Tony Benn once explained that politicians fall into one of two categories: weathervanes or signposts. The weathervane type exists so as to wildly swing in whatever direction public opinion blows them, while the signpost type exists to point people toward a direction of principle. Signpost politicians stand firm in the face of digression in an attempt to do what is right rather than what is most popular. I believe that Jeremy Corbyn is such a politician and that his leadership is more about what we can achieve, rather than just accepting what is politically expedient.
Take his visit to the Calais migrant camp this weekend. A YouGov poll found that 73 per cent of British people do not want to take any migrants from the camps in France. Indeed, 61 per cent of people who voted for the Labour party in 2015 felt the same way. This is despite the fact that migrants establish one in seven British businesses and that migrants from both within and outside of the EU have contributed more in taxes to the Treasury than they have taken in benefits. Though the Tories talk about patriotism, there are also people with British passports stuck in Calais, unable to leave the camps because they cannot afford to travel home. Jeremy is right to say that we should be welcoming more refugees from this camp on a human level. But if that human level is not enough to get your heart racing then at least consider the tangible economic and societal benefits. So yes, the Prime Minister is able to lambast refugees and pretend that he is on the side of the people represented in these polls, but at what cost?
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