Migration fuels England and Wales population jump, figures suggest
Chris Mason: Why Labour aims to buck trend of rising migrationWhat are the challenges facing the government's immigration plan?
The number of people living in England and Wales has risen annually since mid-1982, with migration contributing most to the growth every year since mid-1999.Before then, natural change was the main reason for growth.The rise in the year to June 2024 is the second biggest year-on-year jump in population since at least 1949 - the earliest comparable ONS data.Tackling immigration has been a key challenge for both the previous Conservative and current Labour governments.Labour said the estimates published on Wednesday "confirm the truth of the Tory legacy on immigration".Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: "Under the Tories, overseas recruitment shot up while training in the UK was cut, lower-skilled migration soared while the proportion of UK residents in work plummeted and hundreds of thousands of people were given visas to arrive and stay in the UK."She said net migration had "come steeply down" under Labour, there were now tighter controls on visas and stronger requirements to link the points-based immigration system to skills and training.Shadow home secretary Chris Philp acknowledged the numbers were "far too high" and "the pressure on housing and social cohesion is unacceptable".He said: "Under new leadership the Conservative Party has put forward serious, workable policies to get immigration numbers dramatically down."Leader of Reform UK, Nigel Farage, said the figures were "disastrous for the quality of life for everyone in the country. It puts impossible pressures on public services and further divides our communities".
The ONS estimates suggest 1,142,303 people immigrated to England and Wales in the 12 months to June 2024, while 452,156 were likely to have emigrated, leaving a net migration figure of 690,147.The drop from a net migration of 833,696 the previous year is likely due to to a fall in the number of foreign nationals from outside the EU coming to the UK on work and study visas, along with a rise in students leaving at the end of their courses.Changes in migration rules introduced in early 2024 by the previous Conservative government included restrictions on international students bringing family members with them to the UK as well as banning overseas care workers from bringing dependants.There were slightly more births (596,012) than deaths (566,030), adding 29,982 to the population.This natural change increased the size of the population in four regions - London, south-east England, the West Midlands and eastern England.The ONS said other regions had negative natural change, reflecting "a long-term decline in fertility and an increasing number of deaths because of the growing proportion of older people".Previous ONS statistics showed women in England and Wales had an average of 1.44 children between 2022 and 2023, the lowest on record.Across 10 years from 2014 to 2024, the East Midlands had the highest level of growth at 9.1%, while north-east England had the lowest at 5.7%.
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BBC News
15 minutes ago
- BBC News
Emma Little-Pengelly: DUP defends minister's Wimbledon trip
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has moved to defend the deputy first minister over a publicly-funded trip with her husband to £1,000 was spent on flights and accommodation when Emma Little-Pengelly and Education Authority (EA) chief executive Richard Pengelly attended the tennis Stormont parties have criticised the spending, but The Executive Office (TEO) said it was in line with civil service policy and "no additional expenditure" was incurred on behalf of her a fresh statement to BBC News NI, the DUP said the invitation was issued "in her capacity as deputy first minister and it will be registered in the normal way". The EA said Mr Pengelly attended while on leave and "no spend was incurred" by the education than £980 was spent on the trip, according to a Freedom of Information request revealed last month by The Irish couple were pictured in the Royal box at centre court alongside celebrities including American pop star Olivia Rodrigo, professional wrestler John Cena and former England football manager Roy posted photos online, describing the invitation as the "honour of a lifetime".The DUP minister and First Minister Michelle O'Neill were invited by the All-England Club, but O'Neill did not take up the invitation. Register of interests Members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) declare any gifts or hospitality they receive worth more than £250 on a public register of is "including those received in a ministerial capacity", according to assembly the DUP said the Wimbledon invite did not need to be declared on the assembly register.A party spokesman said: "The invitation was issued to Emma Little-Pengelly in her capacity as deputy first minister and it will be registered in the normal way via the department in the register of ministers' gifts and hospitality."Because invitations to the Royal box are never offered for sale it is not possible to put a value on this and therefore does not meet the threshold for inclusion in the register of members' interests."The only comparable price available is for the price of a centre court ticket for the relevant day of attendance, which does not meet the threshold for inclusion."Tickets for centre court seats on 2 July cost between £95 and £120, according to Wimbledon's website.A spokesman for the club in south London said Royal box tickets "are not commercially available". 