Latest news with #non-UK
Spectator
6 days ago
- Business
- Spectator
Britain can't afford to let migrants live on benefits
When the history of the next election comes to be written, we may end up asking: was the turning point for its outcome the moment that Keir Starmer's government backtracked on its welfare reforms in the face of a backbench revolt? The fiasco, which eliminated the government's hopes of saving £5 billion a year, has made any welfare reform during the current Parliament impossible. The cost of that is becoming more evident by the day. Figures revealed this morning show that there are currently 3.6 million people receiving Universal Credit who are under no obligation whatsoever to look for work. They have been effectively written off as unemployable and will be in receipt of benefits for the remainder of their working-age lives. That is nearly half the total of 7.9 million people on Universal Credit. What's more, 1.26 million claimants of Universal Credit are non-UK citizens. It is hard to imagine a more powerful form of recruitment for Reform UK. As Nigel Farage put it this morning, 'These figures go completely against the lie we have been told for 25 years that all immigration is positive because they work and contribute to society.' Britain, to use a phrase that is steadily gaining political traction, has become the benefits office of the world. The case for mass migration relies on the assertion that it is helping to staff our hospitals, care homes and other places of employment which are desperately short of staff. There is a lot of truth in this, although it is undermined by today's figures. There is also the idealist Statue of Liberty argument: the idea that the rest of the world is sending us its huddled masses who, given a chance, will turn out to be full of entrepreneurs who will found and build new businesses. It is a lovely idea. The trouble is that 2020s Britain is not 1880s America – the decade in which the Statue of Liberty was built. The big difference is that modern Britain incorporates a huge welfare state, and a non-contributory one at that. You don't have to build up entitlements to benefits over a number of years – you can arrive in Britain one day and be in receipt of benefits the next. This was the issue, indeed, on which David Cameron's pre-referendum negotiations to reset Britain's relations with the EU fell down. The EU refused to compromise on free movement, beyond a few token gestures, and David Cameron refused to countenance the wholesale redesign of Britain's benefits system to make it harder for migrants to claim benefits. The result was that Britain voted for Brexit, partly in the expectation that migration would be slashed. But it didn't happen. On the contrary, migration surged. What's more, the move to Universal Credit has fuelled the growth in the number of people who are paid out-of-work benefits but are not required to look for work. The pandemic played a role in this, in that it meant fewer Work Capability Assessments were carried out face-to-face. Yet the growth in people not required to look for work began a couple of years before Covid, and has continued to grow ever since. Labour's failure to reform welfare ought to benefit the Conservatives, yet Universal Credit was very much their baby. Moreover, it was under their government that migration as well as the number of people on out-of-work benefits began to surge. That is a very big problem for them. Reform UK, on the other hand, has no baggage such as failed welfare policy. No country with a benefits system as generous and as extensive as Britain's can afford an open borders policy; that much should be obvious. A country of 34 million workers cannot support the virtually limitless numbers of people around the globe who could potentially claim UK benefits. Just as the Leave campaign won the Brexit referendum on the back of a few simple messages, Reform UK is more than capable of winning the next election by continuing to drum into the public that Britain's benefits system, and in particular the number of migrants who are living off it, is unsustainbale.
Local Germany
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Local Germany
How access to the BBC is changing for people living in Germany
It's common for Brits living in Germany to like to listen to the BBC from time to time, but access to this is changing. What does this affect? The BBC's announcement refers only to audio content - radio programmes and podcasts. The situation for accessing BBC TV content will not change - in most case people living outside the UK are required to subscribe to a satellite package in order to get BBC TV programmes. The BBC's iPlayer website - which offers both archived and live TV content - cannot be accessed with a non-UK IP address. What changes? The BBC Sounds app, currently used to access BBC radio programmes and podcasts, will become a UK-only service that cannot be accessed by those in another country. Advertisement Instead listeners outside the UK will be required to use the new BBC app or the website - you will need to register (for free) to use these, and it will not save any subscribed or bookmarked content that you had set up in BBC sounds. When does the change happen? BBC Sounds will close to listeners outside the UK on Monday, July 21st. According to the BBC, subscribers in the UK will still be able to use BBC Sounds on trips to another country 'for about a month'. What's available on the new Not all of the BBC's audio content will be available on the new app and website, which the BBC says is due to rights issues. BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service can be streamed via the new site - for other radio stations such as Radio 1, Radio 2 and local BBC radio stations on-demand versions will be on the new site, and not all stations will be available. Find full details for each radio station here . The new site and app also contains around 1,000 current and archived podcasts - it's worth pointing out that many BBC podcasts are also available on other platforms such as Spotify or Apple, which are not affected by the change. Why is the BBC making these changes? Here's what they say: "BBC Studios is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC and is focused on bringing our trusted, world class journalism and storytelling to international audiences. Earlier this year, BBC Studios launched a new audio section on BBC app (a commercial service) outside the UK. Advertisement "Revenue generated by these services is returned to the BBC to support its public purpose in the UK. "As part of this announcement, we said we would close BBC Sounds outside the UK – and make it exclusively available to listeners in the UK." Can I use a VPN to watch/listen to BBC content in Germany? The BBC says that its content is only available to people in the UK, adding: "Due to rights agreements, you need to be in the UK to stream and download programmes or watch BBC TV channels on BBC iPlayer. "While we are interested in being able to allow UK licence fee payers to access BBC iPlayer when they are abroad, there are complex technical issues to resolve which we are investigating, and it will be dependent on what legislation is in effect in the UK in the future." The BBC is funded by the TV licence, which is paid for by residents of the UK. The BBC's site can be fooled by the use of a VPN (virtual private network) which hides your non-UK IP address, although the BBC itself says: "You cannot play a programme if we detect you might be using a VPN or proxy. This is because we will not be confident of your location." Some VPNs market themselves specifically as giving you access to the BBC outside the UK (which is a compliment to BBC content, when you think about it) but even these can be blocked from time to time and the BBC is always working to try and block access to VPN users.
