Have only had time to read the first 7 pages or so. But who on earth advised the government to use the slogan "Stop the boats"? Did they not realise the uproar and outrage it would cause. "Stop the traffickers" would have been so much better if that is really their intention.
The trafficking situation IS a huge problem and all this Lineker furore has sadly diverted people's attention from it. Ask anyone who works in law enforcement about trafficking and you'll know what a scourge it is. Not only are our law enforcement agencies being overwhelmed trying to deal with it, but any successful illegal trafficking of people to the UK just makes the trafficking gangs richer and stronger. The exploitation of vulnerable people just gets worse and worse. Those vulnerable human beings are lied to, sold false promises, give up their life savings to these bastards as they are told that the UK is the land of milk and honey and they'll just be given a house and money to live off. They have no idea of the cost of living over here now. It IS different to the 20th century when for the most part hard work meant you could make a life for yourself, as housing was affordable even on lower wages.
When people this century work their arses off and are only just scraping by, then this creates multiple issues. Resentment amongst the struggling working population towards those coming to the UK and being given free housing etc. Shock to the system for those who come to the UK expecting to immediately make a better life for themselves and/or family back home, even though many don't speak the language or have the right skillset. It is not morally right to say "oh but we have shortages in eg the care sector or hospitality sector, or very low paid menial work like agriculture - so the country would benefit from them coming here to do those jobs." Until those sectors pay a living wage we would just create a "them and us" situation of asylum seekers and economic migrants ending up in low paid menial work living in HMOs.
Add in the fact that people coming to this country are now often not able to be housed near friends or family already here as some councils in the south of the country do not have the capacity to support/house them. To their surprise they end up being moved to another part of the country where they don't have friends or family. Again, I think it's morally questionable for councils and hotels around the country to receive large sums of money to receive people. I don't believe for one minute that councils are putting that money back into improving infrastructure to support asylum seekers. They are not increasing the number of school places or GP practices with that money. They are using it purely to balance their books. In my city nearly all the queries for in year school transfers that I take at my school are from people newly-arrived in the country. There are no school places for them where they are housed. Instead they are allocated school places 2 or 3 bus places away, which does not then fit in easily around parents' jobs.
We CAN'T have uncontrolled migration forever more, whether that is asylum seekers or economic migrants, because it isn't fair to anyone. But the slogan "Stop the boats" is a huge shot in the foot for the Tories.