Sue Hall,72, from Shaw takes part in the vox Pops across Greater Manchester on Nigel Farage (Image: Jake Lindley / Manchester Evening News)
On an early August Friday night, with the sun shining brightly, Altrincham should be buzzing with revellers kicking off their weekend.
However, the noise in this Trafford town is not from merry drinkers but from Cresta Court hotel, where police have been called to separate clashing protesters over the building’s use as a shelter for asylum seekers.
“I’m angry, I’m mad, and I’m frustrated,” vented one protester named Julie, tightly gripping a Union Jack flag.
For planning applications, traffic and road diversions, layout changes and more, visit the Public Notices Portal HERE.
This sentiment was echoed in Bolton just a few days prior, when several councillors alleged that housing for veterans was being vacated to accommodate asylum seekers.
The Manchester Evening News scrutinised these claims and discovered that the unit was actually being shut down because it ‘did not meet the required standards’ for ex-military personnel. Nevertheless, the town remained engulfed in anger.
These two incidents are merely fragments of a much larger debate that has taken centre stage in Greater Manchester’s politics this summer: Immigration.
According to YouGov polls, it’s now the most pressing issue facing the UK, which is why politicians are under pressure to present their strategies for reducing net migration.
On Tuesday morning (August 26), Nigel Farage‘s Reform UK did just that. He unveiled plans to deport up to 600,000 migrants over five years if his party triumphs in the next election, at a cost of £10 billion.
This comes after fresh Home Office data released last week showed asylum seekers housed in hotels have increased by eight per cent under Labour, bringing the total to 32,059 by the end of June – a 57 per cent drop from the Tory peak in September 2023. Nine asylum hotels remain across Greater Manchester after closures in Manchester, Rochdale and Wigan.
Reform’s ‘operation restoring justice’ would demand the UK withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights; amend the UK Human Rights Act; negotiate agreements with countries where most migrants currently originate, such as Afghanistan; and establish ‘removal centres’ in remote British locations to enable five deportation flights daily.
These represent substantial obstacles for the policy becoming reality, though the primary barrier remains Reform securing the next election and Nigel Farage becoming Prime Minister.
Following Reform’s announcement propelling the party to an eight-point polling advantage on Wednesday, the Manchester Evening News questioned 64 voters throughout the city about their views on the proposals.
“If you say that it’s ‘you’re either with us or against us'”.
The weather is blustery and the streets are bustling in Bury. The ‘world famous’ market has drawn coach-loads of shoppers by the dozen, undaunted by the predicted downpours.
Seated on a bench opposite the Millgate shopping centre, away from the commotion, is Sandra, a retired psychiatric nurse. “It’s headline-grabbing,” she grins when questioned about her thoughts on Reform’s announcement.
Then, she hesitates.
Following a moment’s consideration, she continues: “In principle, it will be hard to get it off the ground.
“I think immigration has become too convenient [for migrants].
“To a certain extent it has become a scapegoat [for other problems], but it’s not fitting the remit when it was created in 1945, when there were post war refugees – if they are coming from France, which is not a dangerous country, that’s quite the issue.”
Rodney Sellars, 81 (Image: LDRS)
In the end, Sandra, 67, revealed she wouldn’t back Mr Farage in an election, though she acknowledged Labour needed to take greater action.
Her perspective was echoed by Bradley Hornby, 24, a council worker.
During his lunch break near the Cenotaph, he described himself as ‘centre-right’ and declared ‘we need to do something about a bit of immigration’, whilst branding Mr Farage ‘not the right person’.
He elaborated: “One of my issues with Nigel is it’s all just about immigration. I do not like his climate change policy.
“But if you say that it’s ‘you’re either with us or against us’,” he continued, highlighting how charged the immigration discussion has become.
“This country is very divided. There’s so much frustration because things are not getting better.
“I think Nigel Farage is excellent because he’s put the cat among the pigeons” The division over immigration is not a new phenomenon, but the number of people expressing concern about it has reached levels last seen ten years ago. This led to the then-Prime Minister calling for a referendum on Britain’s EU membership, resulting in the monumental shock of Brexit.
Some are predicting a similar upheaval in British politics with the potential election of a Reform government.
Shirley Blakeman, 76, from Sale, is one such believer. She stated: “I think Nigel Farage is excellent because he’s put the cat among the pigeons. He’s got the other parties listening, whether he means it or not. But I think he’s definitely right.
“Lots of people are against illegal immigration. There’s no point in arresting them. They should be sent back as soon as possible. I’m very angry about this.”
Meanwhile, in Manchester city centre, Sue Hall, 72, was out shopping with her sister. Visiting from Shaw, she expressed her support for Mr Farage: “I love him,” she said as soon as his name came up.
“I should have voted for him last time. Next time I definitely will.
“I just think now we have everybody coming in. We have always been Labour. My husband used to be a member but even he has gone for Nigel.”
However, not everyone agrees entirely with Farage’s views. Sharon, 51, from Atherton, commented: “I found what he said to be really powerful, but I don’t agree with everything he says.
“We’ve taken in a lot of refugees, so I think he’s nailed it. I also think there’s a lot of unrest everywhere about the situation. I don’t think these protests are going to stay peaceful for very long. If there are criminals coming over here, I agree they shouldn’t be walking our streets.
“He makes very explosive headlines, but I don’t know if I’d vote for him”.
However, backing immigration reform doesn’t necessarily translate into support for Mr Farage.
Before Jacqui, a sprightly octogenarian from Farnworth, dashed off to catch the 513 bus, she claimed to be politically uninformed.
Almost immediately, she contradicted herself by remarking: “He makes for very explosive headlines, doesn’t he, Farage? Whether he would actually do what he says is hard to say.
