Almost half of Britons sometimes feel like a stranger in their own country – with home working and 'failures in integration' to blame.

A shock report has revealed plummeting social cohesion across the country, with half of those questioned saying they felt disconnected from society.

The survey of more than 13,000 adults was carried out just before Sir Keir Starmer provoked controversy by warning that without strict rules on migration 'we risk becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together'.

The research by pollsters More in Common, as part of a major project called This Place Matters, also found that the sense of isolation was not simply because of the UK's changing population.

Asian British people were more likely to feel like strangers in their own country (47 per cent) than white Britons (44 per cent).

And focus groups found that technology was often linked to the decline of social life.

A support worker called Ruqayyah told researchers: 'I think after the pandemic there's more of a "work from home" kind of nature which has developed, which has actually destroyed our young generation.'

A teacher called Frances said: 'In terms of communities, it's very, very easy to do everything on your phone.

The survey of more than 13,000 adults was carried out just before Sir Keir Starmer (pictured earlier this week) provoked controversy by warning that without strict rules on migration 'we risk becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together'

A shock report has revealed plummeting social cohesion across the country, with half of those questioned saying they felt disconnected from society. Pictured: File photo

Focus groups found that technology was often linked to the decline of social life. Pictured: File photo

'And it's very, very easy to then sit in your house and just send a text rather than make a phone call to somebody.

'So that sense of community that I actually remember when I was a kid, it is going.'

And a bank worker called Linzi told how working from home for three years 'really affected me', adding: 'Because you're stuck in the house and not seeing people.'

Others said they would 'just text' their friends rather than going for a coffee with them, and that since Covid they no longer socialised in pubs.

The research also found that younger Britons were less trustful of other people.

Most of those questioned believed that a person can be British regardless of their ethnic background. But the majority (73 per cent) also said more needed to be done to encourage integration between people of different backgrounds.

The PM was forced to stand by his 'island of strangers' remark after he was accused of using language similar to Enoch Powell's notorious 1968 'Rivers of Blood' speech. Mr Powell had said the native British population had 'found themselves made strangers in their own country' because of mass immigration. Downing Street said there was no comparison between the phrases.

A separate poll by YouGov found 53 per cent of people agreed with the PM's sentiment and half thought his language was 'acceptable'. The survey also found there was little confidence that the Government will reduce immigration levels.

The PM (pictured earlier this week) was forced to stand by his 'island of strangers' remark after he was accused of using language similar to Enoch Powell's notorious 1968 'Rivers of Blood' speech

Some 41 per cent said Labour policies would make 'no difference', while just one in five believe it will cut them. More in Common director Luke Tryl said: 'Above all else, this research shows an urgent need to think again about how we rebuild a united and cohesive society.

'The polling puts into sharp relief something that will come as no surprise to many Britons – a growing sense that we've turned inward, away from each other, becoming more distant and less connected.

'The Prime Minister's warning that we risk becoming an "island of strangers" resonates with millions who say they feel disconnected from those around them.

'But it would be a mistake to say that immigration and lack of integration are the sole causes of our fragmenting social fabric. The public point to a range of forces driving us apart: some cite the retreat from workplaces to screens; others talk about the loss of shared spaces and rituals that once brought us together.'