The latest furore over immigration

Newsnight yesterday looked at the latest furore over immigration, which has also been in most of the newspapers.   The Coalition government (like the last Labour government) is losing control of the issue, mainly due to opposition by a well-organised (but informal and cross-party) progressive lobby that is in favour of free migration.   At a party political level the issue seems to be philosophical.  The Conservative section of the Coalition seems to want to limit inward migration to a level where migrants can be integrated into the existing structure of British society.  The progressive lobby (which includes most Liberal Democrats) seems to want inward migration to be unrestricted as a way of achieving social change or (at the most radical level) achieving social revolution.   The conundrum for the Conservatives is how to continue to appear to be a progressive party while opposing the lobby for free inward migration.   Possibly they will side-step the issue by pushing the decision on "numbers" down to council level.  Allowing local councillors to fix the numbers of migrants who can work or study in a particular area will enable government ministers to claim they are simply following the democratic will of local communities.  This policy would also match a slightly similar proposal put forward by the Liberal Democrats at the election, which suggested regional work permits for migrants.