The population of England and Wales grew by almost 610,000 to 60.9 million between mid-2022 and the middle of 2023, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
That’s the biggest increase since 1949, when records began.
Meanwhile, the ‘natural change’ of the population hit a 45-year low of just 400—meaning that there were only 400 more births than deaths.
This means that the population growth was fuelled largely by record immigration. Net migration stood at 622,000 for the year to mid-2023, at which time the Conservatives were still in office.
Responding to the figures, Robert Bates, who is research director at the Centre for Migration Control, told The European Conservative:
Reckless politicians have allowed mass migration to fuel a population crisis. These figures show that in just one year, England and Wales were expected to accommodate a population increase similar to a city the size of Bradford.
We all suffer as a result, with the country already feeling like it is at a bursting point. Our public services don’t work. Our culture is diluted. Our young people have little prospect of home ownership.
Bates also criticised the new Labour government for failing to treat the issue of mass immigration with the seriousness that it deserves. He complained that while “no right-thinking individual could believe that this parlous state of affairs is sustainable, the Labour government have decided not to include in the King’s Speech anything that could stem the increase.” He added:
Rather than continue with ridiculous gimmicks like votes for 16-year-olds, it’s time for a bit of grown-up politics which recognises that, in 10 or 20 years time, if we want to still have a viable and well-functioning society with high standards of living, then we simply cannot afford to hand out over one million visas every year.
Polling conducted shortly before the July 4th election—which saw the Labour Party win a large parliamentary majority without popular support—suggested that half of Britons want to see a freeze on all “non-essential” immigration. Nigel Farage’s Reform party has backed the idea of net zero immigration. It would be fairly safe to presume that Labour will not follow suit.
