New immigration figures have dropped today from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), but in fact the figures have not dropped at all, rather rising by a cool 118,000 since 2021 much to the supposed behest of Rishi Sunak’s government.
The net migration for 2022 was 606,000, meaning that the Government has once again failed to stick to the promises they made in their manifesto to an impressive extent. This begs the question- do the Tories have a secret love for migration into the UK?
That would be one of the only possible explanations for a promise broken on this scale, and one that could prove fatal for Sunak’s band of not so merry morons. According to Yougov, immigration and asylum is the third most important issue facing the country as of May 2023, meaning that the Tories’ failure to deliver on their promises isn’t being ignored by the population, despite their continued desperate insistence that they will indeed stay true to their word.
Sunak seems fearful of being grilled more than a charcoaled cheese toastie on the topic, made apparent by the unique choice of TV show to make his first appearance on after the figures’ release- ITV’s Good Morning Britain. Known more recently for its presenter-based drama than its political scrutiny, the show offered a chance for Sunak to have a nice comfy sofa to sit on whilst delivering his patronising re-packaged ‘promises’, far from any distinct pressure.
The Ukraine-Russia war will be a key arguing point for the Tories, who will rave of their humanitarian support, hoping to distract from their more inhuman policies such as the Rwanda asylum plan.
Undoubtedly these figures will disturb those on the far-right of the Tory party, possibly planting the seeds of yet another divided government.
Whether Sunak’s new proposed rules surrounding short stay student migrants being able to bring their families to the UK will make a difference remains to be seen, but the pressure of any more policy flops could prove too much for our Coke-addicted PM.
To me, an idiot with a keyboard, it’s all very suspicious. Will we see Sunak come out and unmask as the globalising, empathetic socialist PM that many of us dream of, or will he panic and resort to help from someone with more blunt immigration tactics?
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