The Government has been accused of letting immigration run out of control after official figures showed net migration to the UK rose to 237,000 in 2007.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the estimated number of people arriving to live in the UK for 12 months or more was 577,000 in 2007, compared with 591,000 in 2006. The figures mean that immigrants have added more than 1.8 million to the population since Labour came to power in 1997, when net immigration stood at 50,000. Nick's guests (Sir Andrew Green, Migration Watch UK and Keith Best, Immigration Advisory Service) argued opposing interpretations of the figures.
Mayor Boris Johnson will launch his draft housing strategy today, which will outline how he will invest £5bn over the next three years to deliver 50,000 more affordable homes and boost London's housing market. One of the Mayor's first decisions on housing was to drop Ken Livingstone's requirement that 50% of new housing developments be affordable housing. Adam Samson, Chief Executive of Shelter, told Nick that Boris needs to show real leadership on the issue of social housing.
Nick talked to Dr Terri Apter (Psychologist at the University of Cambridge) about the emergence of the so-called 'Smug Generation'. Psychologists are warning that today's parents are molly-coddling their children so much they're raising a "smug generation". Researchers from San Diego University say modern children grow up believing they are cleverer than their parents and will get better jobs. But they warn that in reality today's youngsters are actually LESS competent - and they don't understand the pressures of the real world.
And, with your help we penned the final chapter in the Strictly John Sergeant biography - the majority heralding the former Political Commentator as a modern day hero for the purple rinse brigade.