The law of unintended consequences affects refugees, drugs – even badgers

When the immigration minister suggests Italy’s sea rescues might be an incentive to people-traffickers, all hell breaks loose

On refugee policy, then on drugs policy, MPs grappled on Thursday with one of their favourite bits of legislation: the law of unintended consequences. Rescue African asylum seekers from drowning in the Mediterranean? It only encourages more to risk death, ministers insisted. Oh dear. Prosecute recreational drug users? It drives them into the clutches of ruthless cartels, countered backbench MPs. Oh dear again.

Not even badgers are immune from the all-party Unintended Consequences Act. The government’s cull is “unpopular, ineffective, cruel and bad science by the nasty party,” roared Paul Flynn, the bearded Welsh leftie who could pass for a badger himself at dusk. Liz (Take No Prisoners) Truss, Cameroon over-achiever and newly appointed environment secretary, was having none of it. Having defeated the “Turnip Taliban” (copyright Mail on Sunday) in Norfolk to win her seat, she is prepared at every opportunity to gas or shoot the Badger Taliban.

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