Yes, they see it as a win either way, just like the stoked up transgender panic. Labour seem too scared to simply stand on a platform of common decency, despite that being the prevailing public mood.
Sadly I am not sure you are right there. It was mentioned on the BBC news last night that polls showed majority of the public supported the scheme. I just checked on a recent poll in
i and it does confirm this. Sometimes while the news concentrates on the high profile demonstrations it can give a false impression about how strong the opposition to the plan really is.
One comment at the end of the
i article is quite concerning imo: "
The polling therefore implies that the policy has had the impact on perceptions that the Government’s critics thought it may; that the plan will not necessarily stop migrants trying to cross the channel and that the cost of the plan does not present value for money. However, on the Government’s side, the proposal does have net support, and therefore it seems that having a plan, even with flaws, is better in public opinion terms than appearing to have no plan at all."
This is going to be a big issue at the next election that will divide the nation as much as Brexit. Support for the plan is not huge, and I am sure can be overcome, but it will require the opposition parties to not just point out the iniquity of this policy but to prepare a sound action plan for how they would deal with the contentious issue of cross-channel "illegal" immigration.
