“On immigration, Karen says Rochdale is at the “end of its tether”. Simon adds: “The liberal intelligentsia, this north London liberal elite, don’t have to live with the problem. Proportionally there are more asylum seekers in Rochdale than in London.”
The reason people should listen to them, they say, whether it is on child abuse or the problems of welfare, is that their views come from experience. “If my mum had been forced to work and not live her life as a single parent on benefits, she would have had a job and friends and a better life, which would have benefited me,” Karen says.
And immigration? A rich country like the UK should take in asylum seekers and economic migrants, Simon argues. But Rochdale’s cheap housing makes it a magnet. “I do feel that the strains and stresses being put on a relatively small town is unfair. It is all about fairness.” ”
We’ll keep telling it like it is on welfare, immigration and the liberal elite
Out of a population of 8,173,941 in London in 2011, 63% or 5,175,677 stated their country of birth as the United Kingdom (see first table).
Out of a population of 211,699 in Rochdale in 2011, 89% or 188,102 stated their country of birth as the United Kingdom (see second table).
See next post for details of the non-UK born short-term residents in both areas in 2011.
Country of Birth by Sex (2011 Census)
| Date | 2011 |
| Geography | London |
| All persons | Males | Females | |
| All categories: Country of birth | 8,173,941 | 4,033,289 | 4,140,652 |
| Europe: Total | 6,174,371 | 3,063,095 | 3,111,276 |
| Europe: United Kingdom: Total | 5,175,677 | 2,589,406 | 2,586,271 |
| Europe: United Kingdom: England | 4,997,072 | 2,496,875 | 2,500,197 |
| Europe: United Kingdom: Northern Ireland | 32,774 | 16,847 | 15,927 |
| Europe: United Kingdom: Scotland | 89,527 | 47,279 | 42,248 |
| Europe: United Kingdom: Wales | 53,828 | 27,045 | 26,783 |
| Europe: United Kingdom: Great Britain not otherwise specified | 544 | 275 | 269 |
| Europe: United Kingdom: United Kingdom not otherwise specified | 1,932 | 1,085 | 847 |
| Europe: Ireland | 129,807 | 59,884 | 69,923 |
| Europe: Other Europe: Total | 868,887 | 413,805 | 455,082 |
| Europe: Other Europe: EU countries: Total | 711,133 | 338,198 | 372,935 |
| Europe: Other Europe: EU countries: Member countries in March 2001 | 341,981 | 163,032 | 178,949 |
| Europe: Other Europe: EU countries: Accession countries April 2001 to March 2011 | 369,152 | 175,166 | 193,986 |
| Europe: Other Europe: Rest of Europe | 157,754 | 75,607 | 82,147 |
| Africa | 621,613 | 295,781 | 325,832 |
| Middle East and Asia | 966,990 | 490,027 | 476,963 |
| The Americas and the Caribbean | 326,280 | 143,476 | 182,804 |
| Antarctica, Oceania (including Australasia) and other | 84,687 | 40,910 | 43,777 |
In order to protect against disclosure of personal information, records have been swapped between different geographic areas. Some counts will be affected, particularly small counts at the lowest geographies.
Country of Birth by Sex (Census 2011)
Units: Persons
| Date | 2011 |
| Geography | Rochdale |
| All persons | Males | Females | |
| All categories: Country of birth | 211,699 | 103,642 | 108,057 |
| Europe: Total | 194,495 | 95,069 | 99,426 |
| Europe: United Kingdom: Total | 188,102 | 92,029 | 96,073 |
| Europe: United Kingdom: England | 184,354 | 90,231 | 94,123 |
| Europe: United Kingdom: Northern Ireland | 886 | 423 | 463 |
| Europe: United Kingdom: Scotland | 1,929 | 918 | 1,011 |
| Europe: United Kingdom: Wales | 915 | 449 | 466 |
| Europe: United Kingdom: Great Britain not otherwise specified | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| Europe: United Kingdom: United Kingdom not otherwise specified | 14 | 5 | 9 |
| Europe: Ireland | 1,852 | 825 | 1,027 |
| Europe: Other Europe: Total | 4,541 | 2,215 | 2,326 |
| Europe: Other Europe: EU countries: Total | 4,161 | 2,037 | 2,124 |
| Europe: Other Europe: EU countries: Member countries in March 2001 | 1,447 | 672 | 775 |
| Europe: Other Europe: EU countries: Accession countries April 2001 to March 2011 | 2,714 | 1,365 | 1,349 |
| Europe: Other Europe: Rest of Europe | 380 | 178 | 202 |
| Africa | 2,654 | 1,319 | 1,335 |
| Middle East and Asia | 13,883 | 6,901 | 6,982 |
| The Americas and the Caribbean | 497 | 252 | 245 |
| Antarctica, Oceania (including Australasia) and other | 170 | 101 | 69 |
The ramblings of a former DWP Civil Servant ... 