This is how Labour MPs see it. They face brutal dilemmas and miserable choices. How to manage our asylum system is one of the worst. Through their constituency work, they will have met refugees with tragic stories of war and fear, of terrifying journeys across the world, of gangsters on night-time beaches. But MPs’ experience of hearing those heart-rending stories clash head-on with what they see as political necessity, demanding they block their ears and harden their hearts. A life in politics is not for the squeamish.

Wes Streeting, a practising Christian, yesterday writhed while answering questions on LBC radio about the home secretary’s tough plans for deterring small boat arrivals. The flavour of his reply reflected how many on Labour’s benches feel. Confronted with the government’s intention to deport more families with children – ending what Shabana Mahmood said was feeble “hesitancy” – he sought a bogus escape by claiming many would leave voluntarily, making forced removals “low”. But when pushed, he said yes, removals must be enforced. Was he comfortable with that? “Honestly? Comfortable? No. But is it the right thing to do for the country? Yes.”

The dilemmas are deep, morally and electorally. They affect MPs from “red wall” seats whose vote is being swallowed by Reform; MPs in seats with large ethnic minority populations who are losing to independents; and those in university seats where votes vanish leftwards. All of them have different anxieties about immigration – but all can read the polls. The polling group More in Common finds not just the wider public, but a majority of Labour and Green voters – yes Labour and Green –........

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