Home Office statistics released this morning show that in the twelve-month period from June 2023 to 2024, migrant returns rose by a fifth, enforced returns rose by a half and “irregular arrivals” fell by 26%. There was also a 36% reduction in the asylum backlog. Dependents of those on study visas are also down 81% over the first six months of this year. Not bad…

Reviewing the figures, Sky News has pointed out that it’s difficult to argue that the plan wasn’t working:

“If you just look at the cold hard facts… a 12-month period entirely under the Conservative government and those figures going down, it could be argued that actually maybe it was working. We know that they put in certain policies especially around student visas and the dependence of student visas but also interestingly there’s some figures around the enforcement of returns so 48% increase in that now that’s quite a lot.“

Cleverly has done a victory lap this morning:“That’s the inheritance I left Labour.” Sky helpfully notes that Sunak would have had a rate cut, immigration success and small boat crossings reduced had he not decided to go in July: “Rishi might be sitting this morning thinking to himself – ‘hmmm, maybe that was a mistake…’” Recriminations over that decision are far from forgotten…