Irene Clennell was finally given the right to live in the UK with her British husband and children.

A previous article said that Ms Clennell had had permanent residency in the UK before, but the Tory state took it away because she spent "too long" in Singapore — caring for her dying parents.

I suspect that part of why right-wing governments tell immigration officials to be rigid and gratuitously cruel is to develop a reputation for heartlessness, so as to dishearten everyone they pick on. They suffered a defeat this time, so naturally they pretend that it wasn't so.

But I suspect they have another motive too: to make people loathe the state and thus demand "small government." That will help right-wing parties reorient the state from helping people in general (which it used to do quite well) to helping only the rich.