Politics and Immigration in Context: Some Theoretical Notes

Abstract

Having discussed immigration patterns to the UK, we provide a more contemporary and detailed analysis of politics and immigration to the UK. This chapter therefore includes specific references to the work of Zygmunt Bauman and Slavoj Žižek who have been continually vocal in this area. Our focus will be to illuminate the discussion around the market instability and uncertainty, the failure of ‘democracy’ and the increased disillusionment of the electorate which has largely given way to the rise of the right. This allows us to factually and theoretically discuss how ideology has become increasingly important as a means of blanketing the true problems the UKgovernment faces. This will then lead us into a discussion of the way in which othering takes place on immigrant groups as a primary means of diverting public outrage from the political elite while at the same time reassuring them that there exists an ideological social hierarchy — under which sit below most, if not all, are economic migrant workers from Romania.