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Facts and norms in the immigration debate

“New proposals on how to regulate immigration after Brexit are coming thick and fast”, point out Christina Boswell and James Hampshire, but responding to public anxieties is leading to “muddled thinking”. Here’s how we tend to frame the immigration debate, and the kind of policy prescriptions that follow.

  1. Is anti-immigrant sentiment a legitimate political preference? Then we need tighter controls and more attention to integration measures.
  2. Is anti-immigrant sentiment ignorant? Then education is needed.
But “such anxieties are not generally caused by immigration”, the authors argue. Certainly, areas with the highest levels of migration counterintuitively tended to vote Remain in a referendum significantly framed around immigration questions. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation found that the poorest households were more likely to vote Leave, but educational inequality was the strongest motivator. Significantly, this was a community-level driver, not a individual one.

For this reason, we need to consider the impact of political narratives. This is because “every society has a repertoire of background ideas which influence collective narratives about social problems”, on two levels.
  1. Broad worldviews such as the British idea of fairness, as expressed by the belief in waiting your turn and playing by the rules. This is why immigration anxieties more often find expression around who gets access to goods, not racial or cultural difference.
  2. Programmatic ideas about what kinds of policy intervention work, such as border control and a quota-driven immigration system.

These background ideas can be shifted and shaped. For a time, the authors suggest, New Labour successfully told a story about a vibrant Britain - with a worldview based on openness and tolerance, and a programmatic idea about the benefits of skilled migration for economic growth. A similar effort by Germany’s Social Democratic Party - Green Party coalition met initial resistance but gradually changed views.

If norms rather than facts drive public understanding of immigration, and these norms are fluid, four consequences follow. We should be cautious about seeing anti-immigrant worldviews as immutable, and prudent about how much we reshape immigration policy in response. We might want to challenge politicians who rely too much on simple narratives about immigration, and do more to open up a conversation about it where both facts and norms can be discussed.

Quick Reads

Ask not what. Ahead of the Spring Budget, why don’t we ask: “is the government reducing risk for us?” National Institute for Economic and Social Research

Teachers by app. The Uberisation of supply teaching might sound upsetting, but doesn’t something need to be done about the £900m spent on teacher recruitment agencies? Reform

Draft them properly. Trump has learned a hard lesson about executive orders - they don’t execute themselves - and another about the importance of procedural norms in political power. Constitution Unit

On the up. Is it the case that economic dynamism - and not inequality - is a greater determinant of poverty in cities? Centre for Cities

Keep your eyes open. The solution to fake news is not just about technology - it’s about a more open and discerning approach to information. Nesta

Machines of communism’, or why the Soviets failed to invent the internet. Centre for Public Impact

Data please. The claim that police forces are in ‘meltdown’ can’t be verified, but they “do appear to have been prioritising the urgent at the expense of the important”. Institute for Government

Reports

Capital gains. Thanks to the business rates revaluation, London businesses will be funding councils across  the country to the tune of £800 million. Institute for Fiscal Studies

51.5% to 73.6%. Manchester City Council has successfully localised procurement spending, supporting 1,481 jobs in the city. Centre for Local Economic Strategies

Community trust. The NHS is overestimating the savings that can be realised by shifting the ‘balance of care’ from hospitals to communities. Nuffield Trust

Brain gain. Leeds tends to gain from the movement of graduates: and the largest net inflow is from the North West. Centre for Cities

Quids in. It’s very difficult to participate in modern society without a bank account. But accessing basic banking is still too difficult. Citizens Advice

£2bn by 2017/18. The NHS’ Sustainability and Transformation Plans depend on robust social care provision - but those leading the plans are underestimating a funding gap. Health Foundation

Balance of payments. On current projections, absolute poverty will have fallen by 2021-2. But largely thanks to tax and benefit changes more children are likely to experience it. Institute for Fiscal Studies

Beancounters not bailouts. The Government has been forced into emergency action in response to public concern twice since the 2015 Spending Review. Efficiency needs to be part of how it makes decisions - a watchdog would help. Institute for Government

On the move. If you’re a Black or Asian undergraduate, studying abroad could reduce your chances of being unemployed by as much as 70 per cent. Universities UK

Working it out. Successful treatment for drug misuse improves employment outcomes, current evidence suggests, and vice versa: “typically by enhancing self-esteem and providing daily routines to structure time and lifestyles”. Learning and Work Institute

See also

Boxset alert. You can now watch all 14 episodes of a BBC series on public policy that works, presented by Fi Glover, Martha Lane Fox and Henrietta Moore. Perfect Country

9 traits for success in government. Apolitical

Plans for panels. India’s Finance Minister announces plans to install rooftop solar power for the country’s 7000 railway stations. CleanTechnica

Not-www. The Chinese Communist Party has made the case for sovereignty over the internet, and wants to help other countries follow its lead. Associated Press

Rivers attract cities, and divide counties. Great ways to define governance units in medieval times, but how about now? CityMetric

Think Tanks

Not just the numbers. 6 ways think tanks can demonstrate impact. Hewlett Foundation

Jobs

Senior Consultant (Data & Learning). Open Data Institute. London. Competitive salary. Apply by 12 March.

Digital Communications Officer. Fixed-term to cover leave. Local Government Association. London. £36-41k. Apply by 13 March.

Policy Adviser – Civil Justice. Law Society. London. £39-49k. Apply by 13 March.

Digital Policy & Strategy Officer. Fixed-term. Public Health England. London. £30-38k. Apply by 14 March.

Digital Communications Officer. The Royal Free London. London. £22-28k. Apply by 15 March.

Web and Digital Communication Officer. Part-time. Wellcome Trust Mental Health and Justice Project. London. £28+3k. Apply by 20 March.

Policy Adviser: Resources. Green Alliance. London. £25k+. Apply by 20 March.

Communication and Press Associate. The Challenge. London. £22k. Apply by 23 March.

Stakeholder Communications Manager. Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, HM Treasury. London. £28-43k. Apply by 23 March.

Head of Membership Network. New Local Government Network. London. £40k. Apply by 24 March.

Partnerships Manager. Tower Hamlets Council for Voluntary Service. London. £37-39k. Apply by 24 March.

No catch. Email your vacancies to review@thinktankreview.co.uk and we’ll list them here for free.

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Compiled by Tom Jeffery
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