Local Norway
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Local Norway
How access to the BBC is changing for people living in Norway
It's common for Brits living in Norway and even for Norwegians to like to listen to the BBC from time to time, but access to this is changing. What does this affect? The BBC's announcement refers only to audio content - radio programmes and podcasts. The situation for accessing BBC TV content will not change - in most case people living outside the UK are required to subscribe to a satellite package in order to get BBC TV programmes. The BBC's iPlayer website - which offers both archived and live TV content - cannot be accessed with a non-UK IP address. What changes? The BBC Sounds app, currently used to access BBC radio programmes and podcasts, will become a UK-only service that cannot be accessed by those in another country. Instead listeners outside the UK will be required to use the new BBC app or the website - you will need to register (for free) to use these, and it will not save any subscribed or bookmarked content that you had set up in BBC sounds. Advertisement When does the change happen? BBC Sounds will close to listeners outside the UK on Monday, July 21st. According to the BBC, subscribers in the UK will still be able to use BBC Sounds on trips to another country 'for about a month'. What's available on the new Not all of the BBC's audio content will be available on the new app and website, which the BBC says is due to rights issues. BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service can be streamed via the new site - for other radio stations such as Radio 1, Radio 2 and local BBC radio stations on-demand versions will be on the new site, and not all stations will be available. Find full details for each radio station here . The new site and app also contains around 1,000 current and archived podcasts - it's worth pointing out that many BBC podcasts are also available on other platforms such as Spotify or Apple, which are not affected by the change. Advertisement Why is the BBC making these changes? Here's what they say: "BBC Studios is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC and is focused on bringing our trusted, world class journalism and storytelling to international audiences. Earlier this year, BBC Studios launched a new audio section on BBC app (a commercial service) outside the UK. "Revenue generated by these services is returned to the BBC to support its public purpose in the UK. "As part of this announcement, we said we would close BBC Sounds outside the UK – and make it exclusively available to listeners in the UK." Can I use a VPN to watch/listen to BBC content in Norway? The BBC says that its content is only available to people in the UK, adding: "Due to rights agreements, you need to be in the UK to stream and download programmes or watch BBC TV channels on BBC iPlayer. "While we are interested in being able to allow UK licence fee payers to access BBC iPlayer when they are abroad, there are complex technical issues to resolve which we are investigating, and it will be dependent on what legislation is in effect in the UK in the future." The BBC is funded by the TV licence, which is paid for by residents of the UK. The BBC's site can be fooled by the use of a VPN (virtual private network) which hides your non-UK IP address, although the BBC itself says: "You cannot play a programme if we detect you might be using a VPN or proxy. This is because we will not be confident of your location." Some VPNs market themselves specifically as giving you access to the BBC outside the UK (which is a compliment to BBC content, when you think about it) but even these can be blocked from time to time and the BBC is always working to try and block access to VPN users.
