London Guardian: Brown's Speech
Click here for link to UK Prime Minister Brown's Immigration Speech
Gordon Brown's immigration speech: what he said, and meant
by Allegra StrattonLondon Guardian November 12, 2009•Importance "I have never agreed with the lazy elitism that dismisses immigration as an issue, or portrays anyone who has concerns about immigration as a racist … Immigration is … a question to be dealt with … So if people ask me, do I get it?, yes, I get it.
What it means Brown the intellectual had been criticised for being too keen on considering an abstract concept of Britishness, but not necessarily immigration as experienced by the less academic. The declaration that he "gets it" is spurred by recent and growing gains by the BNP, and Labour's private polling makes this a matter of urgency.
•Rights "The right to stay permanently will no longer follow automatically after living here for a certain number of years … Instead, we have said that after living here for five years, migrants will have to apply to become probationary citizens – and at that point they will have to pass a points-based test."
What it means This is classic Blairite/Brownite territory and is also an attempt to show the rigour of the government's analysis of the skills needed.
•Variations in demand "I do want to ensure that we give British people looking for jobs the best chance of filling vacancies that arise as we come out of the downturn. But where there are vacancies that have been advertised here and are unfilled, it is necessary for businesses and for the economy to be able to recruit more widely."
What it means This is Brown adapting his "British jobs for British workers" rubric. It worried colleagues when he first said it more than two years ago because of possible racist overtones, but Brown has not shied away from it. This will annoy academics who dislike a cap, saying it is difficult to predict job markets.
•Stress on public services "Where there are short term increases in the numbers of children at your local school, or patients using GP services, extra resources should be provided."
What it means: This addresses the long held critique by minister Margaret Hodge that immigrants using public services have put them under stress. This is not new. Earlier this year the government announced the Migration Impact Fund – every non-EU migrant would pay a charge into a £70m fund, which already provides more teaching assistants and GPs in areas most affected by immigration.
•Population "That net inward migration from both within and outside the EU is not rising but falling – with the annual figures showing that overall net immigration is down 44% on last year."
What it means This is a rebuttal of a report from the Office for National Statistics, which predicted the population would rise to 70 million, giving rise to feelings of being "swamped".
•Security "The measures to strengthen our borders are now more co-ordinated than ever – our new Border Agency, biometric visas, electronic border controls counting people in and out, and ID cards for foreign nationals."
What it means This is a daring defence of a government policy (ID cards) unpopular with the metropolitan elite, but popular with other social groups.
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