Sunak Says Clearing Baglog Met.

Rishi Sunak promised the public, that, at the end of 2023, the asylum backlog, would be cleared! Well, the government has announced that that pledge has been met.

However, the claim, to have removed this backlog should be taken, with a pinch of salt. Many say, including the Labour Party, that this claim is "false" and "misleading".

Yesterday, the Home Office, stated that the pledge had been completed. Having processed more than 112,000 overall in 2023. According to the Home Office, 92,000 asylum claims were made before 28 June 2022. These cases required immediate decisions. Labour once more, poured cold water on this.

The Home Office admitted, however, that some 4,500 claims for asylum, need to be looked at again. Sunak said the government had saved the tax- payer money by saving millions in hotel bills, reducing strain on public services, and helping, the most vulnerable asylum seekers.

The number of boat people crossing the channel has fallen. Sunak will claim too, that his action, to stop the boats, is working. And why wouldn't any politician in Sunak's position claim such a thing? He knows, that 2024, will be an election year, and if polls are to be believed, he will lose BIG TIME!

If Sunak sees that channel crossing has fallen, he will see it as good news. Whether his policies are the cause of it or not. He will see it as a chance to prove to voters, that when he said, "Stop the boats", he meant it. Sunak knows that asylum seekers, migrants, immigrants, etc, will be one of the major planks of this election. So, if Sunak sees something like the issues mentioned going right for him (allegedly), he will trumpet it from the rooftops!

The question has to be asked though will the channel crossings increase again, as the channel gets calmer? During the winter months, the channel becomes a colder and choppier place to sail on. Even larger vessels, for all their array of electronics, are still wary and aware of the sea. So, for dinghies to take to the water, in winter, packed full of human beings, it is suicide.

Yet, some are still trying, because even though figures have fallen, many are still desperate enough to make the dangerous crossing. So, if in summer, the crossings increase again, will all of Sunak's claims, be proved false?

Labour and the Lib-Dems, SNP, Greens, etc, also know the issues of asylum seekers, migrants, and immigrants, will be an issue, in the general election. However, one would imagine that the Lib-Dems, SNP, and Greens, will have a softer or more humanitarian approach to such issues. Whereas the Conservatives as mentioned, will want to prove they are tough, on such issues. The Reform party, what used to be the Brexit party, will also be laying out its credentials, which will be similar to the Tories. Rumours are doing the rounds that, Johnson and Farage, might join forces. If so, their policies will be the same, as the Tories, UKIP, and Reform.

Labour has certainly moved to the right or centre ground on many issues. Corbynites and even Corbyn Himself, have been removed, from the party or shoved to the side.

The issues discussed in this piece will be an issue for Labour too. Labour's Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, has held Priti Patel, Suella Braverman, and now, James Cleverly, (her Tory opposite numbers) to account. To account for asylum seekers, migration and immigration.

After all, should Labour, win the next general election, she will replace Cleverly, (if Cleverly is not replaced) and be the Home Secretary. These issues will be in her intray to deal with then.

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