"According to Edgar's law, there is no opinion poll so gloomy for Labour that it can't be followed by one even bleaker; no fiscal forecast so bad that the Treasury can't aggravate it with contradictory signals on tax; no misgivings about Keir Starmer that can't be amplified by malevolent briefing about a leadership challenge; no social policy so nauseating to the party faithful that it can't be made grosser still with a relish of cruelty."
"In that context, this week's announcement of plans that aim to limit the number of refugees admitted to the UK, modelled on a notoriously mean Danish system, went down less badly with Labour MPs than might have been expected. There were sparks of backbench anger but no conflagration of dissent. No 10 was relieved. It helped that the home secretary had taken steps to explain the political imperative of the measures to colleagues in advance and in private. The plan landed on a rolled pitch."
Labour MPs responded to proposed asylum limits with muted opposition, reflecting a balance between electoral pressure and unease about harsh deterrents. The measures, modelled on a mean Danish system, provoked backbench anger but no open rebellion, aided by private briefings from the home secretary that framed the rules as politically necessary. Many MPs accept that the existing asylum system is failing and that border security can foster tolerance, yet they worry that policies threatening property confiscation and child deportation portray Britain as hostile to foreigners. Quiet backbenches remain potentially ominous given a leader perceived as directionless and negotiable commitments.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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