The lesson the Tories need to learn on immigration from Boris Johnson’s time as PM
Immigration is an issue that continues to dominate political discourse and there is no denying that numbers coming in are too high. Anyone who argues for unfettered immigration does not understand the problems that it brings with it.
Yes, there are upsides of immigration, not least seen here in Yorkshire. Migrants who come here, work hard, pay taxes and contribute positively to society are an asset to the country. But there are additional pressures on public services that need to be balanced out.
The Labour Government has made its fair share of mistakes already, failing to grasp the magnitude of the issue and the overwhelming sentiment amongst the British public to get immigration under control.
However, the Tories find themselves in a muddle because of the bluster of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Johnson was undoubtedly popular with the Tory faithful but the reality is that his attempts to keep everyone happy and his slapdash approach to Brexit has left the country picking up the pieces. Even the Tories are having to break from someone who was once seen as theT saviour of the party.
This is where populism leads to. Making promises to people and rushing through policy without great thought for the consequences end up leaving the country picking up the pieces.
And if the Tories are to stitch together a realistic electoral proposition, then it needs to lay out a clear vision on how it’s going to tackle the issues of the day, including immigration. It can ill-afford to become Reform-lite. Unworkable gimmicks and tub-thumping rhetoric are not going to deliver the results a large part of the electorate desires.
The Tories should heed the warning from Lord Kirkhope in today’s newspaper about the dangers of leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).