It is a tricky topic for right-wing political parties in most developed countries. Raising the issue of immigration at once provokes accusations of racism; but ignoring it goes down poorly with core supporters, for most of whom it is deeply worrying. In the run-up to the 2005 general election, Britain's Conservative Party got it badly wrong, plastering the country with posters trumpeting the truism: "It's not racist to impose limits on immigration", followed by a sly insinuation: "Are you thinking what we're thinking?" Since neither of the other two main parties was talking about immigration at all, both were free to shoot at this wide-open goal without saying anything on the matter themselves.
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