The 2024 Conservative election campaign strategy appears increasingly clear: to be able to say they cut immigration. Yesterday, Home Secretary James Cleverly stood at the despatch box and announced measures that he suggests will reduce net migration by 300,000. This follows estimates saying levels had peaked at 745,000 in 2022.
Clearly, recent record numbers are unsustainable and place tremendous pressure on public services and housing. As such, moves to increase the skilled worker threshold to £38,700 and scrap so-called “cut-price” labour through changes to the shortage occupations list are sensible.
