'Immigration is a cancer infecting all political discourse'.

Byline: David Taylor-Gooby

THERE was a by-election in County Durham earlier this month in the Easington ward of Durham County Council.

That is a name which used to be synonymous with thumping big Labour majorities. In the county elections it went to Reform, as did most of East Durham. Unfortunately, one of the successful Reform candidates had to resign because of poor health.

In the May elections Reform took about 50% of the vote on a turnout of 30%. Labour got 20%. Many thought that the voters might reconsider in the by-election. It was in the middle of the summer holidays, but there was still a turnout of 20%. Reform swept home again with 46% of the vote, just 3.5% less than the May election. Labour managed a 0.8% increase in its share.

The political atmosphere has not changed. And it is not difficult to know what the big issue is - just ask any elector and they will tell you. It is immigration, and the small boats symbolise it.

Those who care about politics worry that this issue will undermine the other issues where we want to see progress - a better NHS, greener energy, better social care and a solution to the carnage in Ukraine and Gaza. Immigration is a cancer which infects all political discourse, and until it is resolved, little progress will be made elsewhere.

So, what is the problem? There are two factors which cause migration, "push" and "pull". "Push" means when people want to leave a country because it is poor, or unstable, or has been invaded. Mass communications allow people in these countries to see what prosperous countries like Britain are like, but they often give a distorted picture, making it appear that life will be much more attractive than where they are.

"Pull" is when there is a demand for people. At the moment there is a demand for care workers, and many come here, quite legally from overseas. Universities found a ready source of income in recruiting students from overseas. At one time Sunderland University recruited 25% of its intake from abroad. These students paid higher fees. The numbers have now reduced, which is one reason why entry to university is easier for our own students. The flip side of all this, of course, is that unless the Government is willing to do something about funding universities properly many may close. There are of course opportunities in the informal economy for employment with those who arrive illegally, such as car washes and food delivery, and many of these people are recruited through family networks.

It is worthwhile keeping in mind that most immigration is legal. Last year 948,000 people moved to the UK, and 517,000 left, leaving a net intake of 431,000. The majority of these were students and those legally accepted for jobs, mainly in social care. There were also about 70,000 who gained legal asylum, mostly from Ukraine and Afghanistan, but both these numbers are now falling. There has been a much-trumpeted figure of 50,000 arrivals on small boats since Labour came to power, but this figure is still a small fraction of the total. Illegal migrants used to stow away on lorries and trains. Now they mainly come on small boats, and their presence is visible for all to see.

People blame immigration for social problems they face. A shortage of healthcare or housing will be blamed on immigrants. Close-knit communities such as in the North East find different cultures hard to understand. I will never forget that canvassing in the 2016 referendum campaign someone came up to me, and said "They will never say this openly, but they don't like Muslims".

The BBC recently revived the 2009 drama Small Island about the discrimination and prejudice immigrants from the West Indies experienced in the 1940s. Thankfully racial feeling is not as bad as that now, but unfortunately it is still there. I experienced it on various occasions during the referendum campaign.

A useful corrective to today's experiences is a visit to the excellent Yorkshire Museum in York. The description of how multiracial York was in 200AD shows that society does not have to be racist. There was even a black emperor. I am an optimist. I think racial antagonism will eventually decline as society does become more multi-racial. But there is an immediate problem.

The North East is blighted by much derelict housing, usually in old industrial and mining areas. It is no accident that this is where there is cheap housing where asylum seekers can be easily housed. Because an area is run down, and many migrants live there, many people say that they are the cause, rather than the victims.

Legal migration is in decline. Better conditions for care workers and better funding for universities will reduce it even further. But the visible symptom of the problem, the small boats must be dealt with. The Government made a big fuss about their "one in, one out" policy, but apparently nothing has so far happened.

The Government often appears to simply want the problem to go away. There must be much more robust action to stop the crossings. But in the end, we will not solve the problem without much better cooperation with our European neighbours. That is where policy has to be concentrated.

CAPTION(S):

Migrant families wade into the sea in an attempt to board a small boat across the Channel from Gravelines, northern France, earlier this month

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Author:	David Taylor-Gooby
Publication:	The Journal (Newcastle, England)
Date:	Aug 18, 2025
Words:	910
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Topics:	Election law Emigration and immigration