Why Starmer is All Smoke and Mirrors on Immigration, By Richard Miller (Londonistan)
Keir Starmer's recent immigration pledge seems less like a genuine commitment to addressing Britain's immigration woes and more like a tactical move to stave off the rising popularity of populist parties such as Reform UK. While Starmer's Labour Party has long embraced pro-immigration rhetoric, the recent shift in his stance on immigration reform appears to be a reaction to the mounting pressure from Reform UK, which has capitalised on growing dissatisfaction with the status quo. Far from signalling a major policy change, Starmer's promise represents little more than a token gesture designed to placate populist sentiments and divert attention from the real solutions that are demanded by the British public.
Starmer's white paper on immigration, which promises to reduce net migration by the end of the current parliamentary term, includes proposals such as raising skill and language requirements for migrants and linking visa access to investment in British workers. While these measures may sound impressive in theory, they fall far short of addressing the deep-seated concerns of the British people about unchecked immigration. Even the estimated reduction of net migration by 100,000 people annually by 2029, while good, is negligible compared to the scale of the immigration crisis that the UK faces. After all, net migration into the UK exceeded 1.2 million in 2023 alone, meaning that a reduction of 100,000 represents a drop in the ocean, and hardly addresses the underlying issue.
Starmer's move to adopt tougher rhetoric on immigration and the supposed shift toward a more controlled system is, in many ways, an attempt to neutralise the growing support for populist alternatives like Reform UK. The rising popularity of Reform UK, particularly under the leadership of Nigel Farage, shows that the British electorate is increasingly dissatisfied with the failure of the main political parties to tackle the issue of immigration effectively. Farage's party offers a bold alternative: leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and taking a much stronger stance on deporting illegal migrants. This no-nonsense approach is in stark contrast to Starmer's piecemeal and largely symbolic policy proposals.
Critics, including Farage, have quickly dismissed Starmer's immigration plan as "tokenism." Farage, for instance, pointed out that Starmer's current position is hypocritical, given that in the past, the Labour leader advocated for the benefits of free movement and open borders. This shift, Farage argues, is nothing more than a desperate attempt to fend off populist forces, rather than a sincere commitment to solving the immigration crisis. The fact that Starmer's policies barely scratch the surface of what is required to make a meaningful impact on immigration only strengthens the argument that his pledge is little more than a political manoeuvre aimed at deflecting attention from the real issue.
Polling data suggests that the British public has little faith in Starmer's ability to effectively manage immigration. YouGov's latest tracker poll reveals that 47% of the public believes immigration has been detrimental to the UK, while only 19% think it has had a positive impact. This growing discontent with immigration policy is exactly what Reform UK seeks to exploit, positioning itself as the party best suited to handle the issue. Reform UK's rise is evidence of the public's desire for a party that will take a more assertive stance on immigration and border control. In contrast, Starmer's cautious approach, laden with bureaucratic solutions and promises of minor reductions, is unlikely to resonate with voters who demand more decisive action.
Moreover, Starmer's new stance on immigration is clearly a response to the fact that the Conservative Party, too, has failed to deliver on its promises of reducing immigration. The rhetoric of reducing net migration to the "tens of thousands" has been repeated for over a decade, yet the numbers have continued to rise. This failure has created a political vacuum that populist parties like Reform UK have filled. Starmer's attempt to adopt stronger language on immigration is clearly an effort to blunt the appeal of these populist movements and to avoid further alienating voters who feel betrayed by politicians who make empty promises.
In the final analysis, Starmer's immigration pledge is not a true shift in policy, but rather a political strategy to safeguard Labour's position and fend off challenges from populist parties like Reform UK. The reality is that the public is demanding more than vague promises and incremental reductions. They want a complete overhaul of immigration policy, one that values national interests, respects the will of the people, and ensures the integrity of the UK's borders. If Starmer truly wanted to address the immigration issue, he would embrace more robust measures, such as those proposed by Reform UK, rather than offering more of the same watered-down rhetoric that has failed to deliver in the past. Until then, his immigration pledge will be seen for what it is: a hollow attempt to take the steam off Reform UK's gains, rather than a genuine commitment to solving the country's immigration crisis.
"In response to growing electoral pressure from Reform UK and off the back of less-than-impressive local election results, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has vowed to finally radically reform Britain's immigration system — but was accused of parroting right-wing rhetoric in a desperate attempt to stave off the populists.
At a press conference on Monday, the Labour leader outlined the details of a white paper designed to reduce net migration by the end of this parliamentary term in 2029.
