An Ipsos poll shows that for the first time since Britons voted to leave the European Union in 2016, they now see immigration as the most important issue facing the country.
According to the Ipsos Issues Index, 34% of Britons see immigration as the biggest issue facing the country, marking the first time the influx of foreigners has topped the list since the Brexit referendum in October 2016.
Immigration ranks above concerns about healthcare and the NHS by 30%, the economy by 29% and inflation by 20%. vote Found it.
Around 75% of supporters of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Party said immigration was their top priority, followed by 62% of Conservative voters, 45% of people in manual jobs and 43% of people over 65.
In addition to the illegal migration crisis, with around 5,000 boat migrants crossing the English Channel from France since Prime Minister Keir Starmer took office last month, the country is also facing record levels of legal immigration, with net migration – those arriving minus those leaving – set to reach a record 764,000 in 2022, after 685,000 last year.
UK: Majority view immigration negatively and majority believe Farage is the only one telling the truth on the issuehttps://t.co/58apPMDmrG
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) June 18, 2024
The survey, conducted among more than 1,000 adults between August 7 and 13, came shortly after widespread anti-immigration demonstrations and riots following a gang stabbing by a second-generation Rwandan teenager at a children’s dance party in Southport.
Meanwhile, crime that is a major concern for the public has soared, rising from 6% last month to 25%, the highest level of concern since August.
Concern about race relations in the country also increased significantly, with 11% citing it as their biggest problem – the highest score since June 2020, when the Black Lives Matter protests inspired by George Floyd took hold.
Commenting on the survey findings, Mike Clemens of Ipsos said: “The impact of recent riots across the UK is clear in this month’s data, with immigration returning as the country’s top issue for the first time since 2016, and concerns about crime and race relations also rising to their highest levels recently.”
“Concerns about the NHS have fallen significantly since their election peak but it remains a key issue for the country, alongside the economy and inflation, with clear differences in priorities across age and party affiliation.”
A senior Labour politician says the New Left government is “too afraid” to talk about immigration and is ignoring concerns about the “crisis”.https://t.co/RWvVkHnPh6
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) August 13, 2024
