The Guardian view on Vince Cable’s defence of immigration
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Version 0 of 1. Two weeks ago, Ed Miliband spoke for Labour in Manchester and forgot to mention immigration at all. One week ago, David Cameron spoke for Conservatives in Birmingham and said fresh immigration controls would be at the heart of any European renegotiation. Could the Liberal Democrats do any better in Glasgow this week? Yes they could. In his speech on Monday Vince Cable spoke about immigration in terms that many politicians secretly agree with but are too cautious to echo. When voters feel squeezed, the business secretary said, they put pressure on their politicians to turn inward. The results could be seen in the debates around Scottish independence, membership of the EU and, above all, immigration. He might have added that Labour’s immigration debate at Manchester, while containing some practical ideas about attacking low pay for migrants, fitted that pattern too. The Lib Dems, Mr Cable was clear, must stand up against these pressures. His conference speech offered a reasoned breath of sanity about a subject on which pessimism abounds. The Tories talked about winning the global race and Britain being open for business, he said, but at the same time “they try to close the borders to skills and talent that Britain needs”. Of course immigration had to be controlled at ports of entry and exit, Mr Cable continued. But it was the Lib Dems’ responsibility to tell an “uncomfortable truth”. Migrants from inside and outside the EU alike brought economic benefit, skills and cultural strengths. Any crackdown should not be “at the expense of the EU single market and its free movement of workers”. Mr Cable’s conference speeches have frequently been rude about his party’s Tory coalition partners. This one was no different. It was widely reported for its accusation that the Tories would be lying if they did not accept that taxes would have to rise after 2015. That was headline-grabbing stuff. But it did not skewer the Conservatives half as effectively as the serious case against the Tories’ core European grievance over the movement of labour. How disappointing, therefore, after such an effective and principled speech by Mr Cable, to be told that some Lib Dem leaders are already preparing the ground for an unprincipled policy U-turn on Europe in return for another chance of coalition with the Conservatives. A report said party chiefs accepted that an EU referendum could not be ruled out of a future coalition agreement. The report is denied by some who should know. Perhaps it represents Nick Clegg’s private belief. But it should not be his party’s policy. Here’s another uncomfortable truth, this time for the Lib Dems not from them: Lib Dems should have no part in any government that moves Britain away from our EU membership. |