With his attack on immigration, John Lydon has ditched anarchy for something even darker

The former Sex Pistols’ frontman believes migrants are causing anarchy in the UK. But, as Roisin O’Connor says, we have all benefitted from refugees in so many ways – and, before shouting off his famously loud mouth, Lydon ought to remember his own heritage…

Former Sex Pistol John Lydon told LBC listeners that ‘prospective immigrants’ arriving in the UK’s seaside towns had created ‘animosity’ (Getty / iStock)

There’s anarchy in the UK – but, according to former Sex Pistol John Lydon, it’s immigration that’s to blame.

The man formerly known as Johnny Rotten was once a voice of the anti-establishment who, along with his punk band, rose to chaotic fame (or notoriety, depending on how you feel about the Pistols) in the mid-Seventies. Now, though, it seems you’re more likely to see him serving as a mouthpiece for the most controversial figures in British politics, who are in turn desperate to find a scapegoat for their own failures.

And there are many. As the 68-year-old whinged on LBC about the demise of once-bustling seaside towns around the UK, where he is soon to embark on a tour with his band, Public Image Limited, Lydon seemed blithely unaware of the devastation Brexit – which he still supports – has wrought on this country. A report in January found that leaving the EU has already cost the UK £140bn, a figure projected to increase to £300bn in the next 10 years.