It's not really a change. It's for optics and internal consumption only.
The UK's current gov is firmly wedded to a delusional image of itself as a major imperial power of vast wealth and influence. Such is its majesty it is for ever in danger of being infiltrated and undermined by unpleasantly independent Europeans, who for some reason refuse to see the UK as the most important country in Europe. And also by nasty brown and black people from who knows where?
All policy is designed to reassure itself of that view. Not to solve practical problems.
In the real world the number of top graduates who will want to stay on with a two year work visa - and no guaranteed extension - is somewhere very close to zero.
There's no conception that other countries may have a more appealing work culture and a more open and successful academic culture.
As it happens, the university sector in the UK is currently closing many departments and firing and re-hiring many of its professors so it can cut their pay. As a result many are on strike and others have left.
Any student who is reasonably bright and considering the UK is going to know this.
> The UK's current gov is firmly wedded to a delusional image of itself as a major imperial power of vast wealth and influence. Such is its majesty it is for ever in danger of being infiltrated and undermined by unpleasantly independent Europeans, who for some reason refuse to see the UK as the most important country in Europe. And also by nasty brown and black people from who knows where?
This is complete nonsense! Inward immigration has gone UP since Brexit, the cabinet is more brown/black than ever before, and the establishment clearly intend to do nothing whatsoever about the porous border in the south (don't be fooled by the laughable Rwanda holding camps initiative, the main motive of which is likely to funnel even more to the legal system etc.).
OTOH I would agree that the government (regime?) are delusional, but I would extend this to the entirety of the establishment, who seem to have departed from reality a long time ago, and seem to believe that the correct response to the UK's reduced circumstances and the population's temerity in daring to vote against globalism is to hasten its destruction.
Name me a party with a chance of winning a general election in the UK that explicitly commits to lowering immigration substantially as a key policy. There isn't one!
Because they can't? We all know that the UK has a massive skills shortage, and so we can't close our borders.
Policies like this and the points systems are designed to lower immigration, especially from non-white countries, without actually saying that it is the purpose of it.
> We all know that the UK has a massive skills shortage, and so we can't close our borders.
Alternatively we could do something to wean our country off its addiction to cheap imported labour, and invest in the skills and pay of the people that are already here. I don't accept it's as cut and dried as you assert.
> Policies like this and the points systems are designed to lower immigration, especially from non-white countries, without actually saying that it is the purpose of it.
But this government is doing nothing concrete to cut immigration! If only it were so.
Yes, there are solutions. However the current situation is that companies won't pay more so the government can't close our borders.
Tories will do anything they are paid to support.
Their current platform is anti-foreigners, to satisfy the racist propaganda they spread hence the immigration rules. However it has to be balanced with the money, that requests cheap foreign labour. What a conundrum!
I completely agree about the WIDE gap between rhetoric and delivery. I'm just saying the whole thing is pretty nuts in the UK. We are really really bad at moderate policy (see also crime and punishment, Benefits)
The UK's current gov is firmly wedded to a delusional image of itself as a major imperial power of vast wealth and influence. Such is its majesty it is for ever in danger of being infiltrated and undermined by unpleasantly independent Europeans, who for some reason refuse to see the UK as the most important country in Europe. And also by nasty brown and black people from who knows where?
All policy is designed to reassure itself of that view. Not to solve practical problems.
In the real world the number of top graduates who will want to stay on with a two year work visa - and no guaranteed extension - is somewhere very close to zero.
There's no conception that other countries may have a more appealing work culture and a more open and successful academic culture.
As it happens, the university sector in the UK is currently closing many departments and firing and re-hiring many of its professors so it can cut their pay. As a result many are on strike and others have left.
Any student who is reasonably bright and considering the UK is going to know this.