Politicians are doing an excellent job responding to the Calais migrant crisis – if you’re assessing them against the rules of a Summer Crisis, that is. Today we have yet another ‘crackdown’ on employers who give jobs to illegal immigrants, with James Brokenshire announcing that ‘rogue employers’ will feel ‘the full force of the law’ and that he will ‘use the full force of government machinery to hit them from all angles’.
This does sound rather as though Brokenshire is going on a rampage in a combine harvester, but in plain English, what he apparently means is raids on building sites, care homes and cleaning contractors.
Of course, crackdowns don’t really make much difference to the crisis in Calais, but they do give the impression that ministers are Doing Something, and this in itself is very important in a Summer Crisis.
Get Britain's best politics newsletters
Register to get The Spectator's insight and opinion straight to your inbox. You can then read two free articles each week.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in