Right-wing response to falling UK migration shows Labour will never win

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Home Office data has recorded a drop in net migration to 171,000, which is 48% lower than in 2024 and the lowest figure since 2012. Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, said that the numbers showed the government was “restoring order and control to our borders”. But they don’t tell the full story. If Labour’s motivation for reducing migration is economic, it should be noted that the migration of groups that generate a positive fiscal impact is down. If the motivation is political, then good luck trying to win that battle. Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, suggested that the figures were due to British citizens leaving the country due to high taxes. The Telegraph argued that falling migration was “a winning issue” for Reform’s Nigel Farage. By the logic of the paper, that would make it pretty hard for him to lose.