'Beggars belief' Several Stormont parties have criticised the Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) MLA Matthew O'Toole, leader of the opposition, said it "beggars belief"."The idea that official business was conducted in the Royal box at Wimbledon insults the intelligence of the public here," he Party MLA Paula Bradshaw, chair of the assembly's Executive Office scrutiny committee, said she would be raising Unionist Voice (TUV) MLA Timothy Gaston, a member of the committee, also questioned the "justification for the public paying the bill". A spokesman for TEO said: "Details of gifts and hospitality received by ministers are recorded on the 'Register of Ministers' Gifts and Hospitality Received' which is published on a quarterly basis."In a previous statement, The Executive Office said the deputy first minister "flew economy"."While she was accompanied in her official capacity by her spouse, no additional expenditure was incurred by TEO on behalf of her guest," a spokeswoman said."The travel and accommodation costs incurred by the deputy first minister are in line with NICS (Northern Ireland Civil Service) policy."The EA said "no spend was incurred" by it and the trip was "made in a personal capacity" while Mr Pengelly was on annual Executive Office said while the first minister declined the Wimbledon invite, she attended the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) football all-Ireland semi-final later in said there were "no costs" associated with O'Neill's attendance at the match between Tyrone and Kerry at Croke Park in Féin said O'Neill attended the semi-final "at the invitation of the GAA" and there were "zero costs to the department".
The Guardian
15 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Thursday briefing: How the far right is being allowed to shape the immigration debate in the UK
Good morning. Just how many migrants in the UK are undocumented? Tabloid headlines can make it seem like the number is huge, so perhaps a new YouGov poll suggesting a significant gap between public perception and reality should be no surprise. Nearly half of Britons (47%) believe there are more undocumented migrants living in the UK than those here legally. Meanwhile, 45% of respondents said they support stopping all immigration and carrying out deportations of people who have arrived in recent years. Tensions are playing out on the streets, with protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers attracting national attention, including in Epping, Essex, where hundreds of people gathered over several weekends after the arrest of a resident on suspicion of sexual assault. More protests are expected over the next few days. Adding to the pressure, police are also preparing for possible protests in support of Palestine Action over the weekend, despite the group's recent proscription as a terrorist organisation. Officers have warned that anyone carrying placards or banners expressing support could face arrest and incarceration in our already overcrowded prisons. So who is behind the anti-immigration protests, and what's driving them? And could this weekend become a flashpoint? To explore this further, I spoke to the Guardian's senior reporter Ben Quinn, who has spent years reporting on the far right. US immigration | A new report found hundreds of credible reported cases of human rights abuses in US immigration detention centres. The alleged abuses uncovered include physical and sexual abuse of detainees. Protest | Naomi Klein and Angela Davis are among dozens of international scholars and writers who have signed a letter to the Guardian calling on the UK government to reverse the ban on Palestine Action. Russia | Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff have held talks in Moscow, two days before a Friday deadline the US president set for Russia to reach a peace deal in the Ukraine war. Spain | A local authority in south-east Spain has banned Muslims from using public facilities such as civic centres and gyms to celebrate the religious festivals Eid. The ban in Jumilla, in Murcia, is a first in Spain. UK news | The Bank of England is poised to cut interest rates on Thursday despite a growing divide between its policymakers over the dangers to the economy from high inflation and rising unemployment. Estimates of the population of undocumented migrants living in the UK range from 120,000 to 1.3 million, with Reform UK's Zia Yusuf recently putting the figure at 1.2 million. Regardless, that number doesn't come close to those living in the UK legally: the 2021-22 census (pdf) put the entire foreign-born population of the UK at 10.7 million. But lies travel fast on social media – especially if they chime with existing worries or prejudice. The news last year that three girls attending a dance class in Southport were stabbed to death sent out shockwaves. As the local community gathered to mourn, a piece of disinformation – that the attacker had come to the UK on a small boat – quickly spread on social media. That sparked protests, which were very quickly exploited by far-right activists. The protests exploded, with anti-migrant rioters attacking mosques, setting fire to asylum hotels, and assaulting black and minority ethnic people. It's been a year since, but the anger has not dissipated. Instead, it is slowly hardening into a movement. Anti-immigration protests have taken place across the country and while most have remained peaceful, some have not. The BBC reported that 15 people across the country have been arrested in recent days while protesting outside hotels used to house asylum seekers. 