Quote Originally Posted by Stolly View Post
Perhaps because they were worried of being tarred with the same brush as the far right UKIP’ers? Come on a post referendum poll asking people’s opinions on why they voted is always going to skew people’s answers towards the seemingly most worthy option
There has been a problem for 20 years that discussion about immigration led to accusations of racism if you questioned freedom of movement.

"to many brexiteers it wasn’t so much about leaving the EU and it’s institutions as it was about stopping immigration."

If you had put controlling immigration rather than stopping I would have tended to agree with you. Hardly any wanted to stop it, just a few nutters on the fringes.

Below is a part of my mock manifesto at the last general election. I think a policy along these lines would hardly be deemed racist, just exercising an element of control and ensuring that our support network cannot be taken for granted.

In a report by YouGov last year 63% think that immigration has been too high ie a fair chunk of Remain voters also see it as an issue.


Migration
 Retain freedom of movement for EU nationals and extend it to the Commonwealth.
 Look to remove visa requirements for other countries where reasonable.
 Streamline the residency process so that once people are established here and want to
remain, they can do so with a sensible and minimal level of bureaucracy. All should be able
to apply for residency with a few minor caveats mainly linked to convictions.
Residency should be an option after 3 years.
A fast track system should be brought in for those already here.
 Free access to NHS emergency services.
 Other medical and welfare provision should not be available and should be covered by
insurance until residency is confirmed.
 Employers who recruit employees from overseas must provide fully comprehensive health
insurance for their overseas staff who do not carry it.
 Work towards similar arrangements for UK citizens travelling and working abroad.
 Strengthen the border force and security.
We should be more open not less. I think most people are fairly relaxed about immigration and a
few simple measures such as set out above will alleviate general concerns that have been expressed
in recent years.
If employers genuinely cannot recruit from the UK, the imposition of health insurance will add
around 5% to the cost of employing a foreign national working full time on minimum wage and less
for higher earners, subject to age and fitness.
These policies will not put up barriers but will reduce some of the pull factors.