Cameron speech covers up immigration failure

THE PRIME MINISTER'S speech on immigration to the Institute of Government in London this week came as many predict the government will not be able to meet its targets on reducing net migration. But Cameron's resort to old Tory rallying cries is risky politics.
 
Dog whistle politics

David Cameron's latest speech on immigration was light on new policy, says Matt Cavanagh on Labour Uncut. So "we must assume the point was to send a message that he remains tough on immigration."
 
It's generally believed that he will not meet his proclaimed target of reducing net migration levels to "tens of thousands" by 2015, but he probably hopes his policies "will have made enough of a dent that voters will feel that, in contrast to the other two parties, at least the Conservatives tried".

This is panicky dog whistle politics, blogs Daniel Knowles for The Daily Telegraph. Cameron knows he can't meet his immigration promises. Once you cut out British people coming home, migrants from the EU, student visas and work visas, "you are left with very few immigrants to stop".

This is why Cameron is focusing on the Tory bugbears of "welfare tourist and the sham marriage".

But migration is increasing everywhere in a globalised world. We already have tight border controls, adds Knowles. "Tightening them further will only stifle the economy and create unnecessary pain for many decent people."

More immigrants please

We want more immigrants, says Dominic Lawson in The Independent. Especially the clever ones. But the Government's new cap on immigration from non-EU countries will reduce our ability to recruit the "best and brightest" researchers and scientists to our universities.

We are sending out the message that they will be more welcome in the United States, where universities are exempt from any immigration cap in their hiring of academics and researchers. "From the true British patriot's point of view, that can only be bad news."

Preaching to Tory hearts

Cameron was really trying to restate Tory aspirations to the rank and file, says Richard Seymour in The Guardian. His speech included the usual leitmotifs such as a concern for "integration" and paying homage to the "false idol of British culture", along with references to productivity and "British jobs".

Yet what is striking is that Cameron seems to be turning more often to the immigration rallying theme as the "ideological self-confidence of the government evaporates" in an embattled economy. But he's taking a risk. Others "know better how to play with this fire, and Cameron is arguably giving them the ammunition with which to depose him when the time comes". ·