The legal immigration trap

Why better Data is important

Within the last week, two significant media personalities; Dominic Cummings and Matthew Goodwin, have signalled unambiguously that they are planning to launch new political parties in Britain. It is heartening to see my fellow top 40 substackers entering the political arena; that neither of these individuals could pass through the candidate selection process of either of the main parties is an indication of a failing system. If you can compel thousands, tens of thousands of people, or indeed, 290 people, to hand over that paid subscription you should be automatically qualified for a seat in Parliament.

Both of these new formations merit dedicated articles assessing their relative strengths, for this article I am going to discuss what I perceive to be a caucus developing on the Right which includes Goodwin, Cummings and sections of the Parliamentary Conservative Party. Although there are differences in ideology (post liberalism etc) there is a rough confluence around immigration restrictionism, tough on crime and pro-growth policies (especially Net Zero scepticism).

This is an attractive policy platform for the 40% of the electorate that the Right is fighting over; it makes you richer and safer. My advice to any seeking to win this power struggle is that the first of these three groups to put forward a case for constitutional reunification (instead of impotently complaining about Labour’s quangos) will quickly distinguish themselves from the pack. Make the case for abolishing Metro-Mayors, the regional assemblies in Scotland and Wales; the lot. Remove the operational independence of the NHS and the police (alternatively create a separate armed peacekeeping force modelled on the French National Gendarmerie, answering directly to the Home Secretary).

The Mayor of Bristol has been abolished by referendum; you have a precedent with Thatcher shutting down the Greater London Council. Cummings himself cut his teeth opposing New Labour’s North East Assembly. This is another knife issue you can use to force the Guardian to talk about you endlessly, especially if you apply it to Stormont. It is not enough to oppose Blairism, you need to show voters that you want to attack it.