The Real Irony of the UK Immigration Minister Resignation

Many have been quick to point out the irony behind the fact that now-former British Immigration Minister Mark Harper MP was unable to safeguard himself against the employment of an illegal worker. 

Indeed, this is utterly shambolic and will hopefully alert authorities to how onerous a task it is for small and medium businesses to ensure their books are entirely in order. With all the necessary resources at his disposal, Harper was still caught employing an illegal cleaner. 

But the real irony is not this prima facie point, but rather that for many months now, the Conservative Party has been building an electoral house of cards around the immigration question in the United Kingdom–an issue which voters now say is equal in their concerns to the prosperity of the British economy.

The real irony is that just weeks ago, the Conservative Party was bemoaning Labour’s employment of Arnie Graf, a “U.S. community organiser” who supposedly mentored a young Barack Obama. 

Graf, who is the director of the Saul Alinsky-founded “Industrial Areas Foundation” is, in his words, “working with” Ed Miliband and the Labour Party. He’s paid his usual rate, plus expenses, but under UK law, Graf should not be earning money in this way given his current visa status.

The Conservative Party had a field day with this story. And so they should have. An Alinskyite leftist working illegally to try and return a Labour government in the UK? The Sun newspaper certainly let them have it.

But you’d think before going full pelt at Labour for using dodgy work practices, the conservatives would have made sure their own house was in order. Now we know it certainly is not; cue the investigations of other government ministers and their staffing arrangements. If my sources are to be believed, this won’t be the end of political immigration scandals this side of the general election.

And cui bono? The UK Independence Party (UKIP), of course, whose activists have already taken to social media to rail against the “LibLabCon” (Liberal Democrat, Labour, Conservative) mainstream. 

“They’re all the same,” is the usual clarion call. On this point, there will likely be further cut-through with the public. UKIP stands to benefit at the upcoming European parliamentary elections in May if their press operation can capitalise. 

Immigration had almost become a stick with which to beat a Labour Party which opened Britain’s floodgates throughout its tenure in government, creating a crisis the likes of which few can now plausibly deny. 

Even in recent weeks, even amongst scandals of its own design, the Conservative Party in government has been slapping Labour around on immigration. After Harper’s resignation, the playing field on the joint foremost concern for British voters may have become more level, and that is a terrifying thought for our country.