Douglas Murray Douglas Murray

Britain’s immigration debate is utterly mad

This week’s Mail on Sunday carried two stories on the same page about immigration. Perhaps unwittingly the two stories — and one man in particular — demonstrate the craziness of this country’s immigration debate.

One story was about a Conservative party candidate at the 2010 election who has defected to UKIP. Her ex-husband has released a video made while she was a Conservative candidate saying stuff about sending illegal immigrants and failed asylum seekers back home. The second story is about a Labour party pollster who tweeted sarcastic comments about Labour voters who express concerns about immigration levels.

Perhaps unfortunately for him the Conservative MP Nadhim Zahawi (who I once heard speak and had thought quite well of) was asked for comment on both pieces. These — as I say — appeared on the same page.

On the left hand side of the page, referring to the ex-Tory — now UKIP — lady’s views Mr Zahawi called for her to:

‘Retract her deeply damaging comments’, adding: ‘Hard-working immigrants contribute significantly to the UK.’ 

While on the right hand of the page, referring to the views of the Labour pollster we read ‘Last night, Conservative MP Nadhim Zahawi said:

‘This shows the contempt Labour and Ed Miliband have for the public. They don’t want to hear people’s views about immigration. Instead they want to censor and shut down any sensible and rational debate on an extremely important subject. It’s the same old Labour. Anyone who doesn’t share their world view is mocked and attacked.’ 

Is it possible these two Nadhim Zahawi MPs are one and the same person?

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