AFTER Nick Griffin’s infamous but unimpressive appearance on the BBC’s Question Time programme last month, we called on the main parties to examine themselves and accept that their own weaknesses on immigration had played into the hands of the British Nationalist Party.

We therefore welcome Alan Johnson’s admission that Labour and Conservative governments had been “maladroit” in dealing with the issue.

The Home Secretary told an audience at the Royal Society for the Arts yesterday that parts of Britain had been “disproportionately” affected by immigration, leading to a strain on jobs and public services.

For too long, mainstream politicians have avoided grasping the immigration nettle for fear of being branded racist, but a grown-up debate is finally taking place.

Whatever has happened during previous administrations, the present government has had more than a decade to get to grips with immigration and has failed to do so.

Only last week, the Home Office admitted that 40,000 immigrants – nearly half the population of a town like Darlington – could still be in this country even though they were supposed to leave six years ago.

“Could” is the key word in that admission.

The disturbing truth is that the Government doesn’t really know how many are still here.

There is no case for pulling up the drawbridge because we should provide a safe haven for genuine asylum seekers and welcome skills and talents from other parts of the world.

But there is a need for far greater administrative competence so we at least have clarity on the numbers involved.