Thread by @MariosRichards

If we're talking about things that people (/commentators) like to "explain away" about public immigration sentiment ...

... maybe the place to start should be the fact that immigration restrictionists are *visibly losing the debate*?

/1

https://twitter.com/jamesjohnson252/status/1230393756509188097

The trend on immigration sentiment is starting to look like the pattern for Gay Marriage/toleration of homosexuality - i.e. opponents lose ground in public attitudes every year for decades - and then, suddenly, they lose ground *really fast*

(need a better chart pairing)

/2

As with sentiment on homosexuality, this isn't visibly connected to electoral politics - Conservatives picked up votes even as the public became more positive about homosexuality, as "anti-PC" parties picked up steam.

/3

You (I!) can't pin point any one argument that sold people on the merits of tolerating homosexuality.

Voters - of course - had "genuine concerns". And parties made electoral hay from that (Con-86).

But they didn't stop losing the debate (crass ques of *when* to cash out).

/4

An awful lot of ink gets spilled over why pro-immigration people are Doing It Wrong.

And I get that that is mostly because they lost at a narrow euref campaign and then lost at UK power politics - losers stink of loss and it's hard *not* to want to dunk on them.

/5

But, you know, maybe some of the time spent laughing at the Lib Dems should be diverted to wondering why imm. restrictionists, who have every advantage of platform and influence, not only not to shift people in their direction, but even to hold onto ppl who agreed 4 years ago.
/6