As the UK general election enters its final sprint, the Labour Party and the Conservative Party have recently submitted their election manifestos. Beyond the issue of the "economy," "immigration" has unsurprisingly taken a prominent position.
Regarding "immigration," the Conservative Party has brandished its "axe," declaring its intention to reduce the annual number of immigrants to the UK to "1990s levels." In contrast to the Conservative Party's "drastic" immigration reduction policy, the Labour Party plans to launch a "screening campaign" in the public sector, mandating that all foreign immigrants working in public services must pass an English proficiency test before they can be "hired."
The Conservative Party's "axe": Cutting the annual number of immigrants to the UK by 80%
Conservative Party leader David Cameron submitted a 130-page manifesto for the 2010 general election. Regarding immigration policy, Cameron stated that a Conservative government would reduce immigration to 1990s levels, maintaining it in the tens of thousands rather than hundreds of thousands annually.
Although Cameron did not provide a specific annual cap, only giving a range of "tens of thousands," the "1990s levels" he mentioned are traceable. According to official data, the number of immigrants to the UK in the 1990s was 50,000 per year, while the current total is 200,000. According to sources within the Conservative Party, the party intends to control the annual number of immigrants to under 40,000 once in power. This would be only one-fifth of the current annual figure, meaning a Conservative government would cut the number of immigrants to the UK by 80%.
The Labour Party's "sieve": Immigrants in the public sector must pass an English test
The Labour Party, which has been accused by the Conservatives of being "too lenient" on immigration policy, also took the opportunity to announce its policy of "screening" immigrants in the public sector via English tests when it presented its election manifesto on April 12.
On April 12, Gordon Brown stated in the Labour Party's 2010 UK general election manifesto that all foreign immigrants working in the public sector, such as nurses, community support workers, social workers, and call center staff, must pass an English test before they can secure employment.
Under current policy, only doctors, police officers, and teachers from outside the European Union are required to pass an English test. Under this new proposal, the English requirement would be extended to all foreign immigrants working in the public sector, including those from the EU.
Analysts interviewed suggest that the Labour Party's proposal of an "English requirement" for foreign immigrants in the public sector in its election manifesto is likely a "last-ditch effort" before the election to demonstrate the party's "determination" to address the pressures that immigration places on the public sector.
How immigration became the "target" of the election campaign
Businesses need market research to sell goods, and political parties need public opinion polls to sell their manifestos; understanding the needs of "target voters" is the key to victory. Behind the parties' promotion of "controlling immigration" or "screening immigrants" lies the public sentiment in British society that foreign immigrants are "competing for public resources," "taking jobs," and "posing a threat" to social security.
According to a survey by The Times, 40% of UK voters are currently over the age of 55. These "senior" votes are the most likely to shift from "potential votes" to "actual votes." Therefore, for all parties, the "public opinion" of these older voters is particularly important, as they are likely the key force in deciding who will "have the last laugh." The survey found that for these voters, "limiting immigration" is one of the top three issues they care about most.
In an environment of economic recession and high unemployment in the UK, the stark contrast in numbers and the constant repetition of news stories about "immigration and crime" have a truly "deafening" effect. "Immigration" has once again become the "scapegoat" for all of Britain's economic and social problems.
