Brown ‘gets it’ on immigration: from expenses, to extremism?

Gordon Brown’s phrase “I get it” on immigration is an intriguing echo of David Cameron’s mantra on MPs’ expenses.

Number 10 is worried about a fusion that happens between the two issues of immigration and distrust of politicians.

It can lead and shows signs in recent polls of leading to extremism.

Although Mr Brown says immigration is not and must not be a “taboo” subject this speech is an acknowledgment that there is a vacuum in the public debate on immigration and that the government has not been doing enough lately to fill it.

Gordon Brown’s intervention follows Alan Johnson’s recent speech acknowledging policy failures and you should expect to see the home secretary out and about talking about this issue much more in the months up to the election as Labour’s research suggests voters trust his blokeish qualities on this issue.

Trust on immigration issues, as Labour’s chiefs are very conscious, is not in great supply amongst British voters.

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