So where does the lazy media consensus that migration overall is unpopular come from? Largely the misperception (driven by lazy/malicious media coverage) that asylum/irregular migration numbers are *much* higher than they really are.

As Heather argues: "These public preferences give the government the opportunity to break with the ‘brightest and best’ approach of the previous administration, and shape migration for work in ways that meet the needs of public services, employers and economy"

Pretty much every doorstep conversation on this includes a variant of "I don't mind the ones who are working and paying their tax".