Thank you Matthew d’Ancona for “We need to talk about immigration” (TNE #421), and so important that this article has been written in the New European too. This conversation cannot be dodged, ignored or swept under the carpet.
Not just because populists already have the momentum and too many on the left or self-styled progressives feel awkward or embarrassed about discussing it, but because it’s just in all our interests. Failure to do so simply lets Nigel Farage and his cohorts have ownership of the issue and drive a carthorse of fear, division and hatred through the country.
Acknowledge the actual realities and facts of where we are right now as well as the challenges, benefits and necessities of immigration. A story of emotional connection backed up with evidence and explanation, not pie charts and realms of data, please.
Danny Abrahams
One fact that we should emphasise in our discussion of migration and this excellent article is that Brexit led to a huge increase in net immigration. This was predicted and forecast by many (Tony Blair, for example).
Freedom of movement means that people are free to leave: this seems obvious, but is rarely mentioned. As a result of the removal of free movement, often temporary European migrants were replaced with more permanent migrants from further afield, who were more likely to bring their dependents with them.
This doesn’t concern me personally; I share Matt d’Ancona’s liberal position on immigration, but “Brexit caused immigration” seems a persuasive argument to delegitimise the stance of many on the other side of the argument.
Martin Highcock
For many this is not really about immigration numbers (which are an abstract thing), rather it is about lack of integration into a mainstream collective community. People don’t experience immigration numbers – they experience lack of integration in the form of inability to speak English, disinclination to participate in local activities, or insistence that long-standing traditions must change to accommodate new sensibilities.
This is why the Casey Review emphasised the importance of English as a common currency and was right to do so. Simply requiring a standard of English as a condition of citizenship and withdrawing support for the ability to function in other languages would be a step forward.
Chad Staddon
An excellent article. The flip side of recognising the diversity by community differences is it both pigeonholes and enables “othering”. What we need is to be clear that we are one community with a core set of values, which includes embracing the diversity of our heritages.
We can celebrate what is brought, allow and be open to it influencing our shared community, while at the same time requiring all citizens to share our collective values.
Lauren Smith
I thought Matthew d’Ancona’s article about “progessives’ cowed silence” on migration might be a welcome change of thought from TNE because the left has, indeed, failed to address the issue, allowing Reform to dominate the media with racist policies. But it was another set of cliches that again avoided proper discussion of green issues surrounding migration.
By 2030, the UK will have the second-largest population in Europe and probably the most densely populated. Every month for the last year there have been reports highlighting the wildlife and biodiversity crisis that is taking place here. As one recently said, every time you build on a green field, wildlife is forced into an ever-decreasing habitat, and the effect is catastrophic.
Does he really believe that we can simply build in the same way as we did in the last 100 years? The great architect Richard Rogers said many times that this was nonsensical.
While it is true that migration initially adds to GDP, an official report recently acknowledged – as some economists have already been saying – that long-term this is not true, as the tax take will not be enough to pay for future pensions of migrants.
While the increasing ageing population will be a challenge, once again, a number of economists challenge the scenario in d’Ancona’s piece, which can only lead to a low-wage, low-skill, low-productivity economy.
In addition, we cannot justify ethically taking medical staff away from countries such as Jamaica and some African countries that are themselves facing health crises through the loss of staff. This practice is no more than a modern form of imperial exploitation.
If we really want to tackle the migration crisis that will come with global warming, then we need to see a massive transfer of wealth and technology from the north to the south. That requires a concerted effort from the European Union, which means we by necessity have to rejoin.
Stephen Dorril
Netherthong, West Yorkshire
Beating the populists
I appreciate the attention that the New European has been giving to the need to counteract the rise of right wing populism, including articles by Alastair Campbell, and Tom Baldwin in TNE #421 responding to Peter Hyman’s call a week earlier to drop the lazy condescension and adopt new policies and a sense of belonging. Paul Mason (TNE #418) also made some very thought-provoking points about our economic model, immigration policy, online media and the pressing need for a new narrative.
However, I still don’t feel that the central problem has been grasped, which is that delivering better outcomes for the electorate no longer necessarily leads to electoral success. The reason for this is that the swing voters who produce an electoral majority are being swayed by targeted online propaganda.
When Elon Musk can spend $200m on online political advertising, it doesn’t matter if Joe Biden delivered a better economic performance than Trump did in his previous term. Undecided, under-informed voters can be easily persuaded.
The answer is urgent legislation to direct the Electoral Commission to oversee the impact of the internet and social media on the electoral process, and to empower it to ensure our democracy is protected.
To also amend the Online Harms Act in order to direct Ofcom to police online media, and empower it to clamp down on hate-mongering and misinformation with truly massive fines for the providers.
And to prohibit foreign investment (no matter how well disguised) in UK political parties, politicians and political campaigns.
Steve Metcalf
Reclassify social media as a publisher and prosecute them for violations. If they fail to comply with judgments then shut them down, either temporarily as with Brazil and India, or permanently as with China and Pakistan. The loss of ad revenue from a collective population of 450 million would not go unnoticed. Any permanent ban would leave a space for a European startup.
If Twitter was a defective aircraft you wouldn’t let it continue to fly and be a danger to the public. Why is social media different, if it poses a threat to a greater number of people? I was under the impression that a government’s first duty was to protect its citizens, or am I just overly nostalgic?
