I agree most people wanting lower immigration has nothing to do with jobs, but it has for Gov. The unemployment rate is up slightly because more people looking for work, the employment figure is up slightly not enough but moving in the right direction. Worth a read www.ons.gov.uk/employmentan...
Yeah the problem is that if anti-imm voters aren't actually motivated by youth unemployment then the government taking steps to reduce youth unemployment isn't going to put a dent in support for reform. Or in the amount of media coverage given to demonising migrants. So govt is taking a hit to the>
I don’t think GOV action on immigration is about pandering to the right wing, IMO it is a genuine attempt to solve the economic problems. To defeat reform, Labour needs to make a strong economic case for migration (whilst working to reduce it) and really highlight the moral case for asylum.
I mean, whether they believe it or not isn't really the important thing. If it costs them lots of votes from people who disagree with it, and it's not winning them votes from people who want much harsher action, and always will, it's suicidal to crank it up harder and more.
(IE the visa changes already happened, immigration is way down, and if you can't persuade anti-imm voters you've done that, there's no reason to believe doubling down is gonna make it better. So even if you think current policy is a reasonable compromise, talking tougher *now* defeats that too.)
Agreed, even though I do think Labour are trying to do the right thing, I don’t like narrative sometimes used. I would like a truly open debate about the need for immigration to help the economy and the need for compassion/moral/legal duty to give shelter to asylum seekers. Maybe it’s too late IDK
Sadly current leadership only have one record to play so turning up the volume is all they have. I hope i'm wrong but I can't see any way things will change unless new Labour leader. And I can't see a new Lab leader unless there's an electoral implosion first. Fingers crossed for a hung parliament..
I don’t think whoever was leader would make any difference. The media don’t want a Labour gov they want Farage
economy*, and making itself unpopular with a lot of other voters, for no particular gain with most of the supposed target voters.
*(Sponsoring visas is expensive and complicated, so basically no employer is gonna do it if there are perfectly capable and willing domestic candidates. We'll be forcing employers to hire people they would currently judge unsuitable, or forcing young people to take jobs they currently have no >
interest in doing. So there is obviously an economic downside, even if there is also a potential benefit in terms of reduced unemployment.
You might be right, fingers crossed you’re not, because I fear for the futures of those 1/8 16-24 year olds. Living on benefits isn’t a life, it’s no more than an existence.
There's just a lot of folk who don't suit school, don't suit service sector, don't suit care work. Used to be more manual labour jobs that folk got into cause their dad did the same. Or friend of a friend. Still exists, of course. But lot less than used to be. No easy solutions, tbh. Not sure 'take>
a job or your benefits get stopped' has ever really worked to be honest. Ultimately people have to want to do the job, or they'll do a bad job. Probably some liberal waffle about more money for further education is the best answer I have. Gives people a couple of years to grow up, at least....
Maybe, it didn’t really work when Blair tried it though did it?We ended up with a generation of well educated unemployed. Also UNI’s are struggling, any courses that aren’t purely academic are being cut. Maybe we need vocational colleges or maybe apprenticeships are the way forward😂 full circle
Yeah but that's what i mean! Blair/Brown prioritised Higher Ed and that took good students, funding and prestige away from further education colleges etc etc. Agree a total cultural shift needed, not like govt can just press a button. But ultimately we do need skilled workers of all sorts.