Fownhope’s Heart of Oak Society traces its roots to the age of friendly societies, when communities provided their own safety net. Its anniversary celebrations reveal a tradition still very much alive, says MARK SEDDON
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The CBI has no answers to the problems around immigration and skills
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CARLOS MARTINEZ says Cuba’s achievements in the face of a criminal blockade are startling, but the island’s future if the United States succeeds in crushing it looks bleak
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ON August 9 this year the employers’ organisation the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) issued its report entitled Open and Controlled — Recommendations for a New Approach to Immigration.
The report, based on commentary from its membership organisation, focused entirely on the impact of Britain leaving the EU and interestingly made the point in opening that EU workers should not be subject to the burdensome Non-EU Visa Rules.
In other words, the headline does not fit the story. First, it conflates immigration and work — something that has been a feature since Tony Blair’s Immigration Acts — and, as importantly, it is a case of special pleading for the EU nations, saying nothing at all about the rest of the world.
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