"Seems like bloody good sense to me."
It would, as a little Englander.
Personally I have never had any problem with Europe as an economic alliance
I have always been undecided about the EU, politically, but open borders is at the bottom of any concern on my list.
There is basically nothing wrong with European economic co-operation, the problems arise with attempts at controlling political policies, as with Greece - but opening borders can and has been a two-way advantage.
Historically, Britain has always operated an open border policy (in a fashion) - largely one way and enforced armies armies and priests - it was called Empire and ex colonies are still suffering from the fallout.
The west is morally obliged to open its borders to refugees, both economic and those fleeing from war zones.
The propping up of despotic dictators with trade and arms sales is the major contributory factor to what is happening in the world today - Isis is the direct product of our allowing Assad to terrorise his people - friendly relations, trade, arms and equipment sales, and a total failure to act when he was murdering his people on the streets (using equipment sold to him by Britain, to some extent).
Now, despite the refusal to get involved when Assad was doing his worst, we are sending planes to fight on his side - in essence, to prop up a mass-murderer.
Even in relatively stable countries, we fill our shops with goods from firms paying slave-level wages to employed forcef to work in lethal conditions.
Personally I have never had any problem with immigration - it enriched my life and gave me an enjoyment and understanding of cultures I would never otherwise have encountered.
I find your claim of immigration swamping Britain and changing its face utterly offensive - straight out of BNP/Ukip literature.
It took the dragging of a dead child out of the sea to change the minds of some politicians on opening borders, yet minds of claimed "socialists" like yourself remain firmly locked and bolted.
Until the West resolves the mess they have made of the world in the pursuit of oil and invested wealth, borders have to remain open to receive the 'collateral damage'.
Jim Carroll