 14 national parliaments to the scheme, are surely designed to enrage the British public and drive voters into the arms of UKIP?
Whilst I believe the UK will remain an open economy and society that welcomes hard-working and aspiring people from across Europe, to hide our heads in the sand and pretend that the free movement of people across the EU does not come with some negative consequences is utter nonsense.
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