Through Brexit, the Tories effectively promised a less crowded and less cosmopolitan country. And that is what they have created
Britain is full. That vague but powerful assumption has shaped so much of our politics. From the Brexit campaign with its “breaking point” poster of a queue of migrants and refugees, and border-fixated home secretaries from Jack Straw to Priti Patel, to the regular immigration panics spread by newspapers to voters, the idea that these small islands have reached their maximum viable population has become hugely influential.
It’s a convenient situation for the right. Blame for congestion and strained public services can be placed on population growth and migrants, rather than on our profoundly unequal patterns of land ownership and use or Conservative cuts in state spending. But the idea that Britain is full – or too full already – also appeals more widely: to some environmentalists, to people who like peace and quiet, and dislike cities or new housing developments, or think that being British is a privilege that needs protecting. A fear of overcrowding is deep in our island psyche.
Andy Beckett is a Guardian columnist
