On illegal migration, Labour are either liars or fools

Yahoo

2 days ago

'The purpose of a system is what it does' is a very useful concept in systems thinking, especially in politics. It helps you see past the spin and lies and get at the revealed preference of what a politician wants. So whilst Keir Starmer may say he wants to 'smash the gangs' which enable large numbers of young men from alien cultures to arrive on British shores, the evidence is to the contrary.
Yesterday saw nearly the largest ever number crossing. Close to 1,200 people came across the Channel, a number so high the Coastguard was forced to rely on fishing boats to help a yacht and kayaks in difficulty, as Border Force vessels and lifeboats were overloaded rescuing these migrants. The total number of arrivals this year has broken new records – up more than 30 per cent on the same point last year.
This quite demonstrably smashes the illusion that Starmer was ever serious about 'smashing the gangs'. The purpose of a system is what it does.
So either Starmer and his team are completely incompetent, and their plan is not working, or they are not disclosing to the British public their true intentions, and are ultimately happy with the status quo. Neither option is acceptable, given the increasing danger to our safety and security.
There are now over twice as many boat people who have arrived on our shores since 2018 (at least over 150,000) as there are UK regular forces in the British army (74,400 as of April). Three Iranian men were charged last month with spying offences, after arriving in the UK by 'irregular means' including small boats and a lorry. How many extremists, or those who wish the UK harm, might be sitting in migrant hotels, plotting against innocent Brits?
This is even more infuriating if you listen to Dominic Cummings, whose recent blog on the issue highlights how farcical a situation this is. Cummings says that after detailed conversations he had in Number 10 with the Royal Navy and special forces, smashing the gangs and stopping the boats would be trivially easy.
The block? Government lawyers and civil servants, prioritising the ECHR and radical interpretations of laws, including Tony Blair's Human Rights Act. There is a chance, Cummings says, that the Prime Minister would even be arrested for ordering the armed forces to actually sort this out.
The Civil Service, the international lawyers, and now clearly Keir Starmer, have all prioritised the ECHR and the 'rights' of those coming to Britain illegally, over the safety of our citizens. This isn't a bug. It is a feature of a rancid system operating as it is intended to.
Starmer cannot 'smash the gangs'. In the first three months of this year, just five people were convicted for piloting migrant boats. The only way to stop the boats is to stop demand with an effective deterrent. It's an awkward truth for Labour, but also a simple one.
The purpose of a system is what it does. And the purpose of the British state is to allow unlimited numbers of illegals in, and make the British pay for it, both in cash and, potentially, with our lives.
James Price is senior fellow at the Adam Smith Institute
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