Team Boris explains Johnson's support for an immigration amnesty

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We asked Boris Johnson's team for a statement on his support for an amnesty for illegal immigrants.  This is what we were sent:

"Boris was speaking in a personal capacity about what he thinks was best for London. He thinks that long term immigrants who have no prospect of going home (and he means by this those who have been here for 10 years - not the 4 years that was reported) should be registered and pay taxes. He understands the party position but came to this view because of a couple of things:

a) London gets a raw deal from the Chancellor. Boroughs get paid per population and if immigrants are ignored, public services are not properly funded.
b) We should be collecting taxes from those who have been here long term."

Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, David Cameron confirmed that the official Tory position is still against amnesties for illegal immigrants.  This is what the Tory leader told The Times:

“The problem with amnesties is that they just store up another for the future, as people expect another one. Boris is his own man. He is standing on his own platform and he dictates his own policies.”

Comments

[Mr Angry]

Oh Boris! Ok so you're trying to love bomb the LibDems for their second preferences, but don't forget that you actually need the Conservatives to vote for you too. Ill thought through Lefty nonsense, like this amnesty, simply makes it harder for us to get the Tory vote out for you. Please try to think things out properly in the future.

[Malcolm Dunn]

David Cameron is right and Boris is wrong.I'm very glad the Mayor is not responsible for these decisions.

[Ealing Tory]

DC is right. Boris is wrong - and loses my respect for advocating a deeply irresponsible and ill-considered position. Will it win him a single vote? Unlikely. Will it lose him any? Yes - starting here.

[Sean Fear]

I still want to see Livingstone booted out, but I still think it's wrong. People ought not to be rewarded for breaking the law.

[Mr Angry]

Having just seen the front page of the Independent (All Four Mayoral Candidates Call for Amnesty etc etc) this decision looks even more foolish on Boris' part. There is now no differentiation whatsoever between Boris and Leavingsoon or Paddick on this highly contentious issue and we need to remember that immigration is a serious concern to very very many London voters. Boris & Lynton; please don't forget that the vile BNP have a candidate for the Mayoralty as well, don't be pushing voters towards him!

[James Burdett]

This is ultimately about reality rather than ideal. Ideally we wouldn't need to think about this, in reality we do. There is no need to have perpetual amnesty but there may be a need to implement a tougher policy on new entrants and then normalise those who are here whom it would be costly and counter-productive to pursue and remove. I agree with Boris on this.

[Mountjoy]

You can hardly call John McCain a lefy because he supports an amnesty for 'undocumented' immigrants in the US.

Many undocumented immigrants in the UK are working in childcare, services, etc and in many cases have been here for a long time. They may have family ties and are a de facto part of the economy and communities in which they live. Many may have been persecuted in their own country.

Boris is right to suggest an amnesty, but it is important also that border controls are tightened so as to scale down the "immigration crisis" as reported on Rageh Omar's Dispatches documentary this week. (A lot of the anger is directed at specific migrant workers, such as Poles, who can come here legally rather than people of colour.)

[Londoner]

The election isn't about immigration policy as the Mayor has no responsibility for it - so if you disagree with Boris on this it is not a rational reason not to vote for him.

On the other hand, it shows two good character traits: (1) an aptitude for pragmatic analysis of what is best for London local government finances and (2) a positive and inclusive attitude towards all types of Londoners. On grounds of (1) and (2), even for those who might not be in favour of the policy (which he cannot implement), this statement should be regarded positively.

People also don't seem to appreciate that there is a huge effort going on to mobilise ethnic minorities, who are less likely usually to vote than other Londoners, out to the poll to support Livingstone on some half-understood impression that Boris is against them. He cannot afford to give one tiny further bit of ammunition which, when distorted in the usual manner, could be used in that "under the radar" dishonest mobilisation.

[Sceptic]

Anyone who loves execution scenes is psychologically disturbed. Boris needs see to a shrink.

