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A notable trend has started happening around migration statistics in Britain since Labour came to power in 2024. No sooner did Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announce her intention to change immigration rules to make it harder for migrant workers, such as care workers, to apply for settlement in Britain than the care sector started to struggle to fill vacancies.
These events are connected, but not in the way you might think.
Shorts
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Caption: This undated handout photo shows a house mouse on Marion Island, South Africa. Mice that were brought by mistake to a remote island near Antarctica 200 years ago are breeding out of control because of climate change, eating seabirds and causing major harm in a special nature reserve with ???unique biodiversity.??? Now conservationists are planning a mass extermination using helicopters and hundreds of tons of rodent poison. (Stefan and Janine Schoombie via AP)
Photographer: Stefan and Janine Schoombie
Provider: AP
Source: Stefan and Janine Schoombie
SCIENCE
Why city mice really are bolder than their country cousins
Mice in urban areas are more aggressive than their counterparts in the countryside, scientists have discovered.
The findings bear out Aesop’s fable, in which a bold town mouse invites a bashful country cousin to stay.
City mice will eat through wrappers
Mice don’t hibernate, and instead during winter head indoors for food and warmth
Urban mice are far bolder than rural mice when it comes to finding food, US scientists have found.
One rodent in the study, named Philomene, ate through cake, cheese, bags of plums and “individually wrapped chocolates”.
Exclusive
6 min read
What else the study found
On any given night, a fox will encounter many cats, and the normal outcome is for the two animals to ignore each other (Photo: Matt Cardy/Getty)
More aggressive
All animals living in urban areas are more active, more aggressive and tend to roam more widely than those in rural areas.
130 species studied
The research published in the Journal of Animal Ecology also looked at 130 species – including birds, reptiles, insects and mammals.
Caption: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – APRIL 02: A pigeon feeds on nuts as it perches on a person’s hand at St. James Park in London, United Kingdom on April 02, 2026. (Photo by Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Photographer: Anadolu
Provider: Anadolu via Getty Images
Source: Anadolu
Caption: Hedgehog crossing street in front of an oncoming car
Photographer: Leoba
Provider: Getty Images/iStockphoto
Source: iStockphoto
Copyright: Photo-SD
Risk-positive
“City animals seem to be more risk-positive – they’re more bold,” said Dr Tracy Burkhard, of Lewis & Clark College.
TV NEWS
What we know about Married at First Sight UK rape allegations
Who would put themselves through marrying a stranger on national TV? (Photo: Channel 4)
Channel 4 has removed all seasons of Married at First Sight UK from its platforms following “very serious allegations” made against some former stars.
Two women have alleged that they were raped during the filming of the show. A third has alleged a non-consensual sex act.
The allegations
One woman alleged in a BBC Panorama programme that her chosen husband raped her and threatened her with an acid attack.
A second alleged that she was also raped by her husband. She also claims she told Channel 4 and independent producer CPL before broadcast, but the show still aired.
A third woman alleged that her onscreen husband engaged in a non-consensual sex act.
MEDIA
3 min read
How has Channel 4 responded?
Channel 4’s removal of the show from its platforms follows an external review launched in April into the welfare of participants. The broadcaster was presented with serious allegations “against a small number of past contributors, allegations that we understand those contributors have denied,” it said in a statement. The channel said “prompt and appropriate action was taken” related to concerns over welfare protocols.
NEWS
2 min read
Analysis
3 min read
What do MPs say?
Culture Minister Caroline Dinenage’s comments have sparked fury among the cruise industry (Photo: Getty)
‘Deeply shocking’
Dame Caroline Dinenage, chair of the Culture, Media and Sport committee, said the allegations were “deeply shocking”.
‘Horrifying’
The Conservative MP said the premise of the show, which sees single people “marry” strangers who they meet on their mock wedding day, was “horrifying”.
The new series of Married at First Sight starts this week on Channel 4 (Photo: CPL Production and Channel 4/ Indigo Wild Studio/Simon Johns)
Sheffield City Region’s Labour Mayor Dan Jarvis and local council leaders announced that the Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick had confirmed he would work with them to devolve powers from Westminster (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)
‘Deeply concerning’
Labour security minister Dan Jarvis said the allegations were “deeply concerning”.
