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A new YouGov poll out today has found that 79% of adults in England consider England to be crowded; with 37% saying it is ‘very crowded.’
Only 3% believe that it is not crowded, whilst 15% think that England is about right. The figures were higher for London (85%) and the rest of the South (81%) while the rest of England and Wales were at about 76%.
The poll, for think tank Migration Watch UK, coincides with their e-petition launched on November 1 which calls on the Government to take all necessary measures to keep the UK population under 70 million.
The poll asked voters about the latest population forecasts, which expect the population of the UK to reach 70 million in sixteen years, 76% were concerned about this prospect (37% very concerned) while only 20% were not concerned; 4% did not know.
There was a difference according to voting intention with Conservatives at 86%, Liberal Democrats at 77% and Labour at 72%. The over 60s also showed greater concern at 86% while in Scotland only 62% were concerned.
The poll also asked about support for reducing net immigration to 40,000 a year in future years – the level required to keep the population below 70 million. 69% supported such a level (44% strongly), only 12% were opposed (4% strongly); 10% had no view and 9% didn’t know. Those intending to vote Conservative felt most strongly (83%) but both Lib Dem and Labour voters showed just over 60% support with 18% - 20% opposed.
Commenting, Sir Andrew Green, Chairman of Migration Watch UK, said:
‘This poll explains the huge public support for our e-petition and demonstrates quite clearly that most people think England is already overcrowded,’ said Sir Andrew Green, Migrationwatch chairman. ‘By more than 25 to 1 English people consider England to be already crowded. By more than 5 to 1 they support getting net immigration down to 40,000 a year. Only 3% want net immigration higher than the most recent level of 240,000.’
‘The position of Lib Dem voters is particularly interesting with 75% believing that England is already crowded, 77% concerned about a UK population of 70 million and 61% in favour of getting net immigration down to 40,000 compared to 20% who oppose this policy’.
ENDS
Note to editors:
- The Yougov field work was conducted on 3-4 November 2011 with a sample size of 1561 GB adults (see attached spreadsheet for results). The survey was carried out on line and was weighted to reflect all GB adults. Only English adults answered the question as to whether England is crowded.
- The Migrationwatch petition ‘No to 70 million has received some 90,000 signatures by noon on Sunday. It can be found at:https://submissions.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/19658
View media reports archive
A selection of recent media reports
Eight out of ten think the country is 'overcrowded' as public support Government's plans to stop population hitting 70mi.. Daily Mail (07-Nov-2011)
UK Border Agency staff: passport checks 'suspended daily for several hours' The suspension of passport checks on foreigners at ports and airports occur Telegraph.co.uk (07-Nov-2011)
UK public support Government's plans to stop population hitting 70m ) Eight out of ten English people think the country is 'crowded', a survey showed last night. The Mail On Sunday (07-Nov-2011)
MAY FACES STORM IN BORDER CHECKS FIASCO THERESA May faces tough questions today over whether the secret lifting of border checks in the summer allowed terrorists in Express.co.uk (07-Nov-2011)
Border control Telegraph View: The Home Secretary has questions to answer over the conduct of the UK Border Agency. Telegraph.co.uk (07-Nov-2011)
UK Border Agency job cuts will add to backlog woes Criticism recently of the UK Border Agency's handling of asylum and immigration cases is nothing new and probl Wired-Gov (07-Nov-2011)
80% think UK is overcrowded Almost eight in ten people believe the UK is "overcrowded", according to a YouGov poll for MigrationWatch. The think tank's e-petition PoliticsHome (07-Nov-2011)
Theresa May to face questions over order to relax border checks Theresa May today faces questions about whether a secret decision taken by Home Office ministers to Telegraph.co.uk (07-Nov-2011)
PRESSURES OF IMMIGRATION ARE FELT EVER MORE KEENLY THERE are many very sound reasons for limiting immigration. Express.co.uk (07-Nov-2011)
PRESSURES OF IMMIGRATION ARE FELT EVER MORE KEENLY THERE are many very sound reasons for limiting immigration. Sunday Express (07-Nov-2011)
May to make Commons statement after border force claims Home Secretary Theresa May is due to make a statement in Parliament later after three UK Border Agency of BBC News (07-Nov-2011)
8 IN 10 SAY ENGLAND IS CROWDED AS FEARS GROW OVER MIGRANTS ALMOST eight out of 10 people in England think the country is overcrowded. Scottish Daily Express (07-Nov-2011)
THERESA MAY FACES STORM IN BORDER CHECKS FIASCO THERESA May faces tough questions today over whether the secret lifting of border checks in the summer allowed terro Scottish Daily Express (07-Nov-2011)
8 IN 10 SAY ENGLAND IS CROWDED AS FEARS GROW OVER MIGRANTS ALMOST eight out of 10 people in England think the country is overcrowded. Sunday Express (07-Nov-2011)
80% of English people say country is too crowded FOUR in five people think that Britain is crowded. More than two in three support reducing \u00ADimmigration to 4 Mirror.co.uk (07-Nov-2011)
JOB FARCE THOUSANDS of well-paid Brit jobs are being offered to Romanians as millions of homegrown workers languish on the dole. Daily Star (07-Nov-2011)
Borders chief 'defied ban on relaxing entry checks' to try and cut queue times ) Whistleblowers last night blamed the latest border checks scandal on an officia The Mail On Sunday (06-Nov-2011)
MAIL COMMENT: Immigration farce and the enemy within When Theresa May entered the Home Office, it appeared likely that her efforts to bring sanity to the natio Mail Online (06-Nov-2011)
Immigration farce and the enemy within ) When Theresa May entered the Home Office, it appeared likely that her efforts to bring sanity to the nation's border contro The Mail On Sunday (06-Nov-2011)
MELANIE PHILLIPS on the REAL issue that explains the bedlam at our border controls Control of its borders is the way in which a nation defends its security and ide Mail Online (06-Nov-2011)
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