“Immigration is terrible around here. It’s changed the town of Farnworth so much.
Nigel Farage has laid out his migration plans (Image: Getty Images)
“What he’s saying – I think other politicians must have thought of it before him, but they didn’t say it out loud. I certainly think he’s going to be a candidate at the next election. I think there’s a lot of support for him around here.
“But I don’t know if I’d vote for him. As an old lady, I read all the national news and it’s hard to see what’s going on in the world. All the starving children, the conflict in Palestine, and I’m sure that’s not the only place.
“It sometimes makes me think it’s just because they want what we have – because we have it pretty good here, really.”
Tameside resident Norma Hadfield is calling for stricter migration controls, but she doesn’t ‘trust’ the Reform leader.
“I don’t think we should let them in,” the 79 year old voiced her opinion at the Arcades shopping centre in Ashton-under-Lyne.
“They’re getting in hotels when we’ve got all these homeless people who don’t have any help.
“There isn’t much work for young people currently either. They’re coming over and adding to that problem.
“When they’re coming over on these small boats, they’re risking their lives and children’s lives for very little benefit.
“With Farage, I think it’s possible what he says, but I wouldn’t trust him to do it. They all say what they’re going to do to these politicians, but never actually do anything.”
Eccles resident Gordon Johnston echoed Norma’s concerns, stating ‘there are a lot of people coming over and we don’t know their backgrounds or what they are getting away from’.
He believes deporting 600,000 isn’t feasible, but suggested ‘boats [sailing] up and down the Channel stopping them coming’.
Despite his political leanings suggesting he would back Reform, he ‘doesn’t support’ Mr Farage. He added: “I do have a lot of sympathy for them, they’ve come a long way, but they have gone through safe places, I don’t understand why they need to come here. I think Nigel Farage has a good chance of becoming prime minister, but I don’t support him.”
In Rochdale, Rodney Sellars expressed that he thought Mr Farage has some good policies, but questioned if he could deliver them.
“For those immigrants that come over and have family here, that’s okay, but the others should be sent back,” the 81 year old retired carpenter said. “I’m not a fan of them being cooped up in hotels either.
“I think the gangs who are organising the small boats crossing the Channel are the problem. That should be addressed properly.
“I don’t know if Farage would get in power. The Conservatives and Labour said they will deal with this immigration issue but they haven’t – why would Farage be any different.
“The jails are getting full, housing is an issue and healthcare is at capacity. This all needs to be looked at separately, it’s not all down to immigration.
“Whether Farage can sort this I don’t know.
“Everyone seems to be blaming the government for things when they’ve been in power a year”.
Yet there are those who despise the Reform chief. Vicky, 50, from Oldham, is amongst them.
“It’s my responsibility to assist people. I work alongside numerous asylum seekers, refugees, and displaced workers,” she revealed during her cigarette break.
“We support them with matters such as accommodation, clothing, food, training them up and getting them into employment. I engage with these individuals daily. They’re respectable people who simply want somewhere safe to call home. Everyone deserves that right.
“So what will [Reform] do, deport women and children back to nations controlled by the Taliban, where they possess no rights, and cannot hold jobs?” Vicky, who acknowledges the issue of illegal immigration, questions the popularity of Nigel Farage.
“I don’t think there’s as much support for Farage and his policies as people say,” she continues. “It’s mostly the older generation, who aren’t exactly racist but are more susceptible to misinformation.
“And I can understand it from both sides. We’re all taxpayers, it’s true our money is paying for these hotels. But I think we need to be getting angry at the government, not at people.
“Farage talks about these deportations – where’s the money to pay for that? We have been hearing the same rubbish for 15 years.”
Lucy Davies, a 44 year old office worker from Stockport, also fails to see the appeal of the Clacton MP: “I have no understanding how Nigel Farage has managed to bounce back after Brexit.
“I think he wants popularity and likes to stir up trouble, but he doesn’t actually care about people. I think he’s saying he wants to deport people to try to win votes.
“The government is a mess, but everyone seems to be blaming them for things when they’ve been in power a year. They’ve not been great, but that’s what it is.”
Svitlana Cherniak, a Ukrainian refugee, was a yoga and music teacher in her home country before she moved to Manchester when Russia invaded the country in 2022. Now, the 58 year old is a perfume sales ambassador in town.
The warm reception Britain gave to her and her son was remarkable, she explained, with her boy now studying at the University of Manchester. She believes that Britons’ welcoming approach to her arrival demonstrates that Mr Farage ‘does not represent British values’.
She declared: “His politics are not good. It’s a step back not a step forward”.
“The UK welcomed me and my son when the war began – this guy does not represent British values.
“We need to be stronger. I think his ideas are only temporary.”
Will Britain vote for Reform?
Regardless of what people think about Nigel Farage‘s proposals, the obstacles facing Reform’s ‘operation restoring justice’ are so substantial that some believe it’s hard to envisage them becoming reality.
However, what’s readily apparent is people’s exasperation with life in Greater Manchester currently. If it wasn’t immigration, another issue was raised with Local Democracy Reporters – be it the NHS, rubbish, the cost-of-living crisis, or the Labour government’s choice to slash winter fuel payments last year (benefits were partly restored this year).
Sometimes, immigration acted as a focal point for fury about other difficulties. On other occasions, voters distinguished between issues.
Regardless, surveys indicate immigration is increasingly becoming a concern in people’s minds, and dissatisfaction with the government is mounting.
That’s why some argue Britain requires reform. But a profound distrust of all politicians, evident throughout the 64 interviews, is why others contend Reform isn’t right for Britain.
