We asked 64 people in every Greater Manchester borough what they think about Nigel Farage’s immigration policy

It’s an early August Friday night and the sun is out. Altrincham should be noisy with drinkers celebrating the start of the weekend.

It’s an early August Friday night and the sun is out. Altrincham should be noisy with drinkers celebrating the start of the weekend.

But the noise in the Trafford town is coming from Cresta Court hotel, where police have had to separate protesters clashing over the building’s use to house asylum seekers.

“I’m angry, I’m mad, and I’m frustrated,” said one protester called Julie, clutching onto a Union Jack flag.

Hers is a feeling many others shared in Bolton, a few days earlier, when several councillors claimed veterans’ housing was being emptied to make way for asylum seekers.

The Manchester Evening News fact-checked those claims and found the unit was being closed because it ‘did not meet the required standards’ for ex-forces personnel. But anger still enveloped the town.

These two incidents are part of a much wider debate that’s dominated politics in Greater Manchester this summer: Immigration.

It’s now the most-important issue facing the UK, according to YouGov polls, which is why politicians are being challenged to offer their plans on bringing net migration down.

On Tuesday morning (August 26), Nigel Farage’s Reform UK did so. He announced plans to deport up to 600,000 migrants over five years if it won the next election, costing £10 billion.

It follows new figures from the Home Office last week which revealed that the number of asylum seekers being housed in hotels has risen by eight per cent under Labour, taking the total to 32,059 by the end of June – a 57 per cent reduction since its peak under the Tories in September 2023. Nine asylum hotels remain in Greater Manchester following closures in Manchester, Rochdale and Wigan.

Reform’s ‘operation restoring justice’ will require the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights; alter the UK Human Rights Act; strike deals with the countries where most migrants currently originate, such as Afghanistan; and open ‘removal centres’ in remote parts of Britain so five deportation flights can fly per day.

All of these are significant hurdles for the policy becoming reality, but the major roadblock is Reform winning the next election and Nigel Farage becoming Prime Minister.

With Reform’s announcement pushing the party into an eight-point polling lead on Wednesday, the Manchester Evening News spoke to 64 voters across the city on what they made of the plans.

“If you say that it’s ‘you’re either with us or against us’”

It’s blustery and busy in Bury. The ‘world famous’ market has brought coach-loads of punters in by the dozen, undeterred by the downpours predicted.

Just away from the hubbub sat on a bench opposite the Millgate shopping centre is Sandra, a retired psychiatric nurse.

“It’s headline-grabbing,” she smiles when asked what she made of Reform’s announcement. Then, she pauses. After a moment’s thought, she goes on: “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.”

Ultimately, Sandra, 67, said she would not support Mr Farage at an election, but agreed more needed to be done by Labour. Hers was a view shared by Bradley Hornby, 24, who works for the council.

On his lunchbreak, near the Cenotaph he said he was ‘centre-right’, and said ‘we need to do something about a bit of immigration’, but called Mr Farage ‘not the right person’.

He explained: “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 added, illustrating how emotive the immigration debate has become. “This country is very divided. There’s so much frustration because things are not getting better.”

Rodney Sellars, 81

“I think Nigel Farage is excellent because he’s put the cat among the pigeons”

Division about migration is nothing new, but the amount of people concerned about immigration is now at levels last seen a decade ago, which led to then-Prime Minister to hold a referendum over Britain’s membership of the EU.

That, of course, led to a seismic shock in Brexit.

And some believe a similar shock is coming to British politics soon with the election of a Reform government.

Sale resident Shirley Blakeman, 76, is one. She said: “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.”

Over in Manchester city centre, Sue Hall, 72, is doing some shopping with her sister. She’s visiting from Shaw.

“I love him,” Sue said as soon as Mr Farage’s name was mentioned. “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.”

Atherton’s Sharon, 51, said: “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.”

Lucy Adolpho

“He makes very explosive headlines, but I don’t know if I’d vote for him”

However, support for immigration reform often didn’t lead to support for Mr Farage.

Before Jacqui, in her 80s, dashed for the 513 bus with surprising sprightliness in Farnworth, she said she ‘didn’t know anything about politics’.

Almost immediately, she proved herself wrong by saying: “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.

“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.”

Tamesider Norma Hadfield wants more done to curb migration, but doesn’t ‘trust’ the Reform leader.

“I don’t think we should let them in,” the 79-year-old said in 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.”

Gordon Johnston, from Eccles, had similar concerns to Norma, saying ‘there are a lot of people coming over and we don’t know their backgrounds or what they are getting away from’.

He thinks deporting 600,000 isn’t viable, but suggested ‘boats [sailing] up and down the Channel stopping them coming’.

Although his politics suggest 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 said 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.”

Norma Hadfield, 79

“Everyone seems to be blaming the government for things when they’ve been in power a year”

And there are some who ‘hate’ the Reform leader. 50-year-old Vicky, in Oldham, is one.

“It’s my job to help people. I work with a load of asylum seekers, refugees, displaced workers,” she explained over her smoke break.

“We help them with issues like housing, clothes, food, upskilling them and helping them into jobs. I work with these people every day. They’re decent people who just want a safe place to live. Everyone has a right to that.

“So what are [Reform] going to do, send women and children back to countries run by the Taliban, where they have no rights, and aren’t allowed to have jobs?”

While Vicky agrees too many people are coming ‘illegally on the boats’, she doesn’t think Mr Farage is as popular as polls suggest.

“I don’t think there’s as much support for Farage and his policies as people say,” she goes on. “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.”

Office worker Lucy Adolpho, 44, from Stockport, also cannot see the Clacton MP’s appeal: “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 welcome Britain extended to her and her son was exceptional, she said, with her lad now at the University of Manchester. And she says that Brits’ attitudes to her migration are proof Mr Farage ‘does not represent British values’.

She said: “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.”

Gordon Johnston

Will Britain vote for Reform?

Whatever people say about Nigel Farage’s plans, the hurdles for Reform’s ‘operation restoring justice’ are so large some think it’s difficult to see them becoming reality.

But what’s easy to see is people’s frustration with life in Greater Manchester at the moment. If it was not immigration, another problem was mentioned to Local Democracy Reporters — whether that is the NHS, litter, the cost-of-living, or the Labour government decision to cut winter fuel allowance last year (payments were partially re-introduced this year).

In some instances, immigration served as a lightning rod for anger about other problems. In others, voters separated issues.

In any case, polling shows immigration is growing as an issue in people’s consciences, and discontent at the government is growing.

That’s why some say Britain needs reform. But a deep mistrust of all politicians, seen across the 64 interviews, is why others say Reform isn’t for Britain.