Since the beating they took in last week’s by-elections at the hands of Ukip, the main parties have been at pains to talk tough on immigration. Political responses made in panic are rarely reputable yet are hard to undo. The debate on immigration is in serious danger of taking such a turn.
Britain gets a good deal from immigration, in direct economic ways and in the less tangible sense of being open to ideas and entrepreneurship. Politicians should say so, and without appending the word “but”. No one disputes that openness to immigration has some costs because change is always disruptive to someone. Those changes have to be managed. Yet the benefits are immense.
The political controversy is that costs tend to be concentrated whereas