Will we see a heatwave this bank holiday weekend?
Britons have been told to prepare for hot weather this bank holiday weekend, with some parts of the country set to see temperatures rise as high as 28°C.
A couple pour a glass of wine on Jubilee beach, Southend in June. Yellow heat health alerts were issued by the Met Office (Photo: John Keeble/Getty Images)
Which areas could get a heatwave?
Caption: A person walks along The Queen’s Walk near Tower Bridge in London. Temperatures could reach 32C in parts of central and southern England on Friday and are expected to remain high into the weekend, with a yellow heat health alert in place for all regions in England until July 15. Picture date: Friday July 11, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire
Photographer: Yui Mok
Provider: Yui Mok/PA Wire
Source: PA
28°C temperatures
Temperatures could reach 28°C in the south-east of England on Friday, with conditions set to be mostly sunny and dry.
Heatwave threshold
Some places could see a heatwave on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. A heatwave is three days in a row with temperatures at a regional threshold.
(Photo: Olga Pankova/Getty).
Caption: Spring flowers bloom in St James’s Park as temperatures in the capital are set to surge as high as 25 Degrees Celsius in London, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Photographer: Kirsty Wigglesworth
Provider: AP
Source: AP
Most likely counties
Herefordshire and Worcestershire appear most likely to hit the threshold, say forecasters.
Bank holiday showers
Caption: People walk through the rain on Southbank in London. Weather warnings have been issued as Storm Barbara is expected to bring gale force winds and heavy showers to southern parts of the UK. PA Photo. Picture date: Wednesday October 21, 2020. See PA story WEATHER Barbara. Photo credit should read: Kirsty O’Connor/PA Wire
Photographer: Kirsty O’Connor
Provider: PA
Source: PA
It’s not all good news: forecasters have warned that some parts of the country could see rain because of the humidity.
Some parts of Scotland, Wales and the west of England could see showers on Saturday. The south of England could get rain on Sunday.
OPINION
5 min read
What’s causing warm spell?
Meteorologists said a change in the wind direction was behind the spike in temperatures ahead.
Wind had been blowing from the north during last week’s cold snap. South-westerly winds from the Atlantic have dominated at the start of this week. And later in the week, the wind from the south will bring warmer weather.
Caption: A person struggles to hold onto their umbrella during strong wind in Birmingham. The Met Office has issued a “danger to life” rain weather warning in parts of Wales and South West England amid Storm Bram. Picture date: Tuesday December 9, 2025. PA Photo. An amber rain weather warning has been issued in parts of South Wales and the South West of England as the Met Office warned that some homes and businesses are likely to be flooded and potentially damaged, while some communities could be cut off due to flooded roads. Photo credit should read: Jacob King/PA Wire
Photographer: Jacob King
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Source: PA
Copyright: PA
Caption: A woman shades from the sun as she arrives at the Henley Royal Regatta, during warm weather, as temperatures continue to rise across Britain, in Henley-on-Thames, Britain, July 1, 2025. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
Photographer: Dylan Martinez
Provider: REUTERS
Source: REUTERS
POLITICS
Who are the Labour figures who want to replace Starmer?
said to be privately considering whether he will contest challenges to his leadership, despite having publicly insisted he will fight them.
Labour appears to be heading towards a leadership contest, after disastrous local election results led to almost 100 Labour MPs calling for Sir Keir Starmer to stand down.
Wes Streeting has said he will stand in any contest. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has also made clear he wants to be prime minister – if he can win a crucial by-election.
The frontrunners
Andy Burnham carries hopes of many on the left, as polling shows he is the favourite with the public. He is hoping to win a seat through the Makerfield by-election.
Wes Streeting is viewed by many as a “Blairite” representing the Labour right. He told Starmer he had “lost confidence” in his leadership.
OPINION
5 min read
Who else might run?
Angela Rayner says the party needs to reconnect with younger voters (Photo: Carl Court/Getty)
Angela Rayner
The former deputy Labour leader is thought to be supportive of Burnham – but may still decide to stand and appeal to the left.
Ed Miliband
The Energy Secretary is also keen on Burnham. But if his ally cannot take part in the contest, Miliband may decide to take on Streeting.
