David Cameron

Cameron's 2010 and 2015 pledges were explicit: net migration to the 'tens of thousands a year, no ifs, no buts.' It never happened. EU free movement — which he would not end without a referendum — and student and work routes kept the figure between about 180,000 and 330,000. He called Mediterranean arrivals a 'swarm' in 2015 while remaining inside the legal structure that made the target impossible. The referendum was an admission that his government could not control the border from inside the EU. He then lost it and resigned.

No ifs, no buts. That's a promise we made to the British people, and it is a promise we are keeping.

What they did

1. 2010–2015

   The broken target

   Net migration was 252,000 in 2010 and 332,000 in 2015. The 'tens of thousands' pledge was the defining broken promise of the decade.

2. 2015

   EU renegotiation

   Sought an emergency brake on in-work benefits, not an end to free movement. Voters were asked to Remain on that basis.

How they voted

Blocked it / opened it means they voted against tighter rules, or for the Human Rights Act. Backed it means they voted for a tightening bill.

Sources: Conservative manifestos 2010 & 2015; ONS net migration