The generation game

摘要

It is a fact universally accepted that Britons dislike immigration. Sure enough, when travel restrictions on Romanians and Bulgarians (imposed when their countries joined the eu) were lifted on January ist, newspapers and politicians fretted. Two mps even took it upon themselves to meet a morning flight from Bucharest and quiz its passengers. Yet a report published on January 2nd by Ipsos mori, a polling firm, shows attitudes to be more varied. A widening gap divides those born before 1965 from younger folk (see chart). Although immigrants are often said to deprive younger Britons of entry-level jobs and housing, members of Generation Y (born in 1980 or later) and Generation X (born between 1966 and 1979) are ambivalent towards them. By contrast, the baby boomers (born between 1945 and 1965) and the old, who benefit most from cheap carers and cleaners, counter-intuitively think immigrants a drag. Age influences opinion more strongly than social class does.