When Britain voted for Brexit four years ago it was very clear that a government implementing it would have to meet the desire of a majority of voters to “take back control” of Britain’s borders. Immigration from the eastern European states that joined the EU in 2004 may have benefited the economy but, for many people, it brought the realities of European integration too close to home. When EU immigration persisted during the austerity years and pressure on public services intensified, so did the pressure for change.
The question since then has been whether it is possible to combine tighter immigration controls with the government’s ambition to be open to the best talent from around the world, led by a prime minister who is rarely