You cant outcompete Farage on immigration. As he just demonstrated, he will always be more extreme, more populist. All appeasing him does is legitimise his narrative Instead we need to challenge it. The concern about immigration is hysteria and a distraction from the real cause of peoples problems
Insisting that millions of voters concerns are illegitimate and hysteria, is the ridiculous arrogance that has brought us to where we are now.
2 but the narrative that blames migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, people on small boats etc for causing those problems is not valid or fact based. Its scapegoating and its this narrative that must be challenged by explaining the real cause of peoples problems
You make a very good Recruitment Sargent for Nigel Farage and his fvckwits.
Its Starmer who is doing that and every step he makes to appease Farage only makes Reform stronger.
And as long as people perceive a government not in control of our borders, that will continue. That perception is held by millions, that will decide the next election.
1 When you say "concerns" what are they concerned about? For most its not an abstract "concern" about foreigners. When asked most will say they are worried about real tangible things such as housing, public services, low pay, NHS etc, Those concerns are real and valid
See what happens at the next election, if people's "illegitimate concerns " are not listened to.
If every single refugee was deported tomorrow, it would not improve the economic condition of those shouting at hotels and waving flags one iota. Their problems are real, their targets are scapegoats the Farages "solutions" are a chimera
No the opposite actually, a Labour government that betrayed the hopes of the electorate is what is driving people into the arms of a fascist grifter and his snake oil solutions
A government that is doing nothing, exactly the same as the Tory Governmentabout both legal and illegal immigration. Deny it if you like but immigration will play a huge part in deciding the next election. Thats what is pushing people towards Farage. Farage has no other policies except immigration.
People blame immigration because they have been sold the narrative that immigrants, like Brexit before it, are the cause of all their problems and that stopping immigration, like leaving the EU before it, is the panacea to solve all problems Its a false narrative that we can challenge not appease
They see a government that isn't in control of its borders, with no credible plan. Right,wrong is irrelevant, it's what people feel,and tbat will decide the next election. Unless there is a seismic change, Farage's Thick Racist Fockers will quite possibly win. Have a nice day.
And ignoring people's concerns is exactly why we ended up with Brexit.
Peoples concerns is a nice way to describe racist hysteria People had concerns about the EU too, how did Brexit work out