Portsmouth election candidates debate immigration at college hustings
Portsmouth candidates were asked if immigration is good for Portsmouth
Portsmouth local election candidates have told college students whether immigration is good for the city.
City of Portsmouth College hosted a hustings on Friday at which students were given the opportunity to question candidates ahead of Portsmouth City Council’s local elections on May 7.
The event, hosted by politics lecturer Steve Fitzgerald, featured candidates representing Labour, the Green Party, Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats. One question asked whether immigration was beneficial to Portsmouth.
Jay Mercer, standing in St Thomas ward for the Green Party, replied: “Yes – for the simple reason that we need it”.
“It’s a simple matter of demographics in the sense of we don’t have enough of people in the workforce in certain industries.
“It’s an essential matter of how our economy is structured how our economy is structured and it’s a good thing when they do.
“It’s about making a better world for everyone and we can’t that if we’re up a ladder or putting up walls and pushing out our neighbours – we need to be welcoming to people.”
Matthew Holland, Labour candidate for Drayton and Farlington, said he was “brought up on the belief that Englishness and Britishness was about tolerance, respect and celebrating diversity.”
He said he recently met a Kurdish community group in Portsmouth through his work, adding “it was so amazing to hear their experience and what they bring to the table”.
He agreed with Mercer’s point about the workforce, adding “we need immigrants to be the workforce to care for people in my grandmas generation”.
Joe Standen, Reform UK incumbent candidate for Paulsgrove and leader of the opposition on the council, said: “This will blow your mind, i categorically agree with what these two have said so far.
“I do think that immigration is a good thing for Portsmouth, and for the UK, it would be impossible to function without it.
“What i don’t think is good for the country is illegal immigration, letting unvetted, undocumented people into the country that we don’t know anything about is an issue.
“We wouldn’t be able to do anything without people coming here to help us but i feel like a good diverse community only works if everyone contributes to it.”
He suggested that asylum seekers who cross the English Channel in small boats should be detained, arguing that “if someone broke into your house, would you let them use your spare room or would you call the police”.
Mercer criticised the analogy, describing it as “simplistic” and not reflective of “how the country is run”.
In response, Standen said: “Great Britain is my home - end of story.”
Steve Pitt, council leader and Liberal Democrat candidate for Milton, said the immigration debate in the UK is “divisive, bitter and nasty and it’s not who we are”.
He added the country would be “on its arse” without immigration, asking the audience to “imagine” if the NHS did not have immigrant workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He agreed that small boat crossings are an issue, saying he does not want people to “risk their lives on the channel”, and noting many have used the last of their money to make the journey.
He said the debate often turns into a discussion about religion and argued that people without an understanding of other cultures should “shut up and stop talking about this debate because you really need to understand other people to do this”.
He acknowledged that France is a safe country, but said many people travel to the UK due to language, healthcare opportunities and family reunification.
Another questions asked whether there are other cultures across the world incompatible with “western liberalism”.
In response Jay Mercer rejected the notion that “culture is inherently anything” and that people are “inherently anything”.
Mercer acknowledged that “people will operate in many different ways based on the way they’re raised but it doesn’t mean we can’t change”.
Matthew Holland agreed, arguing that “no one should have a generalised view of what one specific culture is”.
The Portsmouth City Council local elections will take place on May 7. One seat in all of the city’s 14 wards is being contested.