Ken Clarke: '“John Major used to talk about feeding crocodiles. He would say if you keep making too many concessions to people it’s like feeding them buns and the problem comes when you run out of buns.”' - ThreadSky

timbale.bsky.social • 1 day ago

Ken Clarke: '“John Major used to talk about feeding crocodiles. He would say if you keep making too many concessions to people it’s like feeding them buns and the problem comes when you run out of buns.”'

Reposted from Robert Shrimsley

This is Labour's core problem here. The right will never allow Starmer a win on immigration because the issue is central to their appeal and therey' daren't lose it. So whatever he does will never be enough.

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timbale.bsky.social•1 day ago

PS This always gets report quoted as Ken himself saying it - seems it wasn't him who originated it. Yet another example of John Major not being given the credit by people (Ken aside!) that he deserves?

timbale.bsky.social•1 day ago

Original quote is actually from Winston Churchill in a BBC-broadcasted speech delivered on January 20 1940 and given when he was First Lord of the Admiralty, not PM. Speaking of countries that chose to remain neutral, he said the following: (Source: https://quoteinvestigator.com/2016/04/18/crocodile/)

martingoodwin.bsky.social•1 day ago

Major was of course paraphrasing Churchill’s contemptuous remarks as First Lord of the Admiralty regarding appeasement by neutrals.

kennystewart.bsky.social•1 day ago

Leaving aside the obvious truth of this, I would like to know why he chose buns as his preferred crocodile food.

andrewharmer.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Right, and who has an endless supply of buns 'just in case'? And it's unlikely a crocodile would eat the buns anyway. Crocodiles aren't people; people don't always want more (neither do crocodiles); all people or just...

I'm not sure JM or KC thought that particular metaphor through, tbh.

lordbonkers.bsky.social•1 day ago

The thing you must remember about John Major is that his father was born in 1879. Maybe it was the Victorian practice and Major picked the idea up from him?

alanf.bsky.social•1 day ago

Isn't the point now though that no one believes the current number is sustainable but if it drops significantly most people will accept that while the unpersuadable right is left foaming at the mouth?

mars164.bsky.social•23 hours ago

No. Most people who think immigration is a problem will be confirmed in their belief, while blaming Lab from the collapse in social care provision.

alanf.bsky.social•23 hours ago

You don't think the current level of net migration is too high?
I think most people do.
If you don't what would be your upper bound on the number?

mars164.bsky.social•23 hours ago

During the Brexit referendum voters were assured that immigrants would meet the economic needs of the country thru the introduction of a points based system. That's what the Tories did. Complaing now is disingenuous.

alanf.bsky.social•22 hours ago

You're not answering my question.

Although in a way you are.

mars164.bsky.social•18 hours ago

It's pointless setting an overall numerical limit, but it may make sense to have sectorial targets. These can be slowly lowered as native skilled labour increases. However increasing the skills level of natives will be a marathon, not a sprint.

okokapi.bsky.social•1 day ago

Buns such as "Society needs to condemn a little more and understand a little less".

timbale.bsky.social•23 hours ago

Oh yes (as JM used to say)!

mariosrichards.bsky.social•22 hours ago

I think part of the issue might be framing this as "about immigration numbers/control" when really it's about "do you trust political specialists (to manage the labour market)?".

Reform - and attendant media - are not focused on policy, they're focused on eroding political trust.

mariosrichards.bsky.social•22 hours ago

It's worse than crocodiles - these people have to change the political atmosphere from a high trust environment to low trust authoritarianism.

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