'We're in what Joe Mulhall of Hope Not Hate calls the 'post-organisational era' of the far right,' says Ben. 'It's not about formal parties and memberships. It's about individuals loosely linked via social media, people who might never meet in person but have significant influence, especially on platforms like X. That all feeds into gatherings and protests, which then spill over into violence, as we saw after Southport.' He added that protests outside asylum hotels have always happened. The Bell Hotel in Epping, which has seen recent large scale protests, has actually been targeted since 2021. But these protests, once considered fringe events, are becoming a fixture. 'If you place Reform UK as a hard-right populist party, the groups we're seeing at the protest sit further to the right,' Ben told me. 'For a while, Patriotic Alternative was the main far-right group, but it's in decline now, as a result of infighting. A newer group, Homeland Party, was set up by former far-right members and has drawn people away from Patriotic Alternative.' But he warned that we have to be careful when discussing who is involved. 'They are clearly organised far-right activists who are attempting to exploit local grievances and are using misinformation to whip up feelings, but in some cases, such as Epping, the protests have included local people who are unaffiliated with organised far-right groups. There is a grey area which is difficult to determine in some cases.' He added that the big shadow over all of this is Tommy Robinson. 'He's the epitome of that post-organisational far right. He's an influencer and clearly an activist, and he's got a universe of people around him, who in many cases include football hooligans.' Robinson tried to amplify protests in Islington and Canary Wharf, targeting hotels thought to house asylum seekers, Ben explained. There are also other figures forming a constellation of newer far-right influencers who have attached themselves to this. Are all the protesters far-right agitators? While notable far-right figures have been spotted speaking at the protests, Ben has spoken to many who wouldn't align themselves with those groups, but are still frustrated with the country's asylum policies. 'It's really important to not discount the fact that people in these communities have agency of their own to go and protest and they can feel very strongly about things. They have views on the asylum system, they have views on events in the news,' Ben said. 'There is a debate to be had, and many media organisations will be having it, about how these protests should be described. I spoke to a local woman in Essex who said 'we're turning up here because a teenager was allegedly sexually assaulted by a man who was in this hostel. We want to turn up and show we're not happy with this'. Are they far right purely for taking part in that protest? They would say of course not. But should they turn away from a protest when it becomes clear that it is being hijacked by neo-Nazis and far-right groups? Some would say, yes, they should.' Will this weekend be a flashpoint? There is widespread reporting of a 'no asylum day of action' today, but Ben believes it is not clear whether it's a real national action or a meme that has taken on a life of its own. He pointed to an incident last year where someone published a list of immigration advice centres across the country, but the protests didn't materialise. There is some evidence to show that momentum around some of these protests is beginning to slow down. 'It feels like the heat has come out of Epping a little bit. At the last protest, anti-racism activists and trade unionists outnumbered the protest against that hotel. And that was a place far-right activists had very clearly wanted to turn it into pilgrimage every weekend. But now it seems that perhaps the focus has shifted. It might be because lots of local people were turned off by the violence which erupted on the sidelines of those protests. But the problem is, we now have lots of others elsewhere,' Ben said. There is now widespread attention in Nuneaton because of another alleged sexual assault case there, involving a 12-year-old alleged victim. Reform council leader George Finch made comments that may be in contempt of court and have inflamed tensions, Ben said. Protests are planned at the council HQ. Other hotspots include Cannock and Waterlooville, which recently saw a thousand people protesting, he added. 'In places like London and Essex, anti-racist activists can mobilise very quickly in large numbers and also draw some local support and outnumber the far right. But you also have other places where there are large groups of local people who are unattached with the far right, gathering in large numbers and then you have the far right exploiting them.' How has the government responded? There has been a notable difference in the government's response to this year's protests outside asylum hotels. 