Caption: Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband reacts to a heckler at the Fabian Society 2026 New Year Conference at the Guildhall, central London. Picture date: Saturday January 24, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: James Manning/PA Wire
Photographer: James Manning
Provider: James Manning/PA Wire
Source: PA
Shabana Mahmood has embarked on a radical overhaul of the UK’s immigration system (Photo: Kin Cheung/AP)
Other ministers
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and Armed Forces minister Al Carns may also decide to run.
How would a contest work?
A Labour leadership contest would be triggered if one MP gets backing from 81 MPs.
Other candidates can join if they have 81 backers.
Keir Starmer can decide to contest the leadership election, and does not need 81 MPs to do so. But he could decide to stand down.
Labour members and affiliated unions then vote by ranking candidates in order of preference.
The National Executive Committee (NEC) decides on the timetable.
More from The i Paper on Labour
The average British retiree falls short of moderate lifestyle
The typical pensioner in the UK does not have enough income to live comfortably, new research has found.
‘As a private renter now working part time, I am in a precarious situation and may have to rely on savings,’ says a reader (Photo: Alex Tihonov/Getty)
What does average pensioner live on?
£26,200
This is how much the average tax-paying pensioner between 65 and 69 lives on.
This is according to an analysis of 2024 HMRC figures by AJ Bell.
£22,700
This is how much the average tax-paying pensioner between 70 and 74 lives on.
This is according to an analysis of 2024 HMRC figures by AJ Bell.
What you need for moderate lifestyle
An individual pensioner needs £31,300 a year for a moderate standard of living, according to Retirement Living Standards research by Loughborough University.
Some state pensioners will have their income protected from tax (Andrii Yalanskyi / 500px/Getty)
The man is currently drawing a small defined benefit (DB) pension (Photo: SimpleImages/Getty)
A pensioner couple need £43,100 a year to live to a moderate standard, the Retirement Living Standards research discovered.
The good news and bad news
Average pensioner incomes fall “well short” of what the average Brit is hoping for, said Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at AJ Bell.
Women are even more stretched than men in retirement. Women aged 65 to 69 received an average of £23,000, while men received £29,600.
However, the standards are a “fairly blunt instrument”, said Coles, because they don’t take into account the income you are used to while you’re working.
Watch more from The i Paper
The Parliamentary Standards watchdog has launched a probe into the £5m ‘gift’ from businessman Christopher Harborne to Nigel Farage in 2024. A Reform UK spokesman said: “Mr Farage’s office is in communications with the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. He has always been clear that this was a personal, unconditional gift and no rules were broken. We look forward to this being put to bed once and for all.” nigelfarage reformuk ukpolitics
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London, UK – April 15 2025. General view of Broadcasting House, the BBC headquarters in central London, with people walking outside.
Photographer: VV Shots
Provider: Getty Images
Source: iStock Editorial
MEDIA NEWS
The new BBC plan to axe channels and avoid scandal
The corporation could close TV channels and move shows to YouTube as it tries to save £500m and cut up to 2,000 jobs.
The new director-general, Matt Brittin, has warned staff in an email that “tough choices are unavoidable”.
Which channels could go?
The bew BBC director general, Matt Brittin, will formally begin his role on 18 May (Photo: BBC/PA)
Brittin decides
Insiders predicted that the new director-general would look at the case for closing the BBC’s entire channels.
BBC Three in doubt?
Roger Mosey, ex-head of BBC TV News, said BBC Two and BBC Four could merge, while BBC Three could be “finally laid to rest”.
Caption: Programme Name: Fleabag – TX: n/a – Episode: n/a (No. n/a) – Picture Shows: Fleabag (PHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE) – (C) Two Brothers Pictures Ltd. – Photographer: Screengrab
Photographer: Screengrab
Provider: BBC/Two Brothers Pictures Ltd.
Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock in the 2010s BBC version (Photo: Robert Viglasky/BBC/Hartswood Films)
Daytime shows
Mosey also suggested that the BBC could drop “filler” daytime programmes in favour of high-impact drama.
How BBC will avoid scandals
Former BBC Director General Tim Davie arrives at Broadcasting House on November 11, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Brittin will protect “editorial excellence” to avoid errors like Panorama’s misleading editing of a Donald Trump speech.
