Sir Keir Starmer has admitted that Labour "got it wrong" on migration - and "shied away" from the concerns of the British public.
The Prime Minister, writing in The Telegraph ahead of a major conference of some of the West's left-wing leaders, acknowledged that migration was "where some on the left went wrong".
He also claimed that Labour was being forced to counter the "rise of the populist right" in the preview of his speech at the Global Progress Action Summit today.
In it, he confirmed: "There is no doubt that for years left-wing parties, including my own, did shy away from people's concerns around illegal immigration.
"It has been too easy for people to enter the country, work in the shadow economy and remain illegally."
The PM also lashed out at the poll-topping Reform UK - whose "simple slogans will not do anything to resolve" the migrant crisis, he said.
"There is no silver bullet, but we must enforce every possible measure to deter illegal migrants from entering British waters," Sir Keir continued.
Some 1,157 migrants crossed the Channel over the last week.
But echoing Reform's attacks on the "Boriswave" migration surge, the PM added: "The huge increase in immigration that happened under the Conservatives was based on a hyper-liberal free market viewpoint.
"Labour is clear that there must be no return to that."
He finished: "Britain faces a choice between decency and division, between renewal and decline.
"This is the defining political choice of our times, and we must be unafraid of challenging a politics of grievance, preying on the problems of working people."
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'No requirement' to carry Digital ID, says Government spokesman
There will be no requirement to carry Labour's new Digital ID, a Government spokesman has confirmed.
Sources have told GB News that the Prime Minister is set to announce the scheme in a keynote speech later today.
The spokesman said: "There will be no requirement for individuals to carry their ID or be asked to produce it - but digital ID will be mandatory as a means of proving your Right to Work."
Every UK adult will need a newly-issued digital identity card as part of plans to curb Channel crossings.
Reform UK on brink of majority as Nigel Farage on course for PM, new poll suggest
Reform UK is on the brink of gaining enough support to form a majority
|YOUGOV/SKY
Reform UK is on the brink of gaining enough support to form a majority as Nigel Farage is on course to become the next Prime Minister of Britain, according to a fresh YouGov poll shared with Sky.
The projection, based on a 13,000 sample taken over the last three weeks, shows that the Reform would be 15 seats short of the formal winning line of 326 if a General Election were held today.
They are predicted to win 311 of the 650 seats, which is an increase of 55 seats from the last YouGov data in June.
However, despite being the largest party, this would still result in a hung parliament.
As Nigel Farage's party currently holds only five seats, the predicted gains of 306 additional MPs would be the largest increase in any election in British history.
Labour is predicted to win 144 seats, the Liberal Democrats 78 seats, the Conservatives 45 seats, the SNP 37 seats, and the Greens seven seats, with Plaid Cymru on six seats and left-wing challengers winning 3 seats.
Who's who at the Global Progress Action Summit?
Speakers at today's mass gathering of left-wing world leaders and lawmakers include:
- Sir Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom;
- Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia;
- Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada;
- Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister of Denmark.
- Jacinda Ardern, former Prime Minister of New Zealand;
- Magdalena Andersson, former Prime Minister of Sweden;
- Pete Buttigieg, Democrat former US Transport Secretary;
- Yvette Cooper, Foreign Secretary;
- John Healey, Defence Secretary;
- Darren Jones, Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister;
- David Lammy, Deputy Prime Minister;
- Kristrun Frostadottir, Prime Minister of Iceland;
- JB Pritzker, 43rd Governor of Illinois;
- Rachel Reeves, Chancellor;
- Anas Sarwar, Scottish Labour leader;
- Pedro Sanchez, Prime Minister of Spain.
Digital ID petition smashes 500,000 signature mark as Britons fight back against Keir Starmer's plan
A petition calling on Sir Keir Starmer not to push ahead with plans to introduce digital ID for all British adults has surged past 500,000 signatures.
The petition - still awaiting a response from Sir Keir's Government - soared by tens of thousands of sign-ups every hour through the night as plans to introduce the ID system came to light.
The PM is now expected to unveil his proposal to introduce mandatory digital ID cards during a keynote speech tomorrow, sources have told GB News.
Mark White's Migration Monitor: Digital ID won't stop small boat surge - and fresh wave is coming in just hours
GB News' Home and Security Editor Mark White has warned that the PM's expected digital ID announcement today will not stop the boats.
Writing for GBN members, Mark predicts that 2,000 migrants are massing in northern France at this moment, following a pattern seen already this year.
"Instead of a regular summer drumbeat of two or three hundred small boat migrants, we're seeing a week or more of nothing, then a huge surge of a thousand or more in a single day," he says.
"This weekend is set to follow that pattern - and then some.
"We should be in for a few days of good weather, allowing for as many as 2,000 to make the crossing."
Danny Kruger reveals what he told Nigel Farage just before quitting Kemi Badenoch's Tories
New Reform MP Danny Kruger has revealed what he told Nigel Farage before jumping ship from Kemi Badenoch's Conservatives
|PA
New Reform MP Danny Kruger has revealed what he told Nigel Farage before jumping ship from Kemi Badenoch's Conservatives.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Political Thinking, Mr Kruger said he had approached Mr Farage, telling him: "You represent the best chance that the country has, but also those of us who have a Conservative disposition have."
He also revealed the "pain" of defecting from the Tories - which fell to fourth place in a national poll, at just 14 per cent, on Thursday.
"It was painful," the East Wiltshire MP said. "It is painful and it was very painful on the day I did it. It was not an enjoyable experience.
"I've got a lot of good friends who I know are hurt. And only a few have had a go at me and they weren't friends anyway.
"The people I care about are, I think, silently regretful and sorry."
David Lammy rages at Israel as he boasts of recognising Palestine at UN
David Lammy launched into an impassioned plea over Gaza at the United Nations overnight - in which he hailed Britain's recognition of a Palestinian state.
"What is happening in Gaza is indefensible, it is inhumane, it is utterly unjustifiable and it must end now," the Deputy Prime Minister vowed.
"The people of Palestine, whose state we proudly recognised this week, and the people of Israel deserve better. Better than the horrific acts by Hamas on October 7 that left children without their parents and parents without their children.
"Better than the torment of families waiting desperately for the return of their loved ones from the most barbaric captivity. Better than the fanatical rule by Hamas, a vile, pitiless terrorist organisation that must have no future in Gaza.
"Better than Israel's denial of life-saving humanitarian aid and the catastrophic famine that it has caused.
"As Israel escalates its military operations and displaces Palestinian families again and again and again, there can be no answer to these horrors but concerted diplomatic action to keep the hope of peace alive."