Charity brands immigration fears a 'manufactured panic' as poll reveals stark local-national divide

2 days ago7 min read

A stark divide between local experience and national anxiety over immigration has been exposed by a new YouGov poll, with a leading charity dismissing the heightened national concern as a 'manufactured panic'. While just over a quarter (26%) of Britons see immigration as a significant issue in their own community, this figure more than doubles to over half the population when respondents consider the national picture.This chasm, experts suggest, highlights how political and media narratives can shape public perception independently of lived reality. The potency of this national narrative was demonstrated just yesterday, as Reform UK leveraged the issue to flip two council seats—one from Labour and another from an independent group—proving that nationally amplified concerns can translate into local political gains, even in areas where the issue is not a day-to-day reality for voters.This dynamic is not new; it reflects a decades-long political strategy in the UK, from the 'rivers of blood' rhetoric of the 1960s to the Brexit campaign, where immigration was successfully positioned as a defining national crisis. The charity's commentary points to a deliberate misdirection, where voter anxiety is focused on a perceived national emergency, drawing attention away from more immediate local issues like housing, public services, and economic pressures. The success of single-issue campaigns like Reform's serves as a warning to Westminster: a politically weaponized national narrative, however disconnected from local experience, remains a powerful electoral force capable of delivering unexpected shocks.

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