The scandal led to the resignation of Tim Davie, pictured above.
Brittin will also appoint a deputy director-general with news experience to get ahead of future scandals.
Analysis
3 min read
A reinvented licence fee?
The BBC is keen to extend the base of people required to pay the licence fee – possibly including those who watch streaming platforms.
Brittin has yet to publicly state his personal preference on how to reinvent the charge imposed on TV viewers.
But the former Google boss has already met Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy to push the case for reform.
More from The i Paper on the BBC
New BBC director general Matt Brittin has told BBC staff that “tough choices are unavoidable” on his first day in the job. The former Google Europe boss has taken on the role during a tumultous period at the broadcaster, despite having no previous TV production or planning experience. This is everything he has to do deal with from the outset. #UK #news
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Caption: A vehicle’s hatch and doors are opened near where a body of one of the shooters was placed near the scene of a shooting outside the Islamic Center of San Diego Monday, May 18, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Photographer: Gregory Bull
Provider: AP Photo/Gregory Bull
Source: AP
world news
Teen suspects fatally shoot three in suspected hate crime at San Diego mosque
Two teenage attackers fatally shot three men at a mosque in San Diego, California, in a suspected hate crime, before taking their own lives, police said.
The shooting took place on Monday morning, two hours after the mother of one of the suspects called police to say her son had run away and was potentially suicidal.
What happened?
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said officers first received a call about 9.42am from a mother about a “runaway juvenile”. The mother believed her son was suicidal and reported “several of her weapons” and vehicle were missing.
Caption: SAN DIEGO, UNITED STATES – MAY 18: People inspect the scene in the area near the San Diego Islamic Center as officers urge residents to avoid the area and remain indoors after reports of an active shooter at a mosque, in San Diego, California, United States, on May 18, 2026. Police in the US city of San Diego said Monday that a reported active shooter threat at the Islamic Center of San Diego had been ‘neutralized.’ (Photo by Michael Ho Wai Lee/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Photographer: Anadolu
Provider: Anadolu via Getty Images
Source: Anadolu
Caption: Two men embrace at the scene of a shooting outside the Islamic Center of San Diego Monday, May 18, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Photographer: Gregory Bull
Provider: AP Photo/Gregory Bull
Source: AP
She told police her son was with a companion and they were both dressed in camouflage, prompting police to elevate the threat level and send out officers to search for the teens.
How the incident unfolded
Police were with the mother only a few streets away from the Islamic Center of San Diego when an active shooter was reported, about 11.43am local time. When officers arrived, they found three deceased victims. One was a security guard at the centre.
Big Read
4 min read
NEWS
3 min read
Police investigate hate crime
Two teenage suspects were later found dead in a nearby vehicle with self-inflicted wounds.
Police said they are investigating the shooting as a hate crime and “hate rhetoric” was involved.
The suspect’s mother found a note left behind, but police did not provide further details on what was written beyond it containing “general hate speech”.
Explained
4 min read
Understand this story in pictures
Caption: People embrace near the scene of a shooting outside the Islamic Center of San Diego Monday, May 18, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Photographer: Gregory Bull
Provider: AP Photo/Gregory Bull
Source: AP
Caption: Police tape is placed near the scene of a shooting outside the Islamic Center of San Diego Monday, May 18, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Photographer: Gregory Bull
Provider: AP Photo/Gregory Bull
Source: AP
Caption: People stand behind police tape at the scene of a shooting outside the Islamic Center of San Diego Monday, May 18, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Photographer: Gregory Bull
Provider: AP Photo/Gregory Bull
Source: AP
Caption: BRIDLINGTON, ENGLAND – MARCH 10: Crew members stand on the bow as the Royal National Lifeboat Antony Patrick Jones returns safely with crew to Bridlington RNLI station after taking part in rescue operations after two vessels collided in the North Sea on March 10, 2025 in Bridlington, England. Thirty-two people were reportedly brought ashore with injuries after the collision of the oil tanker Stena Immaculate and the Solong, a cargo vessel, on Monday morning. (Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)
Photographer: Ian Forsyth
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images Europe
Copyright: 2025 Getty Images
NEWS
RNLI urges people to ‘float to live’ if struggling in water
With warmer weather coming up over the weekend, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has issued guidance about what to do if you get into trouble in the water.
