Keir Starmer dismisses Reform threat as PM outlines 'take back control' migration plan

Starmer said: “We will deliver what you have asked for time and again and we will take back control of our borders.

“Let me tell you why because I know on a day like today people who like politics will try to make this all about politics, about this or that strategy, targeting these voters, responding to that party.

“No. I am doing this because it is right, because it is fair and because it is what I believe in.”

Unveiling his plans to solve the migrant crisis, the Prime Minister announced that living in the UK is a privilege that must be earned, adding that Labour's new migration White Paper will reduce Britain's reliance on overseas recruitment.

Migrants will be required to wait 10 years for citizenship rather than the current five, and face deportation for even lower-level crimes.

The White Paper also hikes the skills threshold and toughens the English language requirement.

The announcement comes just days Starmer received an electoral bloody nose on May 1, losing Runcorn & Helsby as Reform UK hoovered up more than 600 councillors.

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After the Prime Minister's apparent swipe, Reform UK's deputy leader Richard Tice claimed Starmer was “listening and learning from Reform”.

Tice also argued that the Prime Minister’s announcement that the Conservative “experiment” on immigration is “over” was just “warm words” and said “the real question is, will he actually deliver?”.

Putting clear blue water between Labour's electoral struggles and today's announcement, the once-second referendum supporting Prime Minister also appeared to use the language of some of Britain's most prominent Brexiteers on five separate occasions.

Echoing Vote Leave's 2016 slogan, Starmer exclaimed: "Make no mistake, this plan means migration will fall. That is a promise. But I want to be very clear on this.

"If we do need to take further steps, if we do need to do more to release pressure on housing and our public services then mark my words, we will.”

“We will finally honour what take back control meant,” he added.

Ahead of Starmer's announcement, Farage delivered a major blow to the Prime Minister after providing a major update about the ongoing Channel crossing crisis.

The Reform UK leader said: "On the day of Keir Starmer’s big fightback against Reform UK, 250 young men are already crossing the Channel by 8am. How many are Iranian terrorists?"

Starmer's announcement also failed to address concerns about setting a net migration cap.

He said: “I am promising it will fall significantly and I do want to get it down by the end of this Parliament significantly.

“That is what this plan is intended to achieve. The complete opposite of what you saw in the last four years.”

The refusal came shortly after Philp told The Daily Mail: "Labour won't set a migration target because they know they'd blow it. When it comes to immigration, Starmer doesn't back workers, he backs down.

"Starmer is the same man who wrote letters protesting against deporting dangerous foreign criminals and has overseen the worst-ever start to a year for illegal immigrants crossing the Channel."

Despite stopping short of imposing a net migration cap, the Prime Minister promised net migration numbers would fall.

He declared: "I am promising it will fall significantly and I do want to get it down by the end of this Parliament significantly."

The White Paper also seeks to end automatic settlement and citizenship for anyone living here for five years.

Migrants will instead need to spend a decade in the UK before applying to stay unless they can show a real and lasting contribution to the economy and society.

Starmer said: "For years we have had a system that encourages businesses to bring in lower paid workers, rather than invest in our young people. That is the Britain this broken system has created.

"Every area of the immigration system, including work, family and study, will be tightened up so we have more control. Enforcement will be tougher than ever and migration numbers will fall.

"We will create a system that is controlled, selective and fair. One that recognises those who genuinely contribute to Britain’s growth and society, while restoring common sense and control to our borders.

"This is a clean break from the past and will ensure settlement in this country is a privilege that must be earned, not a right. And when people come to our country, they should also commit to integration and to learning our language.

"Lower net migration, higher skills and backing British workers – that is what this White Paper will deliver."

The clampdown comes after a massive surge in net migration in recent years.

Net migration stood at just 321,000 in June 2016, with Covid-lockdowns bringing annual figures down to the tens of thousands.

The rate surged to 906,000 in June 2023, remaining at an unusually high 728,000 in June 2024.

Looking at the surge in recent years, Starmer's took aim at the Tory Party's borders legacy, declaring that the open borders "experiment is over".

In a major switch since debates around migration in 2016, the Prime Minister also admitted that higher immigration does not mean higher economic growth.

He said: “The pure theory that simply higher migration numbers necessarily leads to higher growth I think has been tested in the last four years.

“We quadrupled [net migration] in actually a very short period of time and I think whatever political persuasion you are it is quite extraordinary that net migration quadrupled in four years.

“We have never seen that before in this country but growth didn’t shift, it stayed stagnant.”