Is Diane Abbott against migration?

It’s a strange time in British politics. Brexit signalled the ongoing political re-alignment that is underway. Red Wallers and blue shires united; old alliances are at an end. Still, Mr S is surprised to see a surprising new addition to the legions of Tories in parliament who are concerned about the ongoing levels of high migration to the UK.

Step forward Diane Abbott, who today found herself in the unusual position of being criticised from the left of British politics for being too hostile to the free movement of people. Abbott of course distinguished herself during the Corbyn years as Shadow Home Secretary when she refused to answer questions about Labour’s approach to illegal immigrants, among other issues.

Yet now it seems Abbott is opposed to one form of migration – the legal kind, at least. For the right-on Hackney MP believes that it’s (somehow) wrong for UK ministers to appeal for the brightest students around the world to come and work here in this country. In one of her infamous badly-pixellated tweets, Abbott declared online today that:

Government boast it is opening up visas to the world’s top graduates. But many originally come from third world countries. Why is Britain asset stripping poor countries like this?

Is the implication here that the UK should only be favouring troubled and unproductive immigrants? Let’s just hope Abbott’s successor Yvette Cooper gets asked about it the next time the Shadow Home Secretary pops up to criticise the comments of a Tory backbencher.