Comments on: May is wrong: We can have a liberal immigration policy

By: May “looking shoddy”, but not toast yet | Left Foot Forward

May “looking shoddy”, but not toast yet | Left Foot Forward — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:54:04 +0000

[…] May is wrong: We can have a liberal immigration policy – Matt Cavanagh, October 7th 2011 Share | Permalink | Leave a comment […]

By: FT slam dog-whistle May’s “preference for popular pandering over rational policy” | Left Foot Forward

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:42:51 +0000

[…] May is wrong: We can have a liberal immigration policy – Matt Cavanagh, October 7th […]

By: Nick Hall

Nick Hall — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:42:57 +0000

The Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) has been doing plenty of work on the issue, particularly in regards to placing limits on the number of talented scientists and engineers who can enter the UK. For a greater understanding of how UK science is being effected by the proposed immigration cap see our briefing: http://sciencecampaign.org.uk/?p=2503

By: Matt Cavanagh

Matt Cavanagh — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:07:42 +0000

Evidence points to relaxing rules on asylum seekers working – http://t.co/mC6f9idW – but govt position is inflexible – http://t.co/OBpNejAy

By: Leon Wolfson

Leon Wolfson — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 02:10:28 +0000

Firstly, it dosn’t work.
Secondly, it’s expensive
Third, it drives work into the shadow economy
Fourth, it badly damages legal immigration
Fifth, it damages Britain’s international image and discourages e.g. fee paying students

I could go on for a while. But without draconian, authoritarian measures, involving the police utterly burning any remaining bridges to many communities in this country and creating major no-no areas…

(And the current system is keeping many skilled people out. It’s hurting this country badly)

By: Matthew Rhodes

Matthew Rhodes — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 13:23:04 +0000

RT if you're a liberal on #immigration: new blog on countries swimming against the current of more restrictive policies http://t.co/mC6f9idW

By: bill bold

bill bold — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 10:30:49 +0000

RT if you're a liberal on #immigration: new blog on countries swimming against the current of more restrictive policies http://t.co/mC6f9idW

By: Sunder Katwala

Sunder Katwala — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 10:24:14 +0000

RT if you're a liberal on #immigration: new blog on countries swimming against the current of more restrictive policies http://t.co/mC6f9idW

By: Matt Cavanagh

Matt Cavanagh — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 08:54:17 +0000

As Sun Tel trails more anti-immigration announcements, a reminder of my blog on countries swimming against the current: http://t.co/mC6f9idW

By: Dave Citizen

Dave Citizen — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 12:21:54 +0000

What is a “liberal immigration policy”? As someone who considers myself a pretty liberal minded lefty I find it very difficult to engage with a debate on immigration that is locked into polarised positions:

open our doors = progressive liberal good guy
close doors = tough hawkish nasty person

Latest figures say there are over 1 billion genuinely hungry people in the world and the figure’s rising. If we want to make a real difference the way to do it is not by inviting a few hundred thousand able bodied and capable people in from poor countries to help boost our economy and keep our wage pressure down. We need to create prosperity that doesn’t sit on the backs of poor countries and then help their able and capable people to contribute to building prosperity in their own countries.

In terms of numbers – with a housing crisis and major youth unemployment I think controls that ensure the outs and ins balance would be entirely reasonable.