Jeremy Corbyn has strongly criticised Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his recent comments about immigration.
During a live interview on LBC Radio, Corbyn accused Starmer of using language similar to the controversial “rivers of blood” speech made by Enoch Powell decades ago.
That speech warned that white British people might one day feel like outsiders in their own country because of immigration. Corbyn said Starmer’s message sounds exactly like that, suggesting he’s trying to stir fear and division.
Starmer had said that if the UK doesn’t bring in stricter immigration policies, it could turn into an “island of strangers.
He claimed that he wants to take control of the country’s borders and make sure people who move to the UK learn English and become part of British society.
But Corbyn, who represents a nearby area to Starmer’s in London, pushed back. He described their communities as diverse, full of people from many cultures and languages, who mostly get along and work hard in key jobs like health care, education, transport, and social care.
Corbyn also questioned what message the Prime