It is worth noting that practically every British government in power this century has made such a pledge, yet net migration continues to run at astronomical levels compared to those witnessed prior to Tony Blair's arrival in Downing Street back in 1997.
Starmer slammed the previous Conservative administration for further opening Britain's borders despite vowing to do the opposite.
"In 2023, [net migration] reached nearly 1 million, which is about the population of Birmingham, our second largest city. That's not control – it's chaos," he said.
Of course, net migration running at 1 million actually means the number of people coming to Britain every year is even higher — actual immigration into Britain exceeded 1.2 million in 2023, as cited by the House of Commons Library.
"Nations depend on rules – fair rules," Starmer continued. "Sometimes they're written down, often they're not, but either way, they give shape to our values. They guide us towards our rights, of course, but also our responsibilities, the obligations we owe to one another. Now, in a diverse nation like ours, and I celebrate that, these rules become even more important. Without them, we risk becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together."
The "island of strangers" line was picked up among both the right and left-wing press, striking a resemblance to a line once used by one Enoch Powell, a British nationalist and former Conservative government minister who was revered by many on the right (and berated by many on the left) for warning about the dire consequences mass immigration would bring to Britain.
Speaking about mass immigration in his famous 'Rivers of Blood' speech in 1968, Powell said,
For reasons which they could not comprehend, and in pursuance of a decision by default, on which they were never consulted, they found themselves made strangers in their own country.
Naturally, left-wing commentators in Britain — many of whom joined the Labour party under far-left leader Jeremy Corbyn but who have now grown tired of what they call Starmer's "Red Tory" policies — noted the similarities between Powell and Starmer's language.
Corbyn's former right-hand man, John McDonnell, led the charge in attacking the Labour prime minister for "reflecting the language" of Powell, while Labour backbench MP Olivia Blake claimed the use of such a phrase could "risk legitimizing the same far-right violence we saw in last year's summer riots."
Those "riots," of course, were instigated by the brutal murder of several young girls who were stabbed to death by the son of Rwandan immigrants, Axel Rudakubana, while they attended a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, north-west England.
On Tuesday, Starmer's official spokesperson "completely rejected" the comparison drawn in the speeches, insisting the prime minister "absolutely stands behind the argument he was making that migrants make a massive contribution to our country, but migration needs to be controlled."
So, how exactly does Starmer plan to reform Britain's immigration policy? Well, the white paper proposes raising skill and English language requirements, extending the timeline for settled status from five to ten years, and introducing stricter enforcement.
The goal, it says, is to prioritize migrants who contribute economically, reduce pressure on housing and public services, and ensure immigration serves the national interest. The system will link visa access to investment in British workers, making settlement a privilege earned through contribution.
The U.K. Home Office estimated the policies could lead to a 100,000 drop in net migration per year by 2029 — which frankly, is a drop in the ocean to what the British people expect when they talk about lowering immigration.
For reference, the former Conservative administration under David Cameron talked about decreasing net migration to the "tens of thousands" for over a decade, while the party's time in government actually saw it rise to nearly 1 million.
The reality is that, even if Starmer was serious about measures to mildly reduce net migration, the figure would still be running at unsustainable levels and be wholly unacceptable to the vast majority of Brits who want genuine reform on the issue.
YouGov's tracker poll on whether immigration into the U.K. has been good or bad for the country over the past decade — last updated in April — shows 47 percent believe it has been bad compared to 19 percent who think it has been good. That 47 percent is the highest 'bad' has been since the tracker started in 2019.
And this sentiment is what Reform UK is looking to exploit. The party's populist leader, Nigel Farage, immediately dismissed Starmer's speech as a token gesture that he not only cannot deliver, but deep down has no desire to deliver.
Taking to X, Farage posted a video of Starmer from his time in opposition, where he called upon Labour to make the case for the "benefits of migration and the benefits of free movement," also known as open borders.
The Reform UK leader called Starmer a "hypocrite," and insisted his government would not do what it takes to control Britain's borders.
"Only Reform UK will leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and deport illegal migrants," Farage added.
In the minds of the British public, Farage's party is best placed to tackle mass immigration, with 27 percent of respondents to a YouGov poll published yesterday backing Reform UK to handle the issue effectively — nearly three times more than the 10 percent that trusts Labour.
However, after years of mistruths and Brits witnessing the direct opposite of what they were promised by elected politicians on the matter, huge skepticism exists among the people — nearly half of all respondents believe that either no party can handle the issue well, or do not know who can do so."
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