If Tony Blair thinks the EU will budge on immigration, he must have over-indulged at his recent chummy lunch with Jean-Claude Juncker
The idea is delusional, as David Cameron found to his cost
Blair choker
TONY Blair calling for a clampdown on immigration. You couldn’t make it up.
You’d have been forgiven for choking on your cornflakes as he shamelessly argued yesterday that the “come-one, come-all” policy he presided over for years isn’t working any more.
The nurses, teachers and public servants who’ve had to deal with the consequences of his decision to open our borders — with little or no apparent planning — could tell him that the pressure it put on vital services is one of the main reasons we voted to leave last year.
Even now Blair insists he was right. He’s never said “sorry”. He proposes a tighter immigration policy that still involves asking Brussels for permission.
If he genuinely thinks the free movement ideologues will budge an inch, he must have over-indulged at his recent chummy lunch with Jean-Claude Juncker. The idea is delusional, as David Cameron found to his cost.
He, and the insufferably right-on types waving EU flags at Saturday’s Last Night of the Proms, should listen to Fabian Picardo.
Like Blair, the Gibraltan Chief Minister was disappointed by the result of last year’s referendum.
But he hasn’t spent his time since bemoaning democracy and attempting to rewrite history. Instead, as we report today, he’s embracing the opportunities presented by our departure.
If only those still dreaming of reversing our democratic vote could bring themselves to be so optimistic about our future.
MOST READ IN OPINION
Feeling blue
THE vote to leave was a vote to take back our sovereignty.
Part of demonstrating that involves getting rid of the burgundy passports that the EU forced on us in the Eighties. It’s time we travelled with navy passports once again.
The news that these passports could be made in Germany or France has been met with understandable dismay.
Of course, we’d prefer it if they were made here. But what could better demonstrate the fact that we’ll continue to trade with the continent after we leave the EU than our passports being made in Europe — no matter the doomsday warnings of arch-remainers?
Just make sure they’re navy.
Turn the page
ONE in ten of all the world’s pagers are used by the NHS.
That shows how much we need to modernise the health service.
Plans to make it easier to book appointments or re-order prescriptions online are therefore welcome, even if they’re overdue.
But large Government IT projects have a horrible tendency to spiral in costs and fail to deliver.
For once, can we get this one right?