Ross Kemp's Britain, Sky 1 - TV review: A hard-hitting documentary that handled subjects sensitively

Kemp did well to present many sides of this increasingly complex issue

Daisy Wyatt
Tuesday 22 March 2016 23:21 GMT
Comments
Ross Kemp's Britain
Ross Kemp's Britain

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Beneath England's pleasant pastures green lies a parallel world of migrants living in squalor to make ends meet for their families back home. Ross Kemp's Britain saw the EastEnders star tackle the highly emotive issue of immigration. He is better spoken than his Grant Mitchell alter-ego and now wears a zip-up dad fleece – but don't let that fool you.

In this politically charged episode, Kemp touched on benefits, homelessness, “work shy” Britons and asylum-seekers. Much of the footage will play into the hands of Brexit campaigners, but Kemp did well to present many sides of this increasingly complex issue.

His main aim was to clear up misconceptions about the number of people coming to the UK. An interview with an Oxford University expert revealed immigrants make up 13 per cent of the UK population. On balance, the evidence shows the economic benefits of immigration are relatively small but probably positive.

But as an Independent reader, it's likely you already knew that. More illuminating was a drop-in clinic at a Sikh temple in London, where it emerged the Government is paying for the airfares of immigrants who want to return home. Compare that to the £15,000 cost of deporting someone, and it should pacify most Daily Mail readers.

Ross Kemp's Britain succeeded as a hard-hitting documentary that also handled the subject matter sensitively. I'm intrigued to see how the actor will treat child sexual exploitation and alcohol abuse in the weeks to come.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in