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Managed Migration

I fear that the hon. Gentleman, whom I agree with, by the way, will tempt me back into talking about how daft and nasty the last Conservative election manifesto was. However, I shall resist that temptation, because he makes an entirely fair point. Traditionally, economic migration has principally been about the needs of the economy in a whole range of sectors where there is no apparent demand for work, and has not been for some time, from the domestic work force, not least in agriculture, where there is a long history of inward migration. Until Portugal beat England in the European championship, I had not realised that the constituency of my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary in Norfolk is surrounded by significant elements of Portuguese labour who have been there for generations servicing the rural economy. Obviously the people of Norfolk knew that, because they went and smashed up their pubs after Portugal had beaten England. The hon. Member for Buckingham (John Bercow) makes a good point that illustrates why the points-based system does not include a quota on immigration but responds to the specific needs of specific sectors across the economy. It brings 80-odd routes down into five manageable routes that create clarity for applicants and clarity for the employers and education institutions that require those applicants. Just as importantly, it gives the wider public confidence, which was knocked off-course by the Conservatives during the general election, in an immigration system that works in a controlled and managed way that aids our economy.