Here’s a break down of their advice for staying safe while swimming.
Swimmer safety
Float to Live, lifeguards urge
People gathering in the river Thames in South Bank in London (Photographer: lorenzo grifantini
Provider: Getty Images
Source: iStock Editorial)
Most people will instinctively thrash around in the water if they get into trouble, but this is dangerous as you can quickly tire.
Tipping your head gap so your ears are submerged is the best way to stay afloat, moving your arms and legs if you need to.
LIFESTYLE
4 min read
Police received a report from paramedics at around 4.30pm on Wednesday of people requiring assistance on the beach off Bournemouth Pier (Photo: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)
Relax and breathe
By doing this, you give yourself the chance to rest and recover your breathing.
Emmie Seward Adams, of the RNLI water safety delivery support team, said that floating gives the body a chance to relax.
You can then call for help or start to swim for safety once you’re calm.
In 2024, there were 193 accidental drowning deaths in the UK, according to the RNLI’s data.
What do the figures tell us?
How many accidental drowning deaths have there been in recent years?
193
In 2024, there were 193 accidental drowning deaths in the UK, according to the charity’s data.
84%
Of these fatalities, 84 per cent were male and more 20 to 29-year-olds drowned that year than any other age group.
Watch more from The i Paper
A video was released this week of a World War II-era seaplane making an emergency landing on a street in Phoenix, Arizona, in April. The video shows the plane flying over the city as it begins to lose altitude, then shows its hard landing and the three passengers emerging uninjured. #US #news
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Coming up in this week’s newsletter:
Why Britain’s new “migration crisis” may be a shortage of certain workers
The challenge in some industries, such as care and construction, is attracting and training the next generation of workers
How a planning application in Peckham, south London, has caused national controversy
You wouldn’t believe it if you read bombastic headlines about Britain’s “migration crisis”, but the problem we may now face is, as Alan Manning, professor of economics at the London School of Economics, puts it: “Our population will start declining in the next few years, because the number of deaths is going to be bigger than births.”
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), Britain’s population is set to grow more slowly than previously expected over the next decade, with fewer migrants projected to move to the country and deaths starting to outnumber births as early as this year.
By 2034, the number of people living in the UK is projected to rise to 71 million, that is an increase of 1.7 million (2.5 per cent) from 2024.
However, it is lower than last year’s estimate of 72.2 million and reflects revised assumptions for lower migration amid tightened immigration controls by the UK government, as well as the falling birth rate that Manning mentions (which I have written about here, here and here).
The care sector is an example of how this problem might play out and cause issues in Britain’s labour market.
In 2024, partly as a direct result of visa changes announced in 2023 by the Conservatives, which were explicitly aimed at reducing migration and overseas recruitment of care sector workers, the care sector began to sound the alarm about high vacancy rates.
Skills for Care, the workforce development and planning body for adult social care in England, estimated that an average of 8.3 per cent of social care roles were unfilled in the year 2023-24, equivalent to approximately 131,000 vacancies.
Today, with more changes to visa sponsorship and indefinite leave to remain (ILR) coming, the problem with recruitment in the social care sector continues.
Professor Martin Green OBE is the chief executive of Care England, the largest representative body for independent social care services in the UK.
He told me that successive governments had not properly thought through how immigration policy changes would affect the recruitment of “senior care workers” for adult social care.
“There’s also another dynamic at play here,” Green warned. “People who are already here, who are now trying to renew their visas, are being rejected and not told why.”
“The Home Office is the most shambolic organisation you could possibly come across,” Green added. “Employers are not getting any feedback when these rejections happen. They are finding that care workers who have made a good contribution and who they’d like to keep are unable to continue working because of the ineptitude of the Home Office.
“All the while, there is also the issue of not being able to bring in new staff.”
Green is hopeful that a new care skills workforce strategy may help in the years ahead, but is cautious that there is a gap between the Government’s rhetoric on immigration and the reality.
Other industries, such as construction, agriculture and hospitality, face similar issues.
For a long time, training new workers in Britain has been a problem, but, as Manning notes, low pay and poor working conditions in care and hospitality in particular have also made it difficult to recruit.
