UK, Ireland / Integrating Polish people into the British society [150]


I don't want to sound like a radio agony aunt, but joining an organisation is the best way to meet people if you're new in town (whether you're from another country or just another city). If you like reading, join a book club at the local library, if you like art, join an art appreciation group etc etc. If you talk to strangers in bars it will come across as odd - it shouldn't but it does.


"Jeremy Kyle" is a vile programme and, to put it in context, pretty new and not what we were watching as little as ten years ago. Then we would have been watching open-mouthed at something like "Jerry Springer", but that became popular, so the British version was inevitable.

One of the reasons why society is the way it is, is because nothing shocks us now and nothing is a scandal.

UK, Ireland / Integrating Polish people into the British society [150]


I don't think that's a silly question at all and I've spoken before on here about the double standards of the British.

Too many don't practice what they preach eg. saying everyone should work and pay their way (like I do), when all they do themselves is moan in pubs about the (insert current target) about how they get everything for free, when many of them sit on their backsides all day watching "Jeremy Kyle" and only venture out to sign-on and score some weed.

UK, Ireland / How long before a newly arrived Pole can buy something on credit ? [24]


I'm not sure if many do that to be honest as the onus is on the driver to tell the DVLA that the car has been here longer than six months. No records of the cars that come in and out of the country are kept, so it's very hard to proove how long a car has been here.

UK, Ireland / English husband cannot live with his Polish wife and child in the UK [19]


And this is the guy you wish would have kids with his new wife ???

I know that might take the heat out of your situation, but it doesn't sound like a good move to me.

UK, Ireland / How long before a newly arrived Pole can buy something on credit ? [24]


Just make sure he takes someone with him who knows about cars (if he doesn't himself) as it's easy to get ripped off buying a car from the small-ads.

UK, Ireland / Integrating Polish people into the British society [150]


I'm glad you took the time to find out, rather than go with the first impression :-)


Try not to take it too personally, I have a good friend who is originally from South Africa who has been here nearly 10 years and I'm one of his few British friends. He is always saying how hard it is to get to know British people.

For a start, we all live our lives at what seems like a million miles an hour that there is hardly any time for the friends we already have, let alone new ones ! The pace of life is too fast.

Also, compared to what you're probably used to in New Zealand, Liza, we all seem to live on top of one another here to the extent that many of us don't have the space to invite loads of people round. I'd be having people over for dinner all the time if I had the room.

All this combined with the traditional British reserve can make it hard for people new in town to get to know others.

UK, Ireland / How long before a newly arrived Pole can buy something on credit ? [24]

I think that will come with too big a sting in the tail due to his lack of credit history.

As Liza said, get a salary funded bank account and a place to stay that is permanent, don't bounce any cheques on the bank and register to vote - my local council do a "rolling registration" which means you can register at any point during the year, rather than wait for the form that comes in the post around August/September time.

If this chap needs a car as urgently as it seems, then he should have thought about how he would get one before deciding to come here.

UK, Ireland / Integrating Polish people into the British society [150]


The ones I have come across have mainly been through work and I take your point that this might not be that representative.


You said you have a mortgage, so could you rent your house out if you go to Poland ? Don't burn your bridges and sell it.


I take your point, but bringing colour into it really muddies the waters. I was talking to a good friend of mine yesterday who is British born Asian, from an Indian family, and she said "The problem is with this country today is that there are too many foreigners!"

When that comes out of the mouth of someone who isn't white, you know things have changed. She did also go onto say that "at least the Polish work!"

UK, Ireland / How long before a newly arrived Pole can buy something on credit ? [24]

Does he want a credit card or a loan ? How secure is his job ?

With credit the way it is generally at the moment, I would say that he needs to wait a while before taking out HP, loans or credit cards. He doesn't have a credit rating in this country, so he will be seen as a high risk (not trying to offend you or him, but that's what he will be seen as), so he will be best off trying to find a sub-prime lender IF he really wants to be doing this. Most banks off a sub-prime credit card to get people started such as Vanquis, Aqua and Monument Visa, but he probably couldn't use a credit card to buy a cheap car unless it was from a dealer who takes plastic.

The higher the risk he is regarded as, the more a bank will charge in APR. He could be looking at as much as 35-40%.

How much does he need ? If you can lend him enough to get him a car, that would be the better bet as leasing a car would be expensive and I reckon a loan or a credit card is dangerous so early on unless his job pays enough to clear the debt in two or three months.

Personally I would stay well clear of anything like a credit card or loan for someone in your friend's position.

Hope this helps.

UK, Ireland / English husband cannot live with his Polish wife and child in the UK [19]

This is a bit of a no-win situation unless you can work out a way of all living in the same country.

