FINANCIAL TIMES: Are Britons softening on immigration?

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There is plenty of other evidence that attitudes towards immigration are softening, as argued by Professor Rob Ford of the University of Manchester, in a blog post published this week.

He examines data from the British Election Study showing whether people think that immigration has a positive or negative effect, economically and culturally.

Here, he says there has been “a big, sustained jump” in the share of positive responses on both of these measures since the Brexit vote. In particular, immigration optimists now significantly outnumber pessimists on the economic measure.

Prof Ford also looks at whether different sections of society have become more polarised about the effects of immigration.

He notes that degree holders tend to be more welcoming of immigration, while those with GCSE qualifications are more negative. But both groups have undergone a similar positive shift in attitudes on the issue since the Brexit vote. 

The same applies to Leavers and Remainers, he says. The gulf in attitudes on immigration between both groups is wide; but here, too, both have shifted in a positive direction since the referendum.