Net migration has fallen to 728,000 in the year to June 2024, according to the ONS—20% down on the previous year (906,000) – but still at historically high levels. 906,000 is a new revision for 2023 and a record high…
Credit goes to the Tories and their tighter visa rules, a rare legacy that Keir Starmer might secretly toast. Still, there’s a long road ahead to get those numbers down…
Five top nationalities for non-EU immigration:
Meanwhile taxpayer spending on asylum reached £5.4 billion in 2023/24, up 36% from £4 billion in 2022/23.
It’s now 40 days since Yvette Cooper announced the launch of Labour’s ‘new Border Security Command’ which was touted during the election as Starmer’s key to ‘smashing the gangs’ and solving small boat crossings. Labour says the entire project relies on having an “exceptional leader” to do all the work:
“Reporting directly to the Home Secretary, the Border Security Commander will provide strategic direction to work across agencies, drawing together the work of the National Crime Agency (NCA), intelligence agencies, police, Immigration Enforcement and Border Force, to better protect our borders and go after the smuggling gangs facilitating small boat crossings.”
The only problem with the commander is – there still isn’t one. After former terror cop Neil Basu snubbed Starmer by refusing the position the government has failed to produce a plan B. The ‘command’ is so far exactly the same as the one set up by the Tories, with no additional officials. Labour has had to externally open up applications for the position as boat crossings tick up to their highest levels under the new government. Good luck finding anyone willing to take that job…
The Office for National Statistics released figures this morning showing that in the year to mid-2023 a gargantuan 1,084,000 people immigrated to England and Wales from outside the UK, while only 462,000 emigrated. The largest annual increase since 1948…
Meanwhile the number of births at 598,000 was the lowest in over two decades. Nigel Farage was, as usual, on the case:
The population of England and Wales rose by nearly 610,000 to 60.9 million last year. That is the biggest increase since records began.
— Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) July 15, 2024
It has been silence from Tory leadership hopefuls all day, though, after a combative previous week of briefing and counter-briefing. Establishing a credible position on the migration question is seen by many as a key to luring Reform and Labour voters back…
Lucy Powell on LBC, asked by Tom Swarbrick for her reaction to Labour MP Samantha Niblett’s call for a ‘summer of sex’ debate in Parliament: “I personally don’t own any sex toys, but each to their own… I’m not really sure that’s the right place for it, no.”