All populists claim to speak for the people who are being ignored. Labour’s battle lines on immigration were re-drawn again this week, but with too little thought about minimising the populist appeal.
Hilary Benn and Andy Burnham both insist on curbing free movement. As Yvette Cooper takes her Select Committee out on tour, she won’t be expecting to hear many calls for open borders. But sensible and realistic though this may be, it won’t be enough to convince voters Labour has listened. Their worries are not just about numbers, but very fundamental questions of values and what is meant by fairness.
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