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Emigration and immigration

Keir Starmer's Immigration Con: A Dance of Flip-Flops and Empty Promises

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Keir Starmer, the Labour Party leader, has been vocal about reducing immigration, but his words have been met with skepticism due to his past stance on the issue. Despite his recent claims to want to control immigration, Starmer's actions and policies suggest a continuation of the open-borders approach that has plagued the UK for years. His party's immigration policies are focused on rhetoric, not actual reform, and his commitment to reducing immigration seems lacking.

Key Takeaways:

  • Starmer has a history of opposing measures to reduce immigration, including processing arrivals offshore and deterring illegal migration.
  • He has voted against almost every attempt to control immigration, instead focusing on defending migrants' rights and making a "positive case" for immigration.
  • Starmer's government is planning to relax family reunion rules, allowing for the reunification of asylum seekers with up to 27 relatives, which could lead to a significant increase in net migration.
  • The Labour leader's approach to immigration is "welcoming and compassionate," but critics argue it is soft, deluded, and catastrophic for national security and community cohesion.
  • The Tories' new Deportations Bill, which includes provisions for the removal of all foreign criminals and mandatory age checks, is a step in the right direction but falls short of truly controlling immigration.
  • The Prime Minister's new measures on immigration, such as tinkering with the length of time foreign students can stay and reducing work visas, are paltry and unlikely to deliver a significant reduction in net migration.
  • The Centre for Policy Studies estimates that Labour's immigration policy could lead to between 200,000 and 300,000 immigrants per annum, which is still a high number.
  • The Office for National Statistics predicts that net migration will settle at 340,000 from 2028, but some experts suggest the actual number could be almost 500,000.
  • Reform UK's policy of "net zero immigration" and deporting all illegal arrivals is gaining traction, with the party scoring 33% in a recent poll.

Statistics:

  • 1 million migrants were admitted to the UK in the 12 months following the Brexit referendum.
  • 340,000 is the predicted net migration figure for 2028, according to the Office for National Statistics.
  • Between 200,000 and 300,000 immigrants per annum is the Centre for Policy Studies' estimate of Labour's policy.
  • 500,000 is a rough estimate of the actual net migration figure, given the number of people staying longer in the UK.
  • 33% is the proportion of people who voted for Reform UK in a recent poll.

Sources:

  • Allison Pearson, "Does Keir Starmer really want to reduce immigration?", The Telegraph
  • The Centre for Policy Studies, "Immigration and the economy"
  • The Office for National Statistics, "Migration to the UK: July to September 2022"
  • Reform UK, "Net zero immigration policy"

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