UK politicians would win swing voters with more open migration policy, study finds

Keir Starmer has set out to convince ‘red wall’ voters that he understands concerns about high levels of immigration. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak could adopt a more open approach to migration without damaging their electoral prospects, according to a study by a left-of-centre thinktank.

Data on voting intentions and attitudes to immigration examined by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) suggests that a more flexible approach would attract many more swing voters than it would repel for Labour.