'After Southport, Keir Starmer called them 'far-right riots'. He hasn't done that this time, even though the far right is heavily involved. Labour seems worried about alienating voters on immigration,' Ben said. He added that many are also critical of Starmer and Yvette Cooper for failing to condemn the racist language heard at some of these protests. And the possibility of further national riots loom. 'There's potential,' said Ben, 'because we're in August. The weather's hot and rain is always one of the things that keeps people off the street. You have misinformation, the far right and others colonising local Facebook groups, with Nigel Farage and Reform amplifying many of the messages from the protests. 'And then you have a stretched police force as well' – stretched not only by anti-migrant protests, but by a wave of demonstrations this weekend, with hundreds expected to defy terrorism legislation to rally in support of Palestine Action. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion The two protests will paint a stark picture of modern Britain. On one side, police in soft caps are expected to make mass arrests, mostly of elderly people or students, with little anticipation of violence. On the other, riot vans and officers in full gear will line the streets at anti-migrant demonstrations, prepared for the possibility that unrest could erupt once again. 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Alex Holder loves her new life in Lisbon but has become increasingly uneasy that people like her might be damaging the cities they love. A bit of good news to remind you that the world's not all bad Last week, the award-winning environmental journalist Alec Luhn set out on a four-day solo walk in Norway's remote Folgefonna national park, home to one of the world's biggest glaciers. On Monday, Luhn, a seasoned mountain walker, was reported missing after he didn't turn up for his flight home to the UK. A volunteer search and rescue team from the Red Cross, police, dogs and drones searched throughout Monday for Luhn but were hampered by poor weather. The search continued and on Wednesday, Luhn – a Pulitzer Center fellow – was found alive after surviving almost a week with a seriously injured leg. 'I can't remember us finding someone alive after so many days,' said Stig Hope, head of the operations leadership team at Folgefonna and a Red Cross volunteer. 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Telegraph
15 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Don't call rural voters Nimbys, Labour MPs tell Starmer
Sir Keir Stamer has been told to stop calling rural voters 'Nimbys' by Labour MPs representing rural seats. The Rural Research Group, which represents seats the party won for the first time at last year's election, branded the term 'toxic' and said may alienate voters in the countryside. Sir Keir and risked a further drop in the 'goodwill' shown by rural voters that handed Labour a historic election win last year. Labour has already been accused of betraying those voters by limiting inheritance tax relief for family farms in last year's Budget. The Prime Minister has regularly used the phrase, which means 'not in my back yard', to describe those he believes are blocking new housing and infrastructure which Labour sees as crucial to boosting economic growth. He said previously: 'For too long, blockers have had the upper hand in legal challenges - using our court processes to frustrate growth. 'We're putting an end to this challenge culture by taking on the Nimbys and a broken system that has slowed down our progress as a nation.' Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, the Labour MP who chairs the Labour Rural Research Group, said many people 'despise' the term. Ms Riddell-Carpenter told The Mirror: 'The term Nimby isn't just toxic, it's politically pointless. We win nothing by labelling people 'anti development' or 'anti growth'.' The Rural Research Group - set up to champion rural issues - published their first report on Wednesday on the attitudes of their countryside constituents. Their survey of 1,412 people found 56 per cent 'firmly do not see themselves as Nimbys'. More than 60 per cent also agreed developments in their areas should go ahead 'as long as it is delivered thoughtfully, and with consideration for local needs and identity'. The group's intervention will be seen as evidence of growing concern amongst rural MPs about Labour's poll ratings. Research group caucuses are becoming more popular in parliament, reflecting how Conservative factions sought to wield power under previous administrations. The Prime Minister has been told to show more recognition for rural identity, which Rural Research Group said had 'for too long been misunderstood and overlooked by policymakers'. A Rural Research Group poll showed that 65 per cent of voters have little trust in politicians. The MPs said: 'This should serve as a clear warning sign to all parties: disillusionment in rural Britain runs deep, and restoring trust will require more than promises - it must be backed by visible, long-term local action rooted in authenticity.'
