Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under increasing pressure from within his party after his remarks on immigration sparked accusations of pandering to right-wing rhetoric.
The controversy has been further inflamed by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who openly mocked the prime minister for “learning a great deal” from his party’s hardline stance.
The backlash stems from Starmer’s recent statement warning that the United Kingdom risks becoming an “island of strangers” due to current migration levels. The phrase drew immediate comparisons to Enoch Powell’s infamous 1968 “rivers of blood” speech, which projected a Britain where white citizens would feel “strangers in their own country.”
“We at Reform — a party that is alive and kicking — very much enjoyed your speech on Monday. You seem to be learning a great deal from us.”
Nigel Farage
He also urged the prime minister to “go further” in implementing stricter migration reforms.
However, not all reactions were humorous. Speaking during Prime Minister’s Questions, Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville-Roberts questioned Starmer’s change in tone, referencing his past language that emphasized “compassion and dignity” toward migrants. “Is there any belief he holds that survives more than a week in Downing Street?” she asked pointedly.
Many observers, including political analysts and opposition MPs, believe Labour’s pivot is an attempt to counter Reform UK’s growing influence. But Starmer dismissed the suggestion, asserting that his proposed reforms are not politically motivated but introduced because “it was the right thing to do.”
Labour Faces Backlash Over Immigration Stance
The row comes as Reform UK released projections based on recent local election data, suggesting that numerous Labour and Conservative MPs could lose their seats to the surging party. The list includes high-profile names such as Labour’s energy secretary Ed Miliband in Doncaster North and Dover MP Mike Tapp. Even Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle could face defeat in Chorley, according to Reform.
On the Tory side, the analysis points to potential losses for shadow environment secretary Victoria Atkins and shadow chancellor Mel Stride. The data underpins growing anxiety within both major parties about Reform’s rising traction among voters.
Yet within Labour ranks, the discontent is palpable. Senior backbencher Clive Lewis criticized the prime minister’s language, saying it “doesn’t just alienate communities, it drives people away from our country altogether.” He warned that aligning too closely with Farage’s rhetoric could cost Labour more progressive supporters than it gains from the right.
“If those at the top think this is a clever tactic to win another five years by rolling out the red carpet for Nigel Farage, they’re mistaken.”
Clive Lewis
MP Nadia Whittome joined the chorus of criticism, labeling Starmer’s comments as “shameful and dangerous,” and accusing him of “mimicking the scaremongering of the far right.” Similarly, Sheffield Hallam MP Olivia Blake expressed concern that such rhetoric could “risk legitimising the same far-right violence we saw in last year’s summer riots.”
Cabinet minister Pat McFadden, however, dismissed the criticism as exaggerated. Defending the prime minister’s comments, McFadden said the outrage was “way overblown.” When asked whether he would use similar language himself, he responded: “It depends on the context.”
“I mean, I might, because what the prime minister was talking about was, we need a society with rules. We need a society with responsibilities and obligations. And that’s absolutely right. We all believe in that.”
Pat McFadden
In a final statement on the matter, Starmer’s official spokesman confirmed on Tuesday that the prime minister stands by his words and rejects any parallels drawn between his remarks and those of Enoch Powell.
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