@CatherineFlick This policy makes perfect sense, when you consider that the Tories are expecting to lose an election in 2024. Its whole point is to be disastrous.
The worker shortages won't become apparent until Labour are in government, at which point they must:
lower fees, which will be criticised as "enabling unsustainable immigration levels"
keep the fees, which will be criticised as "damaging the economy"
Either way, the Tories end up ahead through deliberate sabotage.
@CatherineFlick I forgot the third arm of this trap: if Labour don't say anything about this at all, then it undermines their own support from the left-wing middle class of Labour supporters.
And it's cost-free for the Tories: being cruel to foreigners shores up the xenophobe vote.
It's a win-win-win-win for Tories to throw immigrants under the bus and further damage the country and institutions they've already wrecked!
Wild idea: Labour should just lean into "yes, we're enabling immigration, and that's good" -- stop playing on the Tories' "immigrants are harmful" playing-field and start talking about the benefits of a pluralistic society, the economic gains that immigrants bring, the fact that we're all human beings dealing with difficult times together, etc.
It won't happen, of course, but that's what I'd like to see Labour (and Dems here in the US) doing.
@woozle@krans yes! Celebrating migrants would be a great start. The sooner we get over this jingoism the better imo. We should be a humbler country (but lol at that ever happening).
@CatherineFlick The cynic me says “that’s the point”. Claim that they’re opening up for workers to come here, then be able to shut it down again in a year or so when nobody does?
@psfshr possible yes, but these fees will also apply to renewals - usual work visa is three years, to get permanent residency you need to be here five. So there could well be an exodus too
Keep in mind that migrants are usually young and healthy and pay National Insurance and tax just like everyone else. Paying a NHS surcharge fee is just a blatant cash grab from a community that can’t afford to complain.
@CatherineFlick putting on these kind of fees onto immigrants trying to enter the UK is going to push it over the edge. The NHS relies on doctors and nurses from other countries - I can vouch for India especially here, as it’s ALWAYS been Indian registrars that have treated me for my hip problems - and even 9 years ago it was getting too pricy for most folks to train in the UK. This is going to push everyone out except for the very rich, and it’s not the very rich we benefit from.
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