Poll Commissioned Before Keir's Strangers' Speech.
People Feeling Like a Stranger in Their Own Land Isn't All About immigration.
Sir Keir was compared to Enoch Powell when he said immigration was making Native Brits feel like strangers in their land unless the issue of immigration was addressed. Sir Keir was making a speech about immigration because this is what he genuinely feels, or is pandering to the Reform UK agenda. His speech attracted haters and those who agreed with it.
A poll by 'More in Common' asked 13,464 people about their feelings on being alienated in the UK. Of course, immigration is one of the biggest things that people feel this. Many areas of Britain, especially in cities and towns to many do not feel British any more. Your definition of what Britishness means may vary. But for many, it is about Native Brits who have moved away or died out and have been replaced by foreign cultures. These incomers bring in their own culture and religion. Some call this population shift and cultural shift the great replacement. It is, in a sense, and it can feel like that when foreign cultures set up what they are familiar with. Leaving the Native people feeling like foreigners in their own land. And that is the case whether it is Pakistanis or Poles in British cities and towns or Brits setting up their ghettos in Spain. Many foreign communities, especially non-European or non-Christian communities, do not as a whole interact with the Native population.
Many who oppose immigration are racists, and I make no bones or apology for saying that. And no doubt, it's that part of the population that Reform UK is tapping into. But to describe all Reform supporters as racists and bigots is an oversimplification and generalisation. Many people are concerned about the endless people coming to the UK. And change is happening too quickly. Hence, immigration is a concern for people, even those descended from people from abroad. People, in the main, have nothing against legal migration or immigration. As long as they abide by British laws and pay into the economy, most people are okay with that.
However, this poll revealed that it's not just foreigners who are making people feel alienated. The pandemic, though a distant memory, continues to make people feel isolated as if they have entered a post-pandemic world where nothing fits and they do not fit. As if they have entered a parallel earth where everything feels different to the world before COVID, and in some respects, that is true. It's also things like the cost of living crisis. Where ordinary everyday things like bread and milk are costing more and more. Even working people are struggling to put food on the table and keep the lights on. People working at home say they feel isolated as their jobs require them not to leave the house. At one time, office jobs required you to leave home and work in the office. Now, thanks to tech, you can work in the surroundings of your home. However, as many people like to work at home, others do not, so it's horses for courses.
You would think this poll was done after Sir Keir's speech, but it wasn't. The poll was conducted before the Prime Minister's speech. So long before the speech of "Strangers in A Strange Land" by Sir Keir, people were feeling lost. And, while immigration is part of what makes people feel like this, other issues mentioned in this article also contribute.
Today's world is a lonely place; never has humankind been so connected through tech, yet never have people felt so lost and alone as they do now for various reasons.
About the Creator
Nicholas Bishop
I am a freelance writer currently writing for Blasting News and HubPages. I mainly write about politics. But have and will cover all subjects when the need arises.
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