There was a concerning tenor to the mass anti-immigration rallies over the weekend, one that is bleeding into the mainstream debate on housing – a nasty collision of hate and housing.

There were extreme and disruptive elements among the thousands who joined the protests, but there were also moderate people who believe they have been locked out of the housing market by several years of post-COVID, above-average immigration.

House prices rose again in August.Credit: Flavio Brancaleone

A further rise in house prices and an increase in the pace of the gain in August only stoke this fire.

Of course, it ignores all the economic positives that immigration brings, but for those struggling to get a foothold in the housing market, watching entrants from other countries buying in their street can provide enough evidence of where they feel the blame lies.

(And the anger ignores the other culprits that play a big part in the escalating price of homes: for example, the falling number of people per home, which is a major factor in the lack of housing. Another culprit is years of under-construction because of higher building........

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