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He adds: “It's also the case that attitudes to immigration, particularly among politicians, is also different because Scotland faces a particularly difficult demographic timebomb - there are more politicians who are likely to argue that Scotland needs immigration.”

The conventional wisdom among political strategists has long been that the Republican party, whose supporters are disproportionately white, faces a demographic timebomb as the US electorate diversifies.

A second factor is the demographic timebomb in advanced economies.

“Metaphors such as ‘grey tsunami’, ‘demographic cliff’ and ‘demographic timebomb’ present old age in terms of crisis,” it said, “reflecting a perception of old age and the ‘baby boomer’ generation as a societal burden.”

Researchers warn of a demographic timebomb, with a dwindling workforce unable to pay the healthcare bills of the elderly, but after four decades, the policy adjustments could prove too little too late.