Denmark: Social Democrats lose, what happened?

Labour's "Danish Model" Asylum Policy: Cruelty or Political Suicide?

So, Labour's decided to go full-on Denmark with their asylum policy, huh? "Most sweeping asylum reforms in modern times," they're calling it. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is apparently channeling her inner Viking. Let's be real, this ain't about "fairness" or "effectiveness." It's about chasing votes from people who probably wouldn't vote Labour anyway.

The "Core Protection" Con

Thirty months' leave at a time, renewable only while you're still "judged" to need protection? No permanent settlement for twenty years? Automatic family reunion ends? Give me a break. This "core protection" status sounds more like "perpetual limbo," as Folkestone and Hythe MP Tony Vaughan so eloquently put it.

And the "olive branch" of capped expansion of "safe and legal" routes? Please. That's like offering a glass of water to someone dying of thirst in the desert. It's performative compassion, plain and simple. Stella Creasy's right; it's not just cruel, it's economically moronic. Can't stabilize your status? Kiss goodbye to any chance of getting a job, a bank account, or a mortgage. Brilliant.

But hey, at least they're restarting enforced returns to Syria! Because, y'know, Syria's just a paradise these days.

Denmark: A Cautionary Tale, Not a Blueprint

Labour's drooling over Denmark's "success" in curbing asylum seekers. But has it really worked? Miranda Bryant, the Guardian’s Nordic correspondent, points out that Denmark’s hardline rhetoric has created "huge uncertainty and vulnerability" for asylum seekers, deterring them even if policies can’t be fully implemented. So, it's about the threat of cruelty, not necessarily the actual cruelty itself.

And let's not forget that Denmark's own legal system has blocked some of the most extreme measures. They tried to revoke residence permits for Syrian refugees, declaring Syria "safe," but the appeals court shut that down real quick. So, what are we even copying here? The appearance of toughness?

Then there's the small matter of Denmark's municipal elections. The Social Democrats got absolutely hammered, losing Copenhagen for the first time in over a century. Voters are flocking to left-wing and green parties instead. Maybe, just maybe, people are starting to realize that scapegoating refugees isn't a winning strategy. Or maybe it's just rising food prices... who knows? Social Democrats in Denmark suffer sweeping election losses

And Badenoch, offcourse, is all too happy to offer Tory support for this dumpster fire. Opportunistic much?

The Moral Bankruptcy of "Social Confidence"

Starmer says having an asylum system at all depends on "social confidence" that it is "fair, effective and humane." Social confidence? What a load of politically-correct garbage. "Social confidence" is code for "appeasing the bigots." It's prioritizing the feelings of the privileged over the lives of the vulnerable.

Rotherham MP Sarah Champion worries about refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants becoming conflated. That ship has sailed, hasn't it? The right-wing press has been doing that for years, and now Labour's joining the chorus.

But wait, are we really supposed to believe that Labour strategists are this clueless? Maybe they do think this will win them votes. Or maybe they're just so desperate to appear "tough" that they're willing to sacrifice their principles. It's a bleak choice either way.

So, What's the Point of Even Trying Anymore?

Seriously, what's the point? Labour's pandering to the worst instincts of the electorate, and for what? A few extra votes? A fleeting sense of approval from the Murdoch press? They're selling their soul for scraps, and it's frankly, depressing.