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Politics
Jun 21, 2026
Analyzed by GPT OSS 120B

Leave‑Voting Areas See Faster Growth in Foreign Workers Since Brexit

AI Summary
A Guardian analysis finds that constituencies that voted to leave the EU have experienced a faster relative rise in non‑UK workers since the 2016 referendum, while simultaneously falling behind on health, housing and crime deprivation measures. The dual trend highlights growing political and economic divides across the UK.

Leave‑voting areas have experienced a faster relative increase in foreign workers since the Brexit referendum, according to a Guardian investigation that links the trend to widening deprivation in those constituencies.

The Surge in Foreign Workers in Leave‑Voting Constituencies

  • Pay As You Earn data shows non‑UK workers grew most quickly in strong Leave areas between 2016 and 2024.
  • Wigan’s foreign‑born payroll share rose from under 5% in June 2016 to just under 10% by December 2024.
  • Nationally, the foreign‑worker share rose about 40% over the same period.

Numbers Behind the Shift: 40% National Rise vs. Doubling in Strong Leave Areas

Migration peaked at 944,000 arrivals in the year ending March 2023, driven largely by health‑care visas, before net migration began to fall as visas expired.

In constituencies that voted heavily for Leave, the proportion of non‑UK workers more than doubled, while Remain‑voting cities, despite larger absolute gains, lagged in relative growth.

Deprivation Gap Widens as Leave Strongholds Lag Behind

Combined analysis of deprivation indices shows Leave‑voting seats such as Boston, Skegness, Hartlepool and North Warwickshire fell further behind on health, housing and crime metrics between 2015 and 2025, whereas many Remain‑voting seats (Bristol Central, Clapham, Cambridge) improved.

Menon warns the trends “should not be mistaken for cause and effect,” noting pre‑existing economic weakness in many Leave areas.

What the Trend Signals for Post‑Brexit Britain

  • Relative growth of foreign workers may make migration a more visible political issue in historically low‑migration locales.
  • Widening deprivation could fuel further political polarization around immigration and economic policy.
  • Analysts suggest that without targeted investment, the gap between Leave and Remain areas may continue to widen, influencing future electoral dynamics.