QUACK REMEDY

In bygone days, as is often shown in Western films, certain salesmen – quacks – would try to sell some elixir that allegedly could be used for a variety of purposes. It might whiten teeth, cure gout, shine boots and varnish the table all from the same bottle of potion.

Now, in British politics, we have a similar quack remedy: frictionless borders. Yes, apparently this policy can solve all sorts of things and a failure to embrace the policy would be a total disaster.

From filling labour shortages, improving productivity, good relations with neighbouring countries, free trade, ensuring business confidence, averting economic catastrophe, combating terrorism, to even fighting far-right extremism, we are told that frictionless borders is the answer.

There is even more. For a ruling class struggling to hold on to office, then frictionless borders can allow the importation of a new electorate, with millions of immigrants being brought in, given passports and the vote. So far as the burden on the infrastructure is concerned, all the ruling class has to do is to declare that ‘We’ need to build more houses etc.

Frictionless borders has become the quack remedy of the 21^st century.