A child should ideally have regular access to BOTH his parents and not have to only see one of them in the school holidays.

Which ever side "wins" will leave the other side broken hearted.

UK, Ireland / Integrating Polish people into the British society [150]


Thank you, apology accepted.


The only ones I've come into contact with just seem to keep themselves to themselves and don't get involved much with others.

UK, Ireland / Polish people are happy with the UK health care system [27]


You're right, it is a very complex subject and I doubt if we will have the NHS as we know it in 20 years time. Private health care will become much more the norm.

My experiences of the NHS vary from an NHS dentist who checks I still have teeth, pokes about for a bit and then tells me to come back in two years - all in under 10 minutes. If I saw him as a private patient, I think he would take longer with me. This is often an appointment I've waited weeks for.

Even though I get seen as an NHS patient a recent wisdom tooth extraction, which took about 15 minutes, cost me over £45. I complained to them about this and the whole NHS dentist situation and the receptionist said I was an "in-betweener" as I didn't have enough money to be rich enough to go private and I wasn't poor enough to get everything for free.

My GPs are very nice people, but I feel that they start a stop-watch the minute I sit down and they don't give me enough time to explain stuff. One of them has a habit of putting my symptoms into something that looks like a GP's version of 'Google' which is rather unnerving.

I think the NHS will end up just being available for the real dregs of society.

UK, Ireland / Are polish pupils harming native british childrens education? [280]

It's very ironic that I used "their" rather than "there" in a post about teachers :-)

Note to self - must check what I've written more thoroughly before posting.

I do agree that teachers do get the long holidays etc, but I still think that they are there to teach children in English, rather than teaching English itself from scratch. They're allowing parents to opt out of their responsbilities otherwise and I do also think that it is a massive burden on a child to have to deal with all of this.

They should be running around grazing their knees and being children and not having to manage all this extra stuff.

UK, Ireland / Integrating Polish people into the British society [150]


You mean you want us to learn Polish ? ;-)


This is often given as a comparison and some probably do and many don't. It's just as bad as people coming here and not integrating.

People have to want to integrate and others have to want to be integrated with.

Krakow1 - I'm still waiting for my apology.

UK, Ireland / Integrating Polish people into the British society [150]


If you re-read the post you will see I was quoting from the guy on the documentary.

I would never say something like that !

This was what I posted:


You owe me an apology, Karakow1 !!!

UK, Ireland / Integrating Polish people into the British society [150]


I take it as more of a sign that trendy Labour councils like to spend their council tax revenue on English courses for foreigners, while cutting the bin-rounds to once a fortnight etc.

This is as well as providing their literature in nine other languages (thanks for that Brighton & Hove City Council), which is probably one of the reasons why people don't go on the courses anyway.

If they had the money to spare, then fair enough, but they don't.

UK, Ireland / Integrating Polish people into the British society [150]


There's no such thing as a free lunch. The money for these courses comes from somewhere, mainly local Government budgets I guess. This means there is less to spend on other things, that many locals might regard as just as important.

People who come here without learning enough English first should pay for their own lessons.

UK, Ireland / Integrating Polish people into the British society [150]


Ahhhhh, I hope you don't get any abuse for that. Where abouts are you from if I can ask ?


The current Government almost encourage benefit dependancy and it's one of the biggest problems that we have today. I think they like a population that's so demotivated and hacked off with EACH OTHER as it makes us forget whose fault it really is.


I take it the answer will help you decide if you like Liza or not. You're such a nasty piece of work, noimmigration.


The voting system renders it a two party state, which made it a choice between Tony Blair and Michael Howard. At the time, Tony Blair seemed the best of a bad bunch.

UK, Ireland / "Angry swan eater" - The British media view of Polish immigrants? [63]


Firstly, I think I owe you an apology as I was in a VERY bad mood the other night (I won't bore you with the reasons why) and you caught the brunt of it.

While I stand by what I said, I should have phrased it much better, so I'm sorry.

With regards to the "myth, urban legend" situation, it just comes down to being entitled to things much quicker than I think is fair. Also, as I work and don't qualify (not that I would want to anyway really) for benefits, council housing, free prescriptions etc I do see myself as being treated purely as tax revenue to pay for the benefits of others.

I work next door to a job centre/benefits office and I see most days a real collection of people trooping in and out of there and many are foreigners pushing kids in buggies. I'm no language expert, so I don't know if they're Polish or not, but some will be I'm sure. Yes, there are also plenty of British people there and I think that's just as bad (if not worse) as they drag the rest of us down too.

I see the country being treated as a cash-cow and somewhere you go if you want an easy ride.


It's situations just like this that I have a problem with.

For a start, as much as I want you to be able to work, the money it must cost for places like this paying for interpreters is getting out of hand. The money has to come from somewhere.

