A new report has found that English, Welsh and Scottish people share broadly the same attitudes towards immigration.
A study carried out by the National Centre for Social Research found that the proportion of people who view the economic and cultural consequences of immigration positively is similar on both sides of the border:
In Scotland, more people believe immigration is good for the British economy (46 per cent) than believe it is bad (17 per cent), while the same is true In England & Wales. There 47 per cent think immigration is good for the economy and 16 per cent think it is bad.
In Scotland, more people think immigration enriches British culture (43 per cent) than undermines it (20 per cent). Again, the picture in England and Wales is very similar, with the same proportion believing immigration has a positive impact upon British culture although 23 per cent believing that it has a negative impact.
The relationship between attitudes towards immigration and demographic characteristics is also similar in both Scotland and England and Wales.
On both sides of the border, younger people are more likely than older age groups to regard positively both the economic and cultural consequences of immigration
Moreover, in both Scotland and in England and Wales, those with higher educational qualifications are more likely than those with fewer or no formal qualifications to see immigration as having a positive impact upon both the British economy and British culture.
There are, however, differences across Britain in the relationship between attitudes towards immigration and how people vote.
Those who vote for the Conservatives or Labour in Scotland are less likely than the supporters of those parties in England and Wales to hold a favourable view of the economic consequences of immigration.
Meanwhile, Labour and Liberal Democrat voters in Scotland are less likely than the supporters of those parties in England and Wales to take a positive view of the cultural consequences of immigration
Those who vote for the SNP, however, generally have a relatively favourable view of the consequences of immigration.
The relationship between attitudes towards immigration and 2016 EU referendum vote is also different on both sides of the border. Remain voters in England and Wales are more likely to feel positive about the consequences of immigration than their counterparts in Scotland.
While 56 per cent of Remain voters in Scotland say that immigration has been good for Britain’s economy, 70 per cent of Remain supporters in England and Wales take this view
Similarly, while 54 per cent of Remain supporters in Scotland feel that immigration has enriched British culture, 66 per cent of Remain voters in England and Wales adopt this stance.
Article published 6th December 2018