Lost: One ConservativeHome columnist, last seen on these pages on June 14th.
Appearance: Thoughtful mien, Archimandrite-type beard, Aston Villa scarf.
Reward: Please e-mail Lord Ashcroft with your opening offer via the ConHome contact details.
WARNING: IF SEEN OUTSIDE DOWNING STREET, DO NOT APPROACH. RUN, HIDE, REPORT.
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“As Anthony Seldon recorded in his book, Cameron at 10, the Prime Minister is often heard to complain that “I am the only person in this government who supports the Home Secretary on immigration”, and he is right. Instead of supporting the manifesto drive to reduce immigration, within a few months of the election the Foreign Office, Business Department and Treasury combined to try to take foreign students out of the migration statistics altogether. That campaign to weaken immigration control appears to have failed, yet the Autumn Statement shows that Government policy is not to reduce and control immigration but to keep immigration high…Worse still, we can now expect the Business Department and Treasury to lobby the Home Office to liberalise the student visa system – by allowing more people on student visas to stay and work when their courses end for example – in order to meet this new target.” – December 1, 2015
ConHome summary: Get off our lawn, Osborne.
More tomorrow.