Report says the public has far more nuanced views on immigration than is reflected in the current polarised political debate
The think-tank British Future released a report last week on the political challenges of talking about immigration.
You can read the 139-page report, How to talk about immigration, here. You can also read a brief summary version of the report here.
The report "represents the culmination of three years' work from British Future, focused on understanding public attitudes to immigration and the issues that inform the immigration debate – integration, identity and opportunity."
British Future says with the rise in popularity of UKIP, the politics of immigration is becoming one in which the public are assumed to be wholly 'anti' migration and whoever talks toughest has the best chance of connecting with them.
While public arguments about immigration are often polarised between 'pro' and 'anti' voices, British Future says its research shows that most people are somewhere in between.
The report states: "How to talk about immigration shows that the public has far more nuanced views on immigration than is reflected in the current polarised political debate. It suggests that the majority of people would be open to a sensible debate on immigration that excludes racism and prejudice. It examines what people want to talk about and how these discussions can be addressed by politicians of both left and right without alienating significant sections of the public."
The 'moderate majority' of the public are said to be "worried about the impacts on jobs, public services and on the 'Britishness' of our culture; but aware of the benefits to our economy."
"A clear majority opposes prejudice against migrants who come here to better themselves," and are also "proud of Britain's tradition of protecting refugees fleeing war and persecution," the report adds.
The report argues that a majority of the public want a pragmatic, moderate and sensible discourse on immigration, not divisive rhetoric.
British Future says politicians have found immigration the hardest issue on which to secure public trust. It argues that winning back that trust will require politicians to place more trust in the public and to give people a greater say in the choices that Britain needs to make.