Labour Together's Director Josh Simons joins Sam and Ayesha to speak about how Labour is preparing for government and whether the party really has a plan to win the decade in power it wants and needs
Striking how strong Josh Simons was about control of borders, rights of citizens to control immigration, indeed this being fundamental feature of democracy. This "moral principle" (as Josh described it) clearly informs Labour's current red line on freedom of movement between UK and EU. But the members of the EEA are proud democracies which find freedom of movement within the single market (not just the EU) compatible with the rights of their citizens. Surely a Labour government which otherwise wanted to join the single market could find a politically acceptable way of dealing with freedom of movement within the single market? Immigration policy is a big issue in the rest of Europe too and is a threat to centre-left governments for the sort of reasons that Josh discussed, but freedom of movement within the single market is not a political problem.
Striking how strong Josh Simons was about control of borders, rights of citizens to control immigration, indeed this being fundamental feature of democracy. This "moral principle" (as Josh described it) clearly informs Labour's current red line on freedom of movement between UK and EU. But the members of the EEA are proud democracies which find freedom of movement within the single market (not just the EU) compatible with the rights of their citizens. Surely a Labour government which otherwise wanted to join the single market could find a politically acceptable way of dealing with freedom of movement within the single market? Immigration policy is a big issue in the rest of Europe too and is a threat to centre-left governments for the sort of reasons that Josh discussed, but freedom of movement within the single market is not a political problem.