And we’re supposed to trust this gang of liars?
Keir Starmer is trying to reinvent Labour as the party of border control, unveiling his long-trailed immigration white paper this morning, warning of Britain becoming an “island of strangers.” It might be worth dusting off the archives and seeing what Starmer’s cabinet ministers used to say about immigration:
Keir Starmer: In 2020 promised to have an “immigration system based on compassion and dignity. End indefinite detention and call for the closure of centres such as Yarl’s Wood.”
Said in 2015 that Tory legislation to make it a criminal offence to rent accommodation to illegal immigrants promoted “everyday racism.”
Starmer authored a review of ‘Immigration Law and Practice’ in 1988 in which he argued that all immigration law is “racist.”
Yvette Cooper: In 2015 wanted every city town and borough to take 10 refugee families.
In 2015 held up a sign saying ‘refugees welcome’ and said the Government needed to do more to help refugees.
Pat McFadden: In 2018 said “immigration debates dehumanise people” and that it “makes no sense for us to be so focussed on immigration caps and quotas that the NHS cannot employ the qualified doctors we need.”
Angela Rayner: In 2021 slammed arguments for the NHS to be less reliant on migration, saying “Our NHS would collapse without the staff who were born overseas…NHS staff [don’t deserve] this cheap xenophobia.”
David Lammy: In 2018 said: “All the evidence shows both EU and non-EU migrants are hugely beneficial to the UK. Almost every politician knows this, but many are afraid to tell the truth.”
Bridget Phillipson: In 2023 attacked Tory plans to lower student migration numbers.
Liz Kendall: In 2020 slammed proposals for a point-based immigration system and salary thresholds, saying they had “terrible implications for social care” that is “already stretched to breaking point & these proposals will only increase pressure”. In 2019 she also said “Immigration brings a significant net economic benefit to UK.”
Shabana Mahmood: In 2015 slammed the Tories immigration bill over the impact on “asylum seekers at risk of destitution”. Pictured with a sign saying “Refugees welcome here” outside of Parliament.
Jonathan Reynolds: In 2017 spoke of his “fear” that “large numbers want immigration reduced without any link to economic context or labour market needs.”
Lisa Nandy: In 2020 said: “We can’t play dog whistle politics. Labour should never have committed to ending free movement alongside the Tories. We have to listen & make the case for our values- but we must understand why the anti-immigration narrative takes hold & how we can respond.”
Meanwhile, Starmer is gearing up to allow tens of thousands of EU workers into Britain by signing up to an EU-UK youth mobility scheme. So far Labour’s ‘crackdown’ on migration has seen small boat crossings increase by over 40% higher than the figure for this time last year. Still no commitment to a cap on net migration either…
This post has been edited by Mr Mercury: Today, 08:12 PM
East stand second class citizen.