There is common ground on the issue of immigration between Leave and Remain voters who disagreed on the referendum question, finds this report from British Future, ‘Disbanding the tribes: what the referendum told us about Britain (and what it didn’t)‘.
Most share nuanced views on the pressures and gains that immigration brings to Britain and a desire for a system that can be trusted to work – and will both need to be involved in the debates to come on how we manage immigration.
Three quarters (74%) of the public, including 84% of Leave voters and 69% of those who voted for Remain, agree that “Immigration brings pressures as well as gains and our decision to Leave the EU gives us a chance to change the system. What we need now is a sensible policy to manage immigration so we control who comes here but still keep the immigration that’s good for our economy and society, and maintains our tradition of offering sanctuary to refugees who need our protection”.
Those on the losing side, the report argues, need to work through the grieving process to its final phase – acceptance – and become a strong voice in the debates we must now have about the kind of Britain we want to be after Brexit.
We need to disband the referendum’s 48% and 52% tribes and move on.
The Government, too, will need to engage both sides of the referendum debate and involve the public more in the decisions we make on immigration.
The report draws on new ICM polling for British Future conducted immediately after the referendum.
It finds that there is more in common between the two referendum tribes than we think – which is why they must now be disbanded as we seek constructive solutions to the challenges of making Brexit work for all of us.
Most of the public does not like the way in which the England flag has been dragged into polarised debates about identity and race, according to new research published today by British Future, one month out from St George's Day. [Thread]
Faith leaders urge Government to 'slow down and rethink' changes to settlement rules, in a letter published in The Guardian today 🧵
Angela Rayner has warned that the Labour government proposals to make it harder for migrants already in the UK to settle permanently are "un-British" and a "breach of trust" - BBC News report
Angela Rayner warns against 'un-British' immigration reforms
Most migrant workers will have to wait longer to qualify for permanent residence under the government's proposals.
www.bbc.co.uk
Faith leaders urge government to rethink settlement changes that “risk undermining” community cohesion [1/3]
Our @sundersays will be on @BBCRadio4 'The Week in Westminster' at 11 today discussing the new govt cohesion plan and definition of anti-Muslim prejudice
BBC Radio 4 - The Week in Westminster
Radio 4's weekly assessment of developments at Westminster
www.bbc.co.uk
An independent commission examining inclusion and belonging in Newham – London's most diverse borough – has today published its final report, setting out recommendations to strengthen community connection and make the borough a national beacon of good practice [1/3]
"Her focus on so-called ‘pull-factors’ – an approach tried and tested without success by Conservative Home Secretaries before her – has been shown not to work." Our @sundersays on Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's speech today.
The Modern Cockney Festival opens next week with events throughout March, including on the 16th marking the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street.
More details at: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/moderncockneyfestival
'From Diwali to Discord: What Happened to Leicester’s Shared Belonging?'
As a new report examines the 2022 Leicester unrest, our Avaes Mohammed speaks to people from South Asian communities in the city about what needs to change. [1/2]
"Rupert Lowe looks like creating a new BNP for the online age – a project doomed to fail," writes @sundersays for @easterneye [1/2]
