Keir Starmer has made a big promise to reduce the number of people moving to the UK.
He says that Labour will take strong steps to fix the migration system and make it work better for the country.
During a debate on GB News, Matt Goodwin, a political commentator, accused the Labour Party of caring more about migrants than the British people.
He argued that Labour’s current approach allows many migrants, including those who come to the UK illegally, to stay and enjoy free healthcare, cash cards, mobile phones, and access to schools.
He said this is unfair to British citizens who are struggling with issues like long waits in the NHS, a lack of affordable housing, and poor public services.
Goodwin also criticized Labour for granting asylum to 67% of migrants, often without strict checks.
He questioned how the party plans to solve big problems like the NHS and housing crisis while still allowing high numbers of legal and illegal migrants into the country every year. He said Labour is “putting newcomers first” and ignoring the needs of British people.
Matthew Laza, a former Labour adviser, responded by saying the Conservatives have allowed higher migration numbers in the past two years than Labour ever did under leaders like Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
He said Labour wants to reduce migration and help British workers get more jobs instead of relying on people from other countries.
Keir Starmer has also criticized the Conservatives for failing to control migration. Speaking at a press conference, he blamed them for letting net migration reach a record high of 906,000 in 2023.
He accused the Conservatives of making changes to immigration rules on purpose to allow more people to enter the country.
To tackle the problem, Labour has announced several plans. These include:
– Creating a new agreement with Iraq to stop people smuggling gangs before they reach the UK.
– Reforming the points-based immigration system to reduce reliance on foreign workers in some sectors.
– Punishing employers who break visa rules by banning them from hiring workers from abroad.
– Publishing a detailed plan (a white paper) to show how they will reduce migration numbers.
Starmer also said Labour will fix the “mess” in the Home Office left by the Conservatives. He promised that Labour’s policies will focus on controlling migration while also supporting British workers and improving public services.