Stuart Shingler
I agree in part with what Alastair Campbell and Neil Kinnock say about Peter Hyman’s article (Diary, TNE #421). We on the left/centre left have to accept some responsibility. We moved too far to a centre of our own creation. We don’t alter the balance of power and choice for working people enough. We still bow too much to a totally unjustifiable power structure.
We allow these populists to stay as protest parties that need to give no answer on how they would make things better. We must also increase the power of ordinary people and stop pandering to authoritarians.
Most people, given opportunity and responsibility and power, do the right thing. Let’s hang in there, for our kids and grandkids.
Ronald Marchant
Peter Hyman’s detailed suggestions for how to beat populism contained good advice for that section of the population that is politically interested and the much smaller band of the politically active.
However, seeing off the populists at the next election will need the majority of voters to be convinced that the next Labour government has a coherent response to their desire for economic security for their families and communities. They will also need to be reassured that the government knows how it will be paid for.
Step one must be to redefine Labour’s “growth” mantra as social and green growth resulting from an increase in economic activity directed predominantly towards rebuilding public services and turbocharging a green transition.
To pay for this, Labour should stop obsessing about foreign investment and global bond vigilantes and instead look to UK savers as saviours of our economy and environment.
For example, in return for the tax breaks savers receive, all new savings in ISA funds and 25% of all new pension contributions should be invested in social and green infrastructure projects. This could eventually provide up to £100bn of funds a year.
An additional £90bn or more of additional tax revenues a year could come from increasing the taxation on income from wealth.
Colin Hines
Peter Hyman spent two pages explaining why populism works and how we’ve been “asleep at the wheel”, then dismisses this premise by saying “the best communicators… have something of substance to say.”
The whole point of populists is they offer nothing of substance. It’s all hot air wrapped in a glib package. They are charismatic liars and bullies. Bull; lies.
The propagandist Joseph Goebbels said, “Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it.”
Hugh Janes
Plymouth, Devon
There is disappointment built into our system as thousands of voters can feel that their vote just does not count. If you do not favour the permanent majority view in your area, you might as well stay at home.
We must look again, at greater proportionality, together with a democratically created second chamber. Do this and we might be on our way to “beating populism”.
Paul King
Chesterfield, Derbyshire
Meaty problem
Re: “Starmer’s small goals” (TNE #421). The PM is like Meat Loaf, singing “I would do anything for growth. But I won’t do that.”
Tony Jones
Jonty Bloom has hit the nail on the head again. Rejoining the customs union and/or single market would have a dramatic effect on the economy, with prices in shops, and inflation as a whole, dropping.
In future, such gigantic losses would be eliminated. A football club chaired by a dithering Starmer would face relegation under the present policy, whereas one chaired by a more ambitious Starmer could win the World Cup.
David Hogg
North Somerset
Trusting the tech bros
Marie Le Conte (Dilettante, TNE #420) says she doesn’t trust Elon Musk of Twitter/X, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook and Sam Altman of OpenAI to use their control of online technology for the common good. Neither do I.
As Michael Dyson says in his letter in the same issue, if they used their wealth and the power wealth brings to alleviate some of the suffering experienced by many through wars, fires, and flooding, instead of pursuing their own whims, maybe we could begin to trust them.
Pat Brandwood
Lifelong love of books
I agree with Charlie Connelly in “The state of our book nation” (TNE #420) – libraries are an important part of our lives.
When I was a child we would regularly go to my local library at Temple Cowley in Oxford on Saturday mornings, usually accompanied by my dad, clutching our paper pockets that would contain the paper slips of whatever books we took out to read. I now volunteer for my local lending library in Montgomery, Powys, as a result.
The library is used mostly by elderly people like myself (I am 77), as younger people have Kindles and seem to prefer staring at screens.
The footfall is minuscule, one or two visitors per session – but never mind, we are still open six days a week.
David Beare
Montgomery, Powys
BELOW THE LINE
Re: David Aaronovitch’s “The plot against Britannia” (TNE #421). The USA has been hijacked by the artificial intelligence of wild west bandits. The Atlantic is now the gulf of credulity. But note what is missing from all of Trump’s brags and blags – proper public transport, services and an NHS. The American rock band REM got it right in 1987: “Reporters baffled, trumped, tethered… It’s the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine.”
Dr Chris Williams
Paul Mason is right in “Britain must play its part in stabilising Gaza” (TNE #421). I’m getting fed up of reading all the rhetoric about progressives beating themselves up. The concept of supporting ‘islands of order’ is a far better means for the silent majority to get behind confronting the realities of our current world.
Jane Sims
Paul Mason is wrong – the ‘war’ did not start with the Hamas attack. Even before October 7, 2023 had been the deadliest for Palestinians in the West Bank (where there is no Hamas) as hundreds were killed by illegal settlers and the Israeli Occupation Forces. Thousands of people in Gaza were killed in the four years prior to the Hamas attack. These Palestinian civilians were not shot by Israeli snipers in Israel but in Gaza, as the IDF practises firing live bullets into Gaza. Israel has been enforcing decades of apartheid, blockades, occupation and slow, deliberate genocide for decades.
Richard Riddle
Marie Le Conte calls Conclave “a pulpy airport book” (Dilettante, TNE #421). Seriously?
Kate Burge
Charlie Connelly’s Great Life of André the Giant was an excellent piece. There’s a good dramatisation of his encounters with his one-time neighbour Samuel Beckett on Sky Arts, called Urban Myths.
Alasdair Gray
