Two-thirds of Brits think politicians use refugees to stoke ‘culture wars’, study finds: ‘It’s time politicians from all sides catch up with where the public is at’
By Sam Gelder
As Labour, the Conservatives and Reform UK compete to see who can shout “stop the boats” the loudest, new research suggests voters don’t actually want to hear it.
Nigel Farage’s shock announcement at the beginning of the month that he will stand for parliament as a Reform candidate suggests immigration is going to be front and centre until Britain places its vote in the ballot box on 4 July.
But despite the increasingly hard-line rhetoric – and legislation – around the issue in recent years, almost two-thirds (63%) of Brits think politicians use refugees as a weapon to stoke the ‘culture wars’.
That’s according to a study by research and strategy agency Eden Stanley, which surveyed 3,000 UK adults back in April. The majority of people who responded (52%) also said they feel sympathetic towards refugees, up from 46% in 2017. And one in five (21%) said the UK should be taking in more refugees than it does.
Farage, who has failed seven times to win a seat in parliament, knows how to get the two major parties and the political media dancing to his tune and has labelled this the “immigration election”. That seems at odds with what the public thinks, according to a YouGov poll last week that found the top two issues on the minds of voters ahead of the election are the cost of living crisis and health, with immigration fourth.
Keir Starmer has also been keen to look tough on immigration. He sparked controversy by saying last year’s “sky-high” 685,000 net migration figure has “got to come down” – and has also angered human rights groups and migrant charities by saying he would, if elected, fund a new ‘border security command’. The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants said “deterrent” tactics have never worked and the way to stop the boats is to create safe routes.
Rishi Sunak, meanwhile, has promised flights sending asylum seekers to Rwanda will take off within days if the Tories win the election. Josephine Whitaker-Yilmaz, policy and public affairs manager at migrant rights charity Praxis, said the study showed how “the British public can see through the smoke and mirrors” of politicians spouting anti-migrant rhetoric.
“We all want to live in a world where people are treated with dignity and respect, and where those fleeing war and persecution can find sa
