“A recent survey found that in voters aged between (i think it was) 18 and 38, immigration came 22nd on their list of concerns.”
Thankfully not enough of them stirred from their beds to get out and vote for their wishes (to see the country’s services overrun largely as a result of uncontrolled immigration) last June 23rd.
“Apportioning ‘blame’ suggests that Brexit is a bad thing.”
For the undertaker-in-chief Mr “Europhil” Hammond, it certainly was. He declared himself a prominent and charismatic (politicians simply cannot tell it how it is) leader of the Remain campaign. Here’s an example of his ramblings from early last year:
“Hard-headed analysis shows that every alternative to remaining in a reformed EU would leave Britain weaker, less safe and worse off. Working people would pay the price with fewer jobs and rising prices… British businesses would be squeezed out of traditional markets… [Brexit would mean we] sacrifice jobs and growth… while our competitors forge ahead…”
I have to say that had Mr Blair and his cronies not scoured the world for immigrants to invite to these shores the mood in the UK may have been different. Following the Eastern expansion of the EU in 2004 restrictions on free movement were allowed for up to seven years. Virtually every member nation (bar Sweden, Ireland, Cyprus and Malta) took up this option to a greater or lesser degree. The UK did not and it was forecast that around 13,000 would opt to settle here. In the event, more than 20 times that number arrived here in the first year. Had Mr B imposed a ban similar to virtually all of the rest of the EU the situation may have been different. But he didn’t, it wasn’t, and so we are where we are now. Mr Hammond and his fellow Remainers (including the prime Minister) will simply have to make the best of what they see as a bad job.