Cost of Living Beats Immigration as Britain's Top Concern

RIGHT-WING politicians are failing to “brain wash” the public into thinking Britain is a lawless nation full of racial tensions, a massive poll has discovered.

The British public expresses its concerns over finding solutions to the country’s ills built up over 14 years of Tory rule but believes that despite the rhetoric of agitators they live in peaceful and friendly communities.

Green entrepreneur Dale Vince, who commissioned anti-extremism group HOPE not hate to undertake the research and has also joined with the TUC to “counter the destructive right-wing narrative”, said he believed the polling was “absolutely essential to set the record straight on “what Britain really thinks.”

He said: “This Giga Poll tells a very different story to the one put out by those on the right who seek to brainwash the public that we’re living in a constant state of fear.

“That’s not the case, and this poll proves that we as a nation are not falling for that fake propaganda.”

The polling – the largest of its kind by breadth and depth of over 45,300 people aged from 16 to over 65 – was undertaken last month and posed 80 questions to a cross-section of the public. The research showed eight in ten people like mixing with people of other ethnicities, religions, and backgrounds.

And as for the campaigning slogan launched this summer by Reform UK’s Nigel Farage that ‘Britain is lawless,’ some 65% think their local community is peaceful and friendly, with only 11 per cent disagreeing.

News that Britons are not buying into the angry right-wing rhetoric that the country is tearing itself apart will be a source of comfort to Labour and the Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who said following the recent rally organised by far-right extremist Tommy Robinson that the country should never surrender its flag to become a symbol of “violence, fear and division.”

Though the right portrays immigration and asylum as the ‘key issue’ facing Britain, the poll showed that it was only fourth in the list of concerns, with respondents by a clear margin – 56% – saying their Number One concern was the cost-of-living crisis. The state of the NHS was second at 38%, with immigration and asylum at 25%.

What has emerged from the polling is the clearest insight yet into the thinking of the public who feel forgotten, neglected and poorer amidst the noise of right-wing attacks on Sir Keir’s leadership.

The ‘silent majority’ – still suffering from the financial impact of the Tory legacy, with Brexit, low growth, the financial crash of 2008 and austerity thrown into a disastrous mix still felt today – are supportive of a wealth tax with 75% thinking ‘wealthy people are getting richer while poorer people are getting further behind.’ And they are desperate to be heard with 69% of those polled believing the Government should trial new ways of involving the public in decision making such as citizens’ assemblies or online debates.

And showing the clear win that would result from such an initiative, the polling shows Nigel Farage is failing in the toxicity he has sought to inflict on Britain’s bid to become energy independent with sustainable green energy – with six-in ten people thinking “climate change poses a threat to the future well-being of me and my family.” Only 13% disagree. Even the controversial push towards Net Zero has a majority favouring the ambition, with 51% buying in to the bigger picture by agreeing that for the sake of the planet we have no choice but to move to Net Zero by 2050.

The Government needs to do more to win the economic argument with 49% saying the cost is too much and we should slow the process.

Nearly eight-in-ten think big business should pay more to meet emission targets and provide environmental protections.

What emerges strongly from the poll is the public wants decisive action to protect not just their interests, but those of their communities, and gives a clear signal to the PM to be stronger and more radical in pushing through policies. Top of Britain’s contempt for those perceived to be failing the country are the water companies with nearly half the public recognising the issue as a priority and demanding greater regulation to clean up our waterways. On Nigel Farage, one in three respondents have a positive opinion of him, but more people dislike him (43%). On the employment front, four in ten people fear their jobs could be replaced by Artificial Intelligence.