Tory MPs furious after immigration brings record rise in UK population

Net migration boosted the UK population by a record 745,000 in the year to December 2022, fuelled in part by a surge in overseas professionals arriving to work in the NHS and care homes and prompting a furious response from rightwing Conservatives.

- Patrick Butler , Peter Walker

Amid signs No 10 might consider tightening guidelines on what has become a totemic issue for some Tory MPs, one group of backbenchers said a failure to deliver on the manifesto pledge to reduce net migration could prove “existential” for the party.

Labour accused the government of “utter failure” over its stewardship of immigration and the economy, as figures showed a record numbers of asylum seekers in hotels and big increases in visas being issued to skilled workers.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the 745,000 figure for the year to December 2022 replaced a previous estimate of 606,000 after revisions were made to reflect “unexpected patterns” in migrant behaviour.

ONS data for the year to June 2023 shows a lower net migration figure of 672,000. Though this was a year-on-year increase of 65,000 from the previous time period, it has led to speculation that net migration may be on a downward trend, though the ONS said it was too early to tell.