UK General Election: Do UKIP losses show a swing away from anti-immigrant views?
Thursday’s truly astonishing British general election result has left the media with plenty of straws to grasp at. As we now know, the Conservatives missed the threshold for a majority (326 seats) after calling for a snap election with the hopes of a windfall to consolidate their authority in time for Brexit talks. In the meantime, Labour, led by the embattled Jeremy Corbyn, gained over 30 seats but did not manage to secure a majority. UKIP failed to gain any seats, and the Irish DUP arrived in the dubious position of kingmaker for the Conservatives by virtue of their ten seats.
The success of Labour and surprising turnaround of the Conservatives and UKIP have many people asking: Was this result a rebuke to parties who take a strong stance against immigration?
[Read more]What is the Tories’ ‘Immigration Skills Charge’ and how will it impact the NHS?
Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) played a central role in the debate over whether to leave the European Union, and has now become a central campaign issue in the General Election. The parties nearly unanimously offer policies to bolster the NHS, calling for more funding, better training, and more positions open for doctors and nurses. But only one party – the Conservatives- have called for doubling a tax on hiring non-British workers. What exactly is the Immigration Skills Charge and what does it have to do with the debate over the NHS?
[Read More]Opinion: British “Progressive Alliance” Failed from Bad Politics and Bad Faith
By Phil Butland
THIS IS THE LATEST IN MIGRATION VOTER’S OPINION SERIES ON STRATEGIC VOTING. READ OUR PREVIOUS ARTICLE ON FRANCE HERE.
At the beginning of the British election campaign, the Green Party touted the idea of a “progressive alliance” against the Tories. To many people, this seemed like a no-brainer. With the Tory manifesto showing the return of the “nasty party”, surely anything would be better than Theresa May coming back into power.
UK Parties Clash Over International Students
With the UK General election in less than two weeks, the gap is narrowing between the two largest parties, the Conservatives led by current prime minister Theresa May and the Labour party led by Jeremy Corbyn. As we concluded in our analysis of the two parties’ manifestos, their massively different views indicate that this will be a uniquely impactful election for Britain’s immigration system. Adding to the mix three parties that are staunchly opposed to ending free movement, which will almost certainly be part and parcel of Brexit, and you have a volatile set of possibilities for people living in the UK from EU countries as well. One of the groups at the center of the controversy over migration is international students, who stand to be targeted by big changes if the Conservative party is victorious. MV takes a deep dive to understand what’s happening.
Dominated by Brexit? A Closer Look at the Liberal Democrats, Greens and SNP Manifestos on Migration
In our previous article, we examined the Labour party and Conservative party manifestos for the quickly approaching UK General Election. Today we’ll take a closer look at the Liberal Democrats, Green Party, UK Independence Party (UKIP), and Scottish National Party (SNP), who altogether make up a share of about 16%, together with others, according to recent polling by IPSOS Mori.
Comparing the Labour and Conservative Manifestos on Migration
Following an approved motion by British Prime Minister Theresa May, the UK will hold snap general elections on June 8th.
Under Britain’s Fixed Term Parliaments Act, elections are held every five years unless a snap election occurs through either a vote of no confidence with no follow-up government installed or the approval of a motion for snap elections by two-thirds of parliament, as occurred in this case. You could forgive the people of Great Britain for being tired of making decisions, but a great deal is at stake as the country heads to the polls.
The election comes just before Britain prepares to enter into negotiations of their exit from the European Union, and is seen by many as an effort of May to consolidate authority before undertaking the tremendous task ahead. For voters, the election represents a final say on what kind of Brexit they want, and where they stand on economic and social issues, particularly migration.
So what options are the parties now offering regarding immigration to the UK after Brexit? Let’s delve into the campaign programs of Britain’s two largest parties to see how they deal with this sensitive topic.