Canadian National Post: 'Toxic' immigration issue had little impact on U.K. vote

[Twoller]

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2999341

'Toxic' immigration issue had little impact on U.K. vote: analysts

Peter O’Neil, Europe Correspondent, Canwest News Service

Published: Friday, May 07, 2010

LONDON - Immigration, the "issue that dared not speak its name" in the British election campaign, appeared to have little if any influence in the outcome of the vote, say analysts.

The touchy matter "was a struggle for all the big parties," declared a headline in the pro-Tory Daily Telegraph Friday.

That a public policy matter could spark so much emotion in Britain, yet not be a major campaign factor, has much to do with the approaches of the three leaders, according to Andrew Hawkins, chairman of the ComRes polling firm.

"I think in a sense, it is the issue that has dared not speak its name in the whole election," Hawkins told Canwest News Service.

"For most of the last five or six years it was among the top two issues in voters' minds. But the three parties undertook a conspiracy of silence because they realized just how toxic it is if they raise it."

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The rest of the article is at the above link.