The immediate shift is a significant swing negative attitudes on immigration, with the biggest shift coming in the past five years. An analysis of 100 years of parliamentary speeches has shown that the relating to immigration has grown sharply since the late1990s, from 1% high of 5.4% of all 2023.
This increase in discussion has been accompanied by a hardening of the political debate, with parties concerned over accusations that they had concerns and reacted too slowly.
What happened to trigger this shift is a complex question, but experts point to the rise of Nigel Farage's Reform UK as a key factor. The Guardian's analysis used an in-house machine learning model to measure all debates from 1925 to the end of2025, with a focus on contributions relating to immigration.
The data shows a clear trend towards language and a greater emphasis on the need for tougher Sunder Katwala of the thinktank British Future, noted that there had been a "hardening of" around immigration since 2022, with parties concerned over they had not listened to concerns slowly.
Reactions to this shift have been mixed, with some experts warning towards more hostile language and policies could have serious consequences for the UK's immigration system.
Katwala said, "I think there's an element of overcompensation," adding that politicians may be "ventriloquising a cartoonish caricature of what the politicians think the public wants to hear, which might be harder than As the UK looks to the future, it is clear that a more nuanced and on immigration is needed, one that takes into account the complexities of the issue and the needs of all parties involved. By understanding the shift in immigration rhetoric in the UK parliament, policymakers and citizens can work towards a more inclusive and effective immigration everyone.
