Migration policy, right-wing influencers, and social media were all seen as contributing to the nationwide rioting, a new survey has found
A poll released on Sunday reveals that two-thirds of British citizens believe the country’s immigration policies are responsible for the recent wave of right-wing riots. The riots triggered a nationwide crackdown on disorder and online dissent.
Right-wing protests and riots erupted in numerous British towns and cities earlier this month following the fatal stabbing of three children and the injury of ten others by a British teenager of Rwandan descent in Southport, near Liverpool. Initially fueled by a false rumor that the attacker was a Muslim immigrant, the demonstrations spiraled into a wider backlash against Islam and mass immigration, culminating in an arson attack on a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham.
According to a survey of 2,237 individuals conducted by polling firm Savanta and published by The Telegraph, 82% of Britons believe that the rioters themselves are accountable for the unrest, followed by 75% who place blame on far-right groups and influencers.
However, 64% believe that Britain’s immigration policy is ultimately at fault, while 59% attribute the crisis to the Southport stabbings.
British authorities responded to the riots with stringent measures, resulting in over 1,000 arrests, 480 charges, and 99 convictions for their role in the disorder, according to figures released by the BBC on Friday. Approximately 30 individuals have been charged with online offenses, including a 34-year-old man sentenced to three months in jail for sharing what the BBC termed a “derogatory meme about migrants,” and a 55-year-old woman charged for sharing “inaccurate” information about the identity of the Southport killer.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is reportedly considering strengthening hate speech laws, while London’s Metropolitan Police commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, warned last week that foreign “keyboard warriors,” including X owner Elon Musk, could face investigation and charges for allegedly inciting the riots.
Participants in the Savanta poll were divided on this harsh response, with 49% indicating that the government handled the situation appropriately and 43% expressing dissatisfaction with the handling. Meanwhile, 44% blamed the riots on Starmer. During a public address at the height of the unrest, Starmer refrained from mentioning the stabbings, instead accusing all those participating in the rioting of being driven by “far-right hatred.”
Immigration to the UK surged during the tenure of Tony Blair as Prime Minister. In 2009, Andrew Neather, an advisor to the former Prime Minister, disclosed that Blair sought to “open up the UK to mass migration” and “rub the Right’s nose in diversity.” Combining legal and illegal immigration, approximately 1.2 million individuals migrated to the UK last year, 85% of whom were from outside the EU.