Good morning. Most government announcements have only a limited impact on life as its lived in the UK – in other words, you have to look hard to notice – but yesterday’s plan to slash immigration numbers was probably an exception. It is intended to close down very high immigration as a component of the economy. It won’t stop all immigration by any means, but if it achieves what ministers expect, it will deliver a noticeable jolt to how the UK functions.
The announcement has had a good reception in the parts of the press that matter most to No 10 (not the Guardian), but even if it reduces net migration by 300,000, as the Home Office expects, that will not meet the Conservative party’s manifesto pledge of getting it below the level it was in 2019 (around 230,00). Robert Jenrick, the immigration minister, has been giving interviews this morning and he said the government remained committed to that target. Speaking to Times Radio, he was evasive about whether it would be possible to achieve this before the next election, but he said if further measures were needed, beyond what was announced yesterday, the government would act. He said:
If we need to take more action then we will because we’re determined to meet the manifesto commitment and to ensure net migration is reduced. We all stood on that manifesto in the 2019 election and we’re determined to meet it as quickly as possible.
If we need to go further, and we may well do, then we should and we will, because I’m determined that we meet that manifesto commitment.
I will post more from his interviews shortly.
Here is the agenda for the day.
9.30am: Rishi Sunak chairs cabinet.
Morning: James Cleverly, the home secretary, is due to sign a treaty with Rwanda in Kigali.
11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.
11.30am: Victoria Atkins, the health secretary, takes questions in the Commons.
Around 3.20pm: David Cameron takes questions for the first time in his new role as foreign secretary.
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