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The National Institute of Economic and Social Research today launched an animated video addressing key policy issues around the UK’s forthcoming negotiations with the European Union.

Aimed at improving public understanding and encouraging a more informed debate in the run-up to the negotiations, the video provides an impartial analysis of the evidence on free movement of labour and the implications for access to benefits. It presents the facts in a fun, accessible way, using the format of a WhatsApp conversation and featuring video clips from the Prime Minister’s speeches. The video covers:

• what benefits EU migrants are entitled to, and what they actually claim

• the evidence on benefit tourism

• the implications of changing the benefit rules for migrants, including for UK citizens

• whether the proposed changes will reduce EU migration into the UK

Jonathan Portes, Principal Research Fellow at NIESR and Senior Research Fellow at ERSC UK in a Changing Europe, said: “The video provides an accessible, fact-based analysis of the issues surrounding the Prime Minister’s negotiations with the EU, as well as debunking some of the myths. While the public may be broadly aware that the negotiations focus on changes to the freedom of movement of labour, they may not appreciate the emphasis on welfare benefits.”

The video can be viewed before the launch on vimeo using the password econfilmsNIESR and after on Youtube. It was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council as part of its UK in a Changing Europe programme. Other aspects of the ESRC programme, including public attitudes to immigration, the impact of free movement on public services and the future of UK immigration policy, will be discussed at a major NIESR conference, Immigration and the UK-EU Relationship, on Tuesday 8th December. Further details can be found here.

The video was produced by Econ Films.

The UK is to have a referendum on whether to remain a member of the EU by the end of 2017. The vote is being preceded by a process of negotiations in which the Government is seeking to secure a new deal for the UK.

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For further information or to request an interview, please contact Jonathan Portes on 07766441148 or via email: j.portes@niesr.org.uk

NIESR aims to promote, through quantitative and qualitative research, a deeper understanding of the interaction of economic and social forces that affect people's lives, and the ways in which policies can improve them.