So something hasn't added up to me these past couple of days, but now I feel like I'm a conspiracy theorist. Gove is only running to give Boris a get-out clause to run again, right?
Depends, Boris is ruined in the public eye. If May does well, she'll secure a second term. I can't see Gove securing a second term, but I also can't see a Tory majority in the next GE with Gove getting in now.
I always find it crazy how tradesman like builders etc. always blame immigrants for the decline in their wages. If anything it's opened up a competitive market. Usually I do things on my own, so I have a good idea of prices and materials. Honestly, the labour some of these clowns put on is insane. It's like they want to be able to set their own prices but have a high minimum cost as well to not be undercut.
I had a new kitchen fitted last year now. Now, I know how much trade prices are at Howdens, and it was just a refresh ready for sale so I didn't want to spend a fortune. First two guys (White British), came over priced kitchen from B&Q and IKEA. Let's say it was £2000, the labour was £4000. That's split between two guys for four days (tiny kitchen, like 7 units) and no extras like skimming, appliances. So £500 a day, that's more expensive than my time. Second local guys come round, tut a lot and it's the same sort of ballpark, they said £5000 for fitting as they needed to move an electric outlet. Eventually (after a fortnight), got hold of a number for some guys a few miles away who were recommended. Came out, priced the kitchen at trade prices and charged £4200 all in. So that was a labour cost of £2200 for two guys over four days (just shy of £300 a day each), which in my opinion is fair price for hard work. And the fitting was fantastic too, I'm quite particular, so the piping was redone and refastened, gas was re-routed and valves put back in, access holes were cut into the back of the cupboards. Really good neat job.
In the place before this, I was getting the garden done. Tried a few local British guys. Bear in mind all I wanted was relaying of approx. 32 flags (and a step for the front door. Materials here would cost about £300 tops here if bought specifically. Guy quotes me £1000 for a single man, single day job. Ridiculous. Second guy tries to persuade me I need a footer under the window and a flower bed, and I should use Indian stone to pushed cost up to £1800. I told him no, he said as-is the job isn't worth coming out to for him. I left it for a good while until I got a flyer through the door from some Irish travellers in the area. Came out, full job, all in £600 - one guy probably earned £400 labour for that days work. 8am and I think he finished at around 7pm, and that was because he chose to take a rotten tree stump out which I said he could leave.
Fast forward to the house I'm in now, I wanted to get the garden done. This time I couldn't find anyone. I just wanted gravel laying, decking and a pergola. I had a cost in mind of about £4000 which I was willing to pay so I didn't have to deal with it. No one came in under £8000, so I did it myself for £1980 (took me best part of a month though)
As for immigrants speaking in their own language, who cares? This is like the straight guy who imagines every gay guy is eyeing him up, ready to pounce. These people likely feel afraid now, there's little context as well - maybe a comment made in the past jokingly now lingers in their minds. Hell, the mess we're in is hard enough for us to communicate to each other in our native language. I imagine it's easier for them to chat about it in language they are actually 100% fluent in. I walk in Welsh shops and they're speaking Welsh when I walk in - I don't assume they're slagging me off. I certainly wouldn't be resigning because I thought people were talking about me, in any language. It's illogical.