Migration, which is currently falling and expected to continue to do so, has become one of the most contentious issues in Britain today. New data will be published later this week, which is expected to show that net migration has fallen to its lowest level since the pandemic. And while figures may rise slightly again, this downward trend has opened up a new area of debate about migration levels: do we have enough people coming to Britain?
It comes after years of hand-wringing and arguing, on both Britain’s political left and right, since Brexit, about what sort of people should be allowed to come to Britain for work, and where they should be allowed to come from (I covered this recently in another newsletter).
Polling by Ipsos has consistently shown that a large proportion (around two thirds) of the British public thinks that the number of people coming to the UK is too high. As the pollsters note, concerns are particularly great over asylum numbers, with poor border control and welfare benefits seen as the main drivers of what the public perceives to be “excessive immigration”.
There are undeniable problems with the UK’s immigration system and the economic pressures caused by certain types of migrant workers (more on that here). However, there are now also issues with a shortfall of workers in certain sectors.
Manning warns that whenever there is a shortage of workers in a sector, such as care, we must ask why it exists.
“There are usually two reasons,” he explains. “The first is that there aren’t enough people who are in the country who can do a job, usually called a skills shortage. It takes time to train people, which means short-term shortages may be resolved with migration.”
However, he says, “the other reason that you get reported shortages is that there aren’t people who enough people who want to do the job, and the reason for that is basically always poor pay and conditions that these sectors are just not paying enough to compete for workers in the labour market”.
This, Manning notes, is particularly the problem with social care, which, he argues, should be “more professionalised”.
Internationally, Manning points out to other countries, such as Canada (which has paused new visas for care workers), where care workers have left because they are not granted settled status, and warns that low-paid work may not be attractive in its own right, which is where Britain has faced another issue because low-paid migrant workers who stay can become “expensive” in the long run if they are entitled to or need to claim welfare.
Manning warns that sometimes a government will be “caught short” with vacancies in a particular sector. Migration, as we’ve seen in Britain, can be what he calls a “short-term fix” which “pushes the problem down the road”.
The construction industry is currently undergoing a recruitment drive with new skills hubs across the country, and, because pay is better (£50,000 on average for a bricklayer according to the National House Building Council), they won’t struggle as much to attract young people who may now be questioning going to university.
Getting immigration policy right, particularly in a febrile political environment, is no mean feat. Significant and regular changes to policy are bad – they cause uncertainty for migrants, employers and the economy.
Politicians must walk a tightrope, planning policy properly and being careful to listen to public opinion without listening so much that it means they make the wrong decisions.
“Ideally, you want a Goldilocks strategy,” Manning says. “Neither too hot nor too cold, just right in the middle.”
The problem, he concludes, is that any conversation about migration now involves asylum and small boats, even though these are arguably separate problems where it is much harder for the government to exercise any control.
I’ve recently spent some time looking at training in the care sector and interviewed school leavers who are working as care apprentices. I will devote an entire newsletter to their stories and how care work may look in the future in Britain very soon.
Do you have an immigration story? Are you a business owner who is struggling to find workers? I’d love to hear it – vicky.spratt@theipaper.com
Housing crisis watch
A housing development in Peckham, in the London Borough of Southwark, has been rejected by the planning inspector, sparking outrage.
Berkeley Homes had hoped to build 867 homes, including 77 affordable ones, on the site of the Aylesham Centre – a shopping centre which includes a massive car park.
Berkeley took their application directly to the planning inspectorate which has rejected it on the basis that it would cause harm to the area.
Berkeley says that they are responding to the Government’s target of building 1.5 million homes by 2029. However, Southwark Council say that the homes they had proposed to build would not be affordable for many local residents based on average local wages. The planning inspector has also warned that the enormous impact of so many new homes on local infrastructure would be great and had not properly been addressed.
Controversy has now erupted. This case is a microcosm of the problems Housing Secretary Steve Reed faces. If the question is whether we need new housing, the answer is clearly, yes. But when we start to ask who can afford new homes, things get more complicated.
What I’ve been listening to….
As I wrote last week, I am presenting a brand new landmark series for The Rest is Politics called “The Gen Z Story”. It’s about the issues young adults aged 14-29 face today. The latest episode features an exclusive interview with former deputy prime minister and housing secretary Angela Rayner. Have a listen here.