The government is curiously quiet on the impact of immigration on wages. When we took to the streets 30 years ago, it was a different story Phil Hall Is the government is being completely honest in the rhetoric it uses to justify its open-door policy for immigrants from the former eastern bloc? Hazel Blears, in her visit to Boston in Lincolnshire, focused on busting the myths around immigration, the myths that immigrants are a burden and the myths surrounding immigrants and crime, social housing, social security and health. But she doesn't mention inflation. Speaking in Bradford in June 2005, the governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, was clear about one of the main benefits of the recent immigration : "Immigration has reduced wage inflation. The inflow of migrant labour, especially in the past year or so from eastern Europe, has probably led to a diminution of inflationary pressure on the labour market." In the Lord's report (pdf) , Professor Nickell is quoted
Left wing commentary from the heart and the head