'UK needs more immigrants'

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) the Treasury 's independent watchdog states in its Annual report "Overall migration has a positive impact on the sustainability of the public finances...Since migrants tend to be more concentrated in the working-age group relatively to the rest of the population immigration has a positive effect on the public sector's debt dynamics".

They calculate that net immigration of 140,000 per year will see the national debt increase to around 100 per cent of GDP by 2062-63,
up from its present level of 75 per cent of GDP.

Contrary to the accusation that immigration puts more pressure on the country's finances, the OBR added that if net immigration were to rise to 260,000 a year over the next five decades, the national debt would still be below 80 per cent in 50 years' time.

The organisation also warned that the UK's national debt burden could explode over the next half century unless the efficiency of the National Health Service improves drastically saying that an ageing population would impose considerable strain on the public purse over the coming decades by increasing demand for health spending.