Bogus: Theresa May [Image: Jack Taylor via Getty Images].

To artificially inflate migration statistics and thereby boost support for Brexit?

To increase racial tensions and the “us and them” mentality that helps the Tory “divide and rule” agenda?

Both? Or something else?

Theresa May faces being hauled before Parliament to publicly apologise for “bogus” statistics that wrongly claimed 100,000 students were overstaying their visas in the UK.

The demands for an apology came as Labour’s Diane Abbott warned that the Government could be defeated in a Commons vote to scrap the inclusion of international students in immigration figures.

Shock new figures released on Thursday showed that just 4,600 non-EU students – 2.6% of the total – were overstaying their visas and living in the UK illegally.

This contrasts with the 100,000 figure constantly used by May, prompting claims that the tiny number of ‘overstayers’ has exposed one of the biggest policy blunders of recent times.

Former civil servants also revealed that it was an open secret in Whitehall that the 100,000 figure had no evidence base but the Home Office refused to drop it.

Read more: Theresa May Told To Apologise To Parliament Over ‘Bogus’ Claims About Overseas Students

Here are four ways to be sure you’re among the first to know what’s going on.

1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (in the left margin). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.

2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical

3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/

Join the Vox Political Facebook page.

4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com

And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!

If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!

Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:

Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.

The Livingstone Presumption is now available
in either print or eBook format here:

Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:

The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here: