Report

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Think tank: Adam Smith Institute

Author(s): Tom Jones; David Cowan

September 18, 2024

This report from UK think tank the Adam Smith Institute looks at building a future-focused immigration system.

Right-wing progressivism is nothing less than the revival of Smithian political economy.

Instead of trying to return to the unique economic and cultural circumstances of the 20th century, which the progressive left and traditionalist right hope to do in their own ways, we need to build a Britain fit for the 21st century through an unashamedly futurist vision. This means embracing a combination of technological innovation and strong governance to deliver a British renaissance.

Key to that agenda is the question of human capital. One of the most contested issues today is our recent experiment with mass migration over the past thirty years. It is not just the quantity but also the quality of migration that has provoked questions about the status quo in this area. Leaving aside the issue of illegal migration, which could be a paper in its own right, thirty years of mass legal migration has generated significant challenges for modern Britain.