The development of the Periodic Table is perhaps one of the finest feats of human ingenuity.In this,the year of the Periodic Table,I found myself reflecting on the lessons we can learn from its legacy.Not only did the Periodic Table provide an accurate way of classifying elements,it predicted the existence of undiscovered elements within its structure.In a similar vein,how much could policymakers learn from what already exists to discover robust policy? Could May learn from Mendeleev? Allow me to expand on my somewhat obscure link between chemistry and UK policymaking.Immigration policy in the UK is something that CaSE spends a lot of time thinking about,partly because it is so complicated.Since 2010,the Home Office has made over 5,700 immigration rule changes,resulting in doubling the length of immigration guidance in the UK.Although individual changes may be simple in themselves,many were considered in isolation of other rules that then required additional rule changes.It’s anyone’s guess what the Periodic Table would look like if it was developed in the same way as immigration policy in this decade.As the Government develops a new post-Brexit immigration system,the Home Office can leam from its past policy work in creating a system that can enhance security while reducing burden.
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