Paul Bignell

Jeremy Corbyn had just under an hour to savour the victory as the Copeland by-election result hit home in the early hours, handing a resounding victory to the Conservatives.

Immigration has become one of the most contentious issues of our age. Despite pledges by successive incoming governments to reduce numbers of foreign nationals coming into Britain in recent years, no government has achieved anywhere near the figures they had promised. So why isn’t immigration falling more quickly?

It’s true that in 2011, the processing of Iraqi refugees entering the US slowed down after tighter vetting was introduced. But it wasn’t an outright ban.