{"id":308692,"date":"2025-05-15T06:38:05","date_gmt":"2025-05-15T06:38:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/?p=308692"},"modified":"2025-05-17T06:55:11","modified_gmt":"2025-05-17T06:55:11","slug":"keir-starmers-immigration-pledge-is-nothing-more-than-a-token-gesture-to-stave-off-the-populists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/?p=308692","title":{"rendered":"Keir Starmer\u2019s immigration pledge is nothing more than a token gesture to stave off the populists"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Thomas Brooke \u2013 Remix News May 13, 2025<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p>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\u2019s immigration system \u2014 but was accused of parroting right-wing rhetoric in a desperate attempt to stave off the populists.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019s arrival in Downing Street back in 1997.<\/p>\n<p>Starmer slammed the previous Conservative administration for further opening Britain\u2019s borders despite vowing to do the opposite.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn 2023, [net migration] reached nearly 1 million, which is about the population of Birmingham, our second largest city. That\u2019s not control \u2013 it\u2019s chaos,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/speeches\/pm-remarks-at-immigration-white-paper-press-conference-12-may-2025\">he said<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">This is my promise to British people:<\/p>\n<p>Every area of our immigration system will be tightened up, so we have more control.<\/p>\n<p>And migration numbers will fall. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/iw5CnjxDUG\">pic.twitter.com\/iw5CnjxDUG<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Keir_Starmer\/status\/1922242869433188861?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 13, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Of course, net migration running at 1 million actually means the number of people coming to Britain every year is even higher \u2014 actual immigration into Britain exceeded 1.2 million in 2023, as cited by the <a href=\"https:\/\/commonslibrary.parliament.uk\/research-briefings\/sn06077\/\">House of Commons Library<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNations depend on rules \u2013 fair rules,\u201d Starmer continued. \u201cSometimes they\u2019re written down, often they\u2019re 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The \u201cisland of strangers\u201d 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.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking about mass immigration in his famous \u2018Rivers of Blood\u2019 speech in 1968, Powell said,<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">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.<\/p>\n<p>Naturally, left-wing commentators in Britain \u2014 many of whom joined the Labour party under far-left leader Jeremy Corbyn but who have now grown tired of what they call Starmer\u2019s \u201cRed Tory\u201d policies \u2014 noted the similarities between Powell and Starmer\u2019s language.<\/p>\n<p>Corbyn\u2019s former right-hand man, John McDonnell, led the charge in attacking the Labour prime minister for \u201creflecting the language\u201d of Powell, while Labour backbench MP Olivia Blake claimed the use of such a phrase could \u201crisk legitimizing the same far-right violence we saw in last year\u2019s summer riots.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Those \u201criots,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Britons-want-immigration-reduced.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wpa-warning wpa-image-missing-alt aligncenter wp-image-308695\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Britons-want-immigration-reduced.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"419\" data-warning=\"Missing alt text\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Britons-want-immigration-reduced.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Britons-want-immigration-reduced-480x287.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 700px, 100vw\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>On Tuesday, Starmer\u2019s official spokesperson \u201ccompletely rejected\u201d the comparison drawn in the speeches, insisting the prime minister \u201cabsolutely stands behind the argument he was making that migrants make a massive contribution to our country, but migration needs to be controlled.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So, how exactly does Starmer plan to reform Britain\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>The U.K. Home Office estimated the policies could lead to a 100,000 drop in net migration per year by 2029 \u2014 which frankly, is a drop in the ocean to what the British people expect when they talk about lowering immigration.<\/p>\n<p>For reference, the former Conservative administration under David Cameron talked about decreasing net migration to the \u201ctens of thousands\u201d for over a decade, while the party\u2019s time in government actually saw it rise to nearly 1 million.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>YouGov\u2019s tracker poll on whether immigration into the U.K. has been good or bad for the country over the past decade \u2014 last updated in April \u2014 shows 47 percent believe it has been bad compared to 19 percent who think it has been good. That 47 percent is the highest \u2018bad\u2019 has been since the tracker started in 2019.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wpa-warning wpa-image-missing-alt aligncenter size-full wp-image-308696\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/immigration-into-uk-past-10-years.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"316\" data-warning=\"Missing alt text\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/immigration-into-uk-past-10-years.png 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/immigration-into-uk-past-10-years-480x217.png 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 700px, 100vw\" \/><\/div>\n<p>And this sentiment is what Reform UK is looking to exploit. The party\u2019s populist leader, Nigel Farage, immediately dismissed Starmer\u2019s speech as a token gesture that he not only cannot deliver, but deep down has no desire to deliver.<\/p>\n<p>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 \u201cbenefits of migration and the benefits of free movement,\u201d also known as open borders.<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Starmer is a hypocrite who believes in open borders.<\/p>\n<p>Here he is making the case for freedom of movement just a few years ago.<\/p>\n<p>Nobody believes a word he says. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/D2JBUxT740\">pic.twitter.com\/D2JBUxT740<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Nigel_Farage\/status\/1921899717786587272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 12, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Reform UK leader called Starmer a \u201chypocrite,\u201d and insisted his government would not do what it takes to control Britain\u2019s borders.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnly Reform UK will leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and deport illegal migrants,\u201d Farage added.<\/p>\n<p>In the minds of the British public, Farage\u2019s 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 \u2014 nearly three times more than the 10 percent that trusts Labour.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wpa-warning wpa-image-missing-alt aligncenter size-full wp-image-308697\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/image-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"648\" height=\"738\" data-warning=\"Missing alt text\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/image-1.png 648w, https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/image-1-480x547.png 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 648px, 100vw\" \/><\/div>\n<p>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 \u2014 nearly half of all respondents believe that either no party can handle the issue well, or do not know who can do so.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/rmx.news\/article\/keir-starmers-immigration-pledge-is-nothing-more-than-a-token-gesture-to-stave-off-the-populists\/\">Source\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With net migration into Britain still running at near-record highs, shaving 100,000 off the figure will do little to address the genuine concerns felt by a majority of Brits<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39262,"featured_media":288791,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[97],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-308692","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-european-migrant-crisis"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308692","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/39262"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=308692"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308692\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":308699,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308692\/revisions\/308699"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/288791"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=308692"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=308692"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=308692"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}