Britain is set to become Europe’s most crowded country by the end of the century because MPs are failing to tackle immigration, a cross-party Lords report has warned.
Seven in ten people also believe the Government has zero plans for population growth, according to a report by Conservative peer Robin Hodgson and Blue Labour grandee Maurice Glasman.
The pair have called for a new independent Office for Demographic Change amid concerns the UK population could increase by a quarter in just 75 years.
The UK population has grown by 9.2 million in the last 25 years, which the report claims is "the most absolute rapid increase in our nation’s history".
Basting politicians who have been “kicking the can down the road”, Lord Hodgson said: “ If we don’t start putting plans in place now, the problems we face later will be far harder to solve."
Housing and public services risk being strained because of the growing number of Britons, the report warns.
They also raise concerns over the impact growth will have on wages, the environment and social order.
The UK's population is currently around 68 million, making it among the 25 most populous countries in the world.
It comes as UN figures show the UK’s population is to rise faster than any major EU country.
While birth rates have been declining, increased life expectancy and net migration are contributing to overall population growth.
Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, net migration added around 200,000 people to the population each year, figures from the Office for National Statistics show.
Immigration has disfigured our public debates
Lord Hodgson and Glasman warns: "The ONS population projections published in January 2024 forecast a UK population of 77.9 million by 2045.
“United Nations projections suggest continuing growth, predicting that the UK population could reach more than 86 million by 2100, making the UK the most populous country in Europe."
Polling reveals more than a fifth (22 per cent) of voters think Reform UK is better at tackling population pressures, with Labour trailing on 10 per cent and Tories on 7 per cent.
Lord Glasman urged the mainstream parties to face the issue, declaring: "Issues of demography and immigration have disfigured our public debates for too long.
“The general public is clearly looking for ways to address these challenges."