[Account Deleted]

I did already have doubts about Boris not being a serious candidate and saying anything to win. Boris is clearly desperate to appeal pro-migrant despite the fact some of us have to live in tiny flats commute on packed trains, not understand most of the languages spoken in our streets, etc. It is not racist it is simply being fed up with being told how grateful we should be for the ridiculous out of control policies this Gov allows.

Re amnesties - Spain has implemented four since the 'one off' in the 80's. It is a bit like telling criminals 'don't do it again' rather than punishing them - it just doesn't work.

I think this confirms it and I am going to, reluctantly, vote for the BNP for the first and hopefully last time.

[segchui]

I am against amnesties for law-breaking on principle because you start a slippery slope.
But "a) London gets a raw deal from the Chancellor. Boroughs get paid per population and if immigrants are ignored, public services are not properly funded." I absolutely thoroughly agree with this, this is the core issue of human inflows to this country - the Govt constantly understate the figures and underfund accordingly and the local boroughs and communities cut and trim and suffer accordingly. SO when that &^^*^(&^(^& ^&*^*^&)&^( gets up and says the net gain to the economy is £6bn (which is not impressive anyway) , I need liedown and soothing music. Boris is right to stress point A ad infinitum, but amnesty, - would like to see really discussed and thought through so it liberates those here but does not act as an incentive for future difficult-to-manage flows.

[Account Deleted]

And yes, I know Boris is not in charge of immigration but he clearly doesn't understand the problems of London if this is one of his 'solutions'.

[Gnosis]

Boris came across as a bumbling buffoon and should have made more of kens woes in a less fumbling and bumbling manner...i have a very uneasy feeling about Boris being in charge of the greatest city in the world in fact i feel as uneasy with ken and brian but to give ken his dues he had at least done some research unlike johnson and paddick who sounded and looked like rabbits caught in the headlights...jolly poor show all round methinks.

[Margaret Hemmings]

Is it too late to change our candidate?

If Mr Norris could have been persuaded to stand he would have won by a mile.

Frankly Boris was a buffoon on Newsnight.

It may be a blessing if Boris loses the London Mayoralty. A win would reflect badly on a possible Conservative government.

Although I freely admit a loss would boost the Labour Party.

In selecting Boris as our candidate I fear we are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Whoever pushed Boris Johnson's candidacy in the first place should be relieved of their duties!

[Conservative Homer]

A punch in the mouth for every immigrant who has gone through the hurdles of getting here legally.

[Sean Fear]

Indeed. There is very little appetite among legal immigrants or ethnic minorities generally, to give an amnesty to illegals.

But, the London Mayor can do nothing about it, so it's all a bit academic.

[Patrick Ratnaraja]

Can I challenge every one to watch "Who do you think you are" to find out their Ancestors?

Ofcourse we will not have Boris today if His Turkish Great grand Mother was not allowed to come to this Country.

How many Millions do you think it is going to cost us to get some Civil servant to make decisions to deport these so called illegal immigrants who have lived here for more than 10 years?

There are Countries where we cannot send back People. The moment they arrive at the Airport they are taken away by the Security forces to be killed.

You may ask me "So why should they come here? don't they have another Country to go to?"

They come here because it is Britain who created problems in their Countries. It is the British Government who brought the Kosovars, Iraqis here.

Look at what is going on in Sri Lanka. Who created all these back in 1948?

It is time for the little Englanders to realise that there are other People in this World.

[Nicholas J. Rogers]

I'm as Conservative as they come, but I think this is not such a bad idea. Certainly not as terrible as some are making it out to be.

By the way, any thoughts on who best to put as second choice to maximise Boris' chances of getting in? I was thinking one of the tiny parties, English Democrats or something.

[london conservative]

In this, Boris is helping to educate some of our less enlightened supporters. Good for him.

[Sean Fear]

"Look at what is going on in Sri Lanka. Who created all these back in 1948?"

