Iain Dale has perfectly summed up Reform’s latest immigration pledge, labelling it a “wicked” policy.
This week, Reform took their anti-foreigner rhetoric to new extremes by announcing plans to scrap indefinite leave to remain (ILR) for migrants if they won the next general election.
Leader Nigel Farage revealed that under his party’s plans, all migrants would have to reapply for new visas with tougher rules every five years.
Along with this, only British citizens would be allowed to access welfare.
Reform claim this would save £234bn, although the think tank whose research they used in quoting this figure have already said it should not be used.
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The drastic policy pledge has been widely condemned by those who point out that it would see migrants who have worked in the UK for years, speak perfect English, never used welfare and integrated fully in their communities suddenly told they do not have the permanent right to live here.
One of those to slam the policy was LBC’s Iain Dale.
Speaking on his radio show on Monday evening, the journalist wondered how many people were having to seriously consider the prospect of having to leave the UK in the next few years.
“If that was me, I would be having that conversation, and I would be thinking ‘well, okay I’ve got three or four years to decide where to go'”, Dale said.
He continued: “And this will be people who are integral to our economy, integral to our care system. I think it is almost scandalous that they’ve launched this policy, clearly without having done any detailed research on it, to grab headlines.”
Addressing people who would say he was doing exactly what Reform want by talking about the policy, Dale added: “I am talking about it unashamedly because I think it is a wicked policy.”