Boris Johnson is an immigrant himself. He's not just a hypocrite, he's dangerous

The prime minister says migrants coming to the UK should no longer ‘treat Britain like their own’. But when the former American citizen talks about ‘them’ and ‘us’, he's not talking about you and me

Prime minister Boris Johnson has made his most sensational election pledge yet on immigration. If the Conservatives win on Thursday night, then Johnson has promised that he would personally guarantee migrants coming to the UK could no longer “treat Britain like their own“.

The reasons behind the immigration election promise, which Johnson can’t or won’t keep, are deeply disturbing and says much about his character.

Since 2010, the Tories made reducing net migration a campaign pledge – the first of many promises about immigration they have failed to meet. In fact, net migration has been highest under the Tories.

Net migration is a controversial target. It includes the movement of many different groups of people, from investors and highly skilled professionals to EU citizens and students. Crucially, it also includes British citizens – anybody from anywhere that comes and goes for a year or more. In fact, the extra loss of tens of thousands of British citizens year on year has helped keep record net migration from being much higher.

But it’s an odd stance to take considering Johnson himself has contributed to the net migration level he is now so keen to slash. In 1964, he was born in New York City and lived there for his first months before moving to Britain. Johnson was an American citizen until he lost a tax dispute with the US during his time as London Mayor and subsequently returned his US passport.

There’s nothing at all wrong with being a migrant and wanting to make your life in the UK, whether you’re born in this country or in Donald Trump’s hometown of New York, like Johnson. What is wrong is Johnson talking about stopping migrants from treating “our” country like “theirs”.

He’s not talking about himself of course – that would be only hypocritical – but about migrants who have a different background to the privileged, white upper classes that Johnson has been long associated with. Therefore, when he talks about “us”, he’s not talking about you and me.

Johnson’s immigration rhetoric is the dog whistle politics of the worst kind. With a new ComRes poll showing almost nine in 10 support easing immigration restrictions on educationalists and the topic not scoring in the top 10 of voter concerns this election, it’s a bit mystifying why the prime minister would decide now to turn on the tap of race-laden divisiveness between “us” and “them”, days before voters head to the polls.

The strategy behind this is question begging. Why push on immigration when other issues are higher priorities with voters? The answer, I believe, reveals a nervousness among the prime minister and his inner circle about voter turnout – appealing to what they must see as their base support. It speaks volumes that they must view victory dependent on such hypocritical and offensive politics like this.

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However, if Johnson is indeed trying to stir up a sense that the UK is under the threat of a hostile migrant, intending to change the country’s character forever and for the worse, he is playing with fire.

He’s done more than any other leader to whip up hate against minorities after Vote Leave’s controversial referendum win, leaning hard on fake news and scapegoating of migrants. That has led to record high levels of hate crimes reported. We are seeing more of the same now as he promises a post-Brexit Australian-style points-based system – which Labour already introduced in 2008.

Perhaps Johnson is correct that we should worry about a migrant coming to reshape Britain for the worse. The only problem for him is he personifies the threat he warns voters to reject at the polls this Thursday. Let’s hope the public sees this clumsy clown for the dangerously divisive demagogue that he is. It’d be even better if he took his own advice and exit the stage.

Thom Brooks is Professor of Law and Government at Durham University.