The Sri Lankans?

[Sean Fear]

"In this, Boris is helping to educate some of our less enlightened supporters"

Like David Cameron, for instance?

[london conservative]

I think it's the other way around isn't it Sean? You're a supporter of his rather than the other way around.

[James Burdett]

Mr Rogers - If you are putting Boris first your second vote will not be counted as whoever it is cast for would have previously been eliminated, so it matters not at all.

[Londonlx]

Reading from the statement it sounds like he has good reasons and although supports it, wouldn't just force it upon us even if he could.
I was a little disappointed by him on newsnight but then compared to paddick who was stuttering even during his opening speech and ken who just looked as tired and resigned as the rest of Londoners then Boris was the rest of the bunch and is at least excited about the opportunity, even if it doesn't come out right all the time!

[Londoner]

The only point in Boris backers using their second preferences is so they can say loudly and clearly to every Lib Dem they know that they are voting Lib Dem second preference because (a) it is the duty of every voter to ensure that Ken cannot get back in even on the most unlikely scenario - "and I'm sure as a Lib Dem you must agree" and (b) Boris and Paddick are much closer in policies than Ken. Oh, and by the way, I presume you are reciprocating and using your second pref for Boris?

It is absolutely in our interests (and consistent too) to be seen to be making common cause with the Lib Dems to get Ken out.

[Sean Fear]

"You're a supporter of his rather than the other way around."

I presume he's a supporter of the Conservative Party. And he opposes an amnesty for illegal immigrants

[london conservative]

Zzzz. You are a supporter of David Cameron's, he is not a supporter of yours. He is, however, a supporter of the Mayoral candidate choosing his own policies on this. Are you?

[Sean Fear]

Getting very pedantic I assume that "our" means "supporters of the Conservative Party".

That said, I've never believed for one moment that you are actually a supporter of the Conservative Party. Your views certainly don't coincide with those of any Conservative I've met.

[anthony scholefield]

So Johnson says that we arenbot collecting taxes from migrants who have been here ten years and this is a justification for his'its not an amnesty but a bonus to break the law'. I dont understand -is he saying that these people dont pay income tax and national insurance and for example get a rebate at the garage where the fill up with petrol so tghey dont pay excise duty and VAT or is he completely on planet ZOg?

[James Burdett]

Mr Scholefield - If they are illegal migrants then they will not draw attention to themselves, they will likely work in the black economy and whilst they will pay a certain amount of consumption taxes, they will not pay income tax etc.

[Opinicus]

What is the point of voting Conservative if you can get the same policy from Labour or the LibDems?

Who is the UKIP candidate?

[geoff]

More evidence of how the blair years have transformed the tory party on social issues in the same way as the thatcher years transformed the labour party on economic ones (i.e. not everyone, but some of the leading modernisers).

Personally I think this is a good thing, and shows that the tories will continue in the grain of labour governments if they win (big u-turns are bad for the country) and that the legacy of social changes (im thinking more widely about gay rights, gender equality etc) is locked in for good.

[anthony scholefield]

There are two points to make at some more leisure on this issue
1. It is not amnesty. Amnesty is not punishing offenders for their offence.For example Malaysia has a policy of not imprisoning illegal immigrants if they leave the country owning up to the offence and paying taxes due.
What the illegals want and their backers like Johnson is to be rewarded for their illegal actions by being given what they want-that is the right to live in the UK ahead of all those who made lawful applications and were refused. For some reason this is seen to be enormously moral by the mayoral candidates but it is not granting amnesty it is giving the lawbreaker what he wants.
2. While it is true McCain was an originator of the immigration reform bill in the US Congress which was massively defeated and probably still supports rewarding illegal immigrants for breaking the law he has now been forced to say that he will not proceed further with this bill and more important that his first action will be to'deport the two million illegal immigrants who have committed crimes'. Presumably more serious crimes than breaking the silly old migration laws
.