Local France
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Local France
How access to the BBC is changing for people living in France
It's common for Brits living in France to like to listen to the BBC from time to time, but access to this is changing. What does this affect? The BBC's announcement refers only to audio content - radio programmes and podcasts. The situation for accessing BBC TV content will not change - in most case people living outside the UK are required to subscribe to a satellite package in order to get BBC TV programmes. The BBC's iPlayer website - which offers both archived and live TV content - cannot be accessed with a non-UK IP address. What changes? The BBC Sounds app, currently used to access BBC radio programmes and podcasts, will become a UK-only service that cannot be accessed by those in another country. Advertisement Instead listeners outside the UK will be required to use the new BBC app or the website - you will need to register (for free) to use these, and it will not save any subscribed or bookmarked content that you had set up in BBC sounds. When does the change happen? BBC Sounds will close to listeners outside the UK on Monday, July 21st. According to the BBC, subscribers in the UK will still be able to use BBC Sounds on trips to another country 'for about a month'. What's available on the new Not all of the BBC's audio content will be available on the new app and website, which the BBC says is due to rights issues. BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service can be streamed via the new site - for other radio stations such as Radio 1, Radio 2 and local BBC radio stations on-demand versions will be on the new site, and not all stations will be available. Find full details for each radio station here . The new site and app also contains around 1,000 current and archived podcasts - it's worth pointing out that many BBC podcasts are also available on other platforms such as Spotify or Apple, which are not affected by the change. Why is the BBC making these changes? Here's what they say: "BBC Studios is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC and is focused on bringing our trusted, world class journalism and storytelling to international audiences. Earlier this year, BBC Studios launched a new audio section on BBC app (a commercial service) outside the UK. Advertisement "Revenue generated by these services is returned to the BBC to support its public purpose in the UK. "As part of this announcement, we said we would close BBC Sounds outside the UK – and make it exclusively available to listeners in the UK." Can I use a VPN to watch/listen to BBC content in France? The BBC says that its content is only available to people in the UK, adding: "Due to rights agreements, you need to be in the UK to stream and download programmes or watch BBC TV channels on BBC iPlayer. "While we are interested in being able to allow UK licence fee payers to access BBC iPlayer when they are abroad, there are complex technical issues to resolve which we are investigating, and it will be dependent on what legislation is in effect in the UK in the future." The BBC is funded by the TV licence, which is paid for by residents of the UK. The BBC's site can be fooled by the use of a VPN (virtual private network) which hides your non-UK IP address, although the BBC itself says: "You cannot play a programme if we detect you might be using a VPN or proxy. This is because we will not be confident of your location." Some VPNs market themselves specifically as giving you access to the BBC outside the UK (which is a compliment to BBC content, when you think about it) but even these can be blocked from time to time and the BBC is always working to try and block access to VPN users.
Local Italy
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Local Italy
How access to the BBC is changing for people living in Italy
It's common for Brits living in Italy to listen to the BBC from time to time – but access to the broadcaster's content is set to change under rules due to come into force on Monday, July 21st. What does this affect? The BBC's announcement refers only to audio content – radio programmes and podcasts. The situation for accessing BBC TV content will not change – in most cases, people living outside the UK are required to subscribe to a satellite package in order to get BBC TV programmes. The BBC's iPlayer website – which offers both archived and live TV content – cannot be accessed with a non-UK IP address. What changes? The BBC Sounds app, currently used to access BBC radio programmes and podcasts, will become a UK-only service that cannot be accessed by people in another country. Listeners outside the UK will be required to use the new BBC app or the website - you will need to register (for free) to use these, and it will not save any subscribed or bookmarked content that you had set up in BBC Sounds. When does the change happen? BBC Sounds will close to listeners outside the UK on Monday, July 21st. According to the BBC, subscribers in the UK will still be able to use BBC Sounds on trips to another country "for about a month". What's available on the new BBC site and app? Not all of the BBC's audio content will be available on the new app and website, with the BBC saying this is due to rights issues. BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service can be streamed via the new site and app. On-demand versions of some radio stations, including Radio 1, Radio 2 and local BBC stations, will be available on the new site, while others will be excluded. Find full details for each radio station here. The new site and app also contain around 1,000 current and archived podcasts. It's worth pointing out that many BBC podcasts are also available on other platforms such as Spotify or Apple. These won't be affected by the change. Why is the BBC making these changes? Here's what they say: "BBC Studios is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC and is focused on bringing our trusted, world-class journalism and storytelling to international audiences. Earlier this year, BBC Studios launched a new audio section on BBC app (a commercial service) outside the UK. "Revenue generated by these services is returned to the BBC to support its public purpose in the UK. "As part of this announcement, we said we would close BBC Sounds outside the UK – and make it exclusively available to listeners in the UK." Can I use a VPN to watch/listen to BBC content in Italy? The BBC says that its content is only available to people in the UK, adding: "Due to rights agreements, you need to be in the UK to stream and download programmes or watch BBC TV channels on BBC iPlayer. "While we are interested in being able to allow UK licence fee payers to access BBC iPlayer when they are abroad, there are complex technical issues to resolve which we are investigating, and it will be dependent on what legislation is in effect in the UK in the future." The BBC is funded by the TV licence, which is paid for by residents of the UK. The BBC's site can be fooled by the use of a VPN (virtual private network) which hides your non-UK IP address, though the BBC itself says: "You cannot play a programme if we detect you might be using a VPN or proxy. This is because we will not be confident of your location." Some VPNs market themselves specifically as giving you access to the BBC outside the UK (which is a compliment to BBC content, when you think about it) but even these can be blocked from time to time and the BBC is always working to try and block access to VPN users.
