In a letter to David Cameron shortly after the last general election, Philip Hammond demanded that students be excluded from the net migration target. The then foreign secretary, who was backed by George Osborne and Sajid Javid, wrote: “From a foreign policy point of view, Britain’s role as a world class destination for international students is a highly significant element of our soft power offer. It’s an issue that’s consistently raised with me by our foreign counterparts.” Universities and businesses have long argued that it is economically harmful to limit student numbers. But David Cameron, supported by Theresa May, refused to relent.
Appearing before the Treasury select committee yesterday, Hammond reignited the issue. “As we approach the challenge of getting net migration figures down, it is in my view essential that we look at how we do this in a way that protects the vital interests of our economy,” he said. He added that “It’s not whether politicians think one thing or another, it’s what the public believe and I think it would be useful to explore that quesrtion.” A YouGov poll published earlier this year found that 57 per cent of the public support excluding students from the “tens of thousands” target.
Content from our partners