I've said this before, if someone needs an interpreter then I don't see what use they will be. Their job prospects are so limited for a start, but also I think it's very dangerous to have so many non-English speakers in the country.

What would they do if they saw someone collapse in the street and they were the only person around to dial 999 ? Would they need an interpreter for that too ?

Whether or not the family you mention had "indefinite leave to remain", the fact that this couple are relying on a welfare system they've not really be paying into means that they shouldn't get help.

If he is not working and she has just arrived and also not working, how will they pay the rent on the council house anyway ?


Yes, very much so :-(

UK, Ireland / First UK ID Card Design Launched [16]


Shami Chakrabarti was born in London.

Or are you going to say that there is no way someone like Shami Chakrabarti (a 2nd generation British Asian) can really be British ?

UK, Ireland / "Angry swan eater" - The British media view of Polish immigrants? [63]

You're right, it is "ludicrous", but I (as a humble British Citizen) am powerless to do anything about it.

At least when it all goes wrong, you get to go back to Poland.


I do, but I also blame previous Governments who have allowed this situation to slowly get worse down the years.

Even that mad old bag Thatcher didn't do anything to stop the crazy approach to immigration.

UK, Ireland / Polish people are happy with the UK health care system [27]


Yes, we know, Polish people pay taxes - thanks for the update.


For a start, they should stop employing cheap and nasty contract firms who pay p*ss poor wages to push a dirty mop across the floors.

Cleaners should be NHS employees and on decent money.

UK, Ireland / "Angry swan eater" - The British media view of Polish immigrants? [63]


I don't agree.

I've been paying into the system for almost 20 years now and am entitled to less than the average person from Poland who has probably been here less than 5 years. How is that right ?


I agree that the system is at fault.


They shouldn't be allowed to use it. Most have no connection with this country, we're just the dumping ground for the rubbish the rest of the world doesn't want. Their claims should be turned around much faster. We shouldn't have so many here in the first place as the country simply isn't big enough for all these people.

Would you prefer a mass Exodus from the British and give the Polish and the asylum seekers more room to spread out ?

UK, Ireland / Polish people are happy with the UK health care system [27]

Maybe if foreign nationals had to pay to use the NHS, then maybe it's possible it wouldn't be in such a state ?

Essentially, too many people are using a free service and not enough money is coming into pay for it. There are also too many people at the top of the tree on huge salaries who aren't doing their jobs properly.

I'm sorry if our health service isn't good enough for you, what would you suggest we do to improve it ?

UK, Ireland / "Angry swan eater" - The British media view of Polish immigrants? [63]

So, after a couple of years worth of paying National Insurance and income tax, you want the same entitlement as someone who has been paying in for the best part of 20 years ?

UK, Ireland / "Angry swan eater" - The British media view of Polish immigrants? [63]

I know you're trying to make light of the situation and have a good old laugh at the stupid British for thinking anything like what you refer to is true, but the sad thing is that there are a few bad Polish apples who are ruining it for the rest of you.

I don't want to get into the debate about the good and the bad side of immigration, but if you were all "young, healthy and single" like our lieing Government kept saying you all were, then maybe there wouldn't have been the screaming headlines in the Daily Mail, Daily Express, The Sun etc

I don't agree with the way they cover certain stories, but I do think that they should be reported on.

Rather than having a joke at the expense of many British people, maybe you should be having a go at the people who personify the stereotype of the EU migrant who came here to take us to the cleaners.

UK, Ireland / people to answer questions about polish identity for uni work please [7]

Is there anyone who isn't stuying the Polish in the UK at uni ? ;-)

UK, Ireland / EU Elections June 2009, will Poles in UK vote? Will others vote? [29]


I was in that position too, but I still managed to take five minutes out of my day to vote - Labour if anyone wants to know, but never plan to vote for them again.


I agree and don't plan on voting for either, but Labour pretending they don't exist is foolish in the extreme.

UK, Ireland / EU Elections June 2009, will Poles in UK vote? Will others vote? [29]


Better for who ? One of the reasons why we just go from Labour Governments to Conservative Governments and back again is that people don't take their right to vote seriously enough.


I don't agree as I'm asking that people should vote, I'm not telling them who to vote for. Where is the "personal freedom" in sitting on the sofa, eating pizza and refusing to vote and then moaning about the decisions taken after an election someone wouldn't vote in ?


So you're saying most people are too thick to make an informed decision ?


Yes very true, although the "Heat magazine / Big Brother" generation are their children and grandchildren, so why didn't they do a better job of passing on their values ?

UK, Ireland / UK recession on the way? [58]

How are the Polish managing with the UK economy ?

Has the work dried up and, if so, what happens next ?