Migrationwatch

Following on from yesterday's post, the DM eventually got round to covering the story both in an article by Slack and a comment piece. Bizarrely the comment section has a link to a tale about illegal immigrants working at the Home Office. 'Don't miss today' it screams yet click on the link and you notice the date on the story is 19th May 2006 (it is also by Mr Slack. What a trooper!)

I intend to go into more detail in an update but I just wanted to play around with some initial thoughts. The story of course skirts over the main thrust of the Guardian report and concentrates on the so-called bad points.

The editorial comment - 'Now for action on mass migration', does not mention the old favourite Andrew Green of Migrationwatch so my original prediction was wildly out. Instead it quotes a respected academic (Oxford professor no less) David Coleman to pour water on the 6 billion figure. He says,

• ' the cost to our public services of Labour's open door policy stands at an alarming £8.8billion a year. That's equivalent to £350 for every household in the land. '

But wait a minute! What's this on the Migrationwatch site:

• Advisory Council: Biographical notes - Professor David Coleman Professor of Demography at Oxford University since 2002. Formerly Reader and Lecturer in Demography. Educated at Oxford University. Between 1985 - 1987 worked as Special Adviser to the Home Secretary and later to the Ministers of Housing and the Environment. Research interests include Comparative Demographic Trends in the Industrial World; Immigration Trends and Policies, and the Demography of Ethnic Minorities. He has worked as a consultant for the Home Office, the United Nations and private business. He has published over 90 papers and 8 books. He is a consultant to Migrationwatch on demographic matters but does not speak on its behalf.

Yet again the Mail fail to point out that there may be a slight axe to grind on his part.