Panicking Starmer admits mass immigration risks making Britain an 'island of strangers' as he tries to head off Reform surge - but STILL won't put a cap on numbers
Keir Starmer claims he pledges to end the 'betrayal' of Britain's reliance on cheap foreign labour, hiking skills thresholds and toughening rules on fluency in English
Keir Starmer admitted mass immigration risks making Britain an 'island of strangers' today as he scrambles to blunt the threat from Reform. The PM deployed the 'take back control' Brexit slogan at a press conference in Downing Street as he pledged to end the 'betrayal' of reliance on cheap foreign labour.
Sir Keir accused the Tories of overseeing an explosion in numbers while in power, saying the system seemed 'designed to permit abuse' and was 'contributing to the forces that are slowly pulling our country apart'. He said he would give Brits what they had 'asked for time and time again' and 'significantly' reduce legal inflows. The Home Office estimates the government's package will bring down annual inflows by around 100,000.
In a pivotal moment, he also rejected the Treasury orthodoxy that high immigration drives growth - pointing out the economy has stagnated in recent years. Under the blueprint, skills thresholds will be hiked and rules on fluency in English toughened. Migrants will also be required to wait 10 years for citizenship rather than the current five, and face deportation for even lower-level crimes.
However, doubts have been raised about whether the White Paper proposals will have a big enough impact - as it does not include any targets or the hard annual cap being demanded by critics. Sir Keir underlined his determination that the changes will mean 'migration numbers fall' but added: 'If we do need to take further steps... then mark my words we will.' He refused to guarantee that net migration will fall every year from now, saying: 'I do want to get it down by the end of this Parliament significantly.'
The premier said: 'Let me put it this way, nations depend on rules, fair rules. Sometimes they're written down, often they're not, but either way, they give shape to our values, guide us towards our rights, of course, but also our responsibilities, the obligations we owe to each other. 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.'
[Source: Daily Mail]
