A hostile attitude towards immigrants has been brewing beneath the surface in Britain for years. It led millions of people to vote for Brexit and the Conservative government to propose plans to fly immigrants to refugee camps in Rwanda.
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Following the far-right unrest in Britain, the new British government must pick up the pieces after years of conservative anti-immigration rhetoric.
The riots began with misinformation surrounding the murder of three young girls attending a dance workshop in the English town of Southport. Social media users falsely identified the attacker as an immigrant and a Muslim.
The misinformation led to a week of rioting that British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described as “far-right violence.”
Although the number of people demonstrating against right-wing violence in several British cities was greater than the number of right-wing demonstrators, anti-immigration sentiment has been simmering beneath the surface for many years.
It is partly responsible for Brexit and prompted the Conservative government to propose plans to fly immigrants to Rwanda or house them in barges like this one off the coast
The new Labour government has since rejected these measures, calling them trickery and a waste of taxpayers’ money.
After years of conservative anti-immigration rhetoric and failed policies that ultimately exacerbated tensions in the country, the new administration must now pick up the pieces.
Dr Nigel Fletcher, who advised former British Prime Minister David Cameron, believes Labour must do what the Conservatives have failed to do: take meaningful action on migration.
“Labour must not only solve the problem, but solve it in a way that is clearly and demonstrably different in tone and substance from the way the Conservative government tried to respond to it. Because if they continue with the rhetoric and tough measures of the previous government, they will alienate sections of their own party,” Fletcher believes.
The new British government recently announced plans for a border force to tackle people-smuggling gangs, reflecting a broader European fight against migration.
As the political landscape evolves, the challenge will be to implement effective, humane policies that satisfy both sides of the political spectrum.
