This obviously caught my eye when it popped up on Twitter. As I don't subscribe to the Times online I'd be interested, if any other members do, to know more about what the article says.
It could be that wealthy foreigners are buying holiday homes in the UK (odd, bearing in mind the weather) so yes, I'm intrigued if anybody could enlighten me.
Yes Brian you looked at the article in depth....the title alone was out of Times style?
But, perhaps the times they are a changing?
Yes there are for sure the Romanians who go to UK to set up fraud systems and there are
the upright citizens.
There are, of course all sorts of UK people who buy villas, chateaux, bungalows, farms, mills and cottages
in France.
So, perhaps the article was pointless.
=D
Actually, he is more than quite 'simply idiotic' because what he is doing as much as demonising wealthy Romanians in their terms, he is also effectively ridiculing people who wish to 'escape' from the UK and use the freedom of movement principle to do so. No doubt any constituents he has with second homes or use their 'overseas vote' will not be supporting him in 2015.
Having just managed to read the article, I agree Barbara. I see he was trying to refer only to the rules of freedom of movement within the EU. His making a comparison to people who invest in a property abroad was simply idiotic.
I'm a bit late on commenting...but what the hell, I have something to say (a bit off topic, sorry Valerie)! So, what I want to say is: I thought that's what the torys did (open mouth before engaging brain – Mr Gummer is a classic BSE example). Darren Campbell (is that the pm's name?), and what's his name - the home secretary (my brain refuses to recall his name because he doesn't recognise the contribution made by the elderly, who rely on the winter fuel allowance, and is prepared to manipulate statistics to relieve them of the money they have worked their lives for - does HE pay his fuel bill at No 11?). Actually, when I think about it, I don't think they even have a collective brain. Oh, should torys have a capital T, after all they are the gentry...aren't they?). I guess you might have guessed - I'm a tri-party fanatic. I hate the head-to-head two party game, it's devisive and has destroyed the UK - maybe that's why I'm over here (no, when I think about it, it isn’t – it’s the lower taxes and house prices and the respect the elderly get here (and a myriad of other things). The Torys and ''New' Labour' divert attention from their inadequate selves by targeting the equally inadequate Lib Dems (hm, I automatically gave them capitals, Freud I guess); blimey I gave ''New' Labour' capitals too (put that down to stupidity on my part))! The Lib Dems are the target of bully boys (and girls) because they are too small to defend themselves (somewhat like the elderly the torys love to pick on) - shame on you bullies (and I don't just mean the torys), pick on someone your own size! I guess it’s the public school, ‘upper class’ ethic...(woops, MY prejudices are showing now)!
Sorry about the ranting (even though it's justified), and the, no doubt, bad grammar (I'm sure I have mixed my metaphors and slipped in the odd bracket too many, missed a comma or didn't put in a semi-colon or two);; but a couple (or three) of glasses of good old French plonk blurs the vision (and the brain). But do you get the point that's buried somewhere in my rambling?
The Times like the guardian, Daily Hell and news of the screws keep churning out this conversation stopping , nonsensical clap trap on a daily basis..............desperate to get readers, (no one told them about the Internet). 
David, you are implying the Lib Dem junior minister had a brain to engage!
Looks like somebody seeing 2015 getting closer and trying to save his seat knowing that his party is toast.
What an odd comparison.
No just another barmy Lib Dem junior minister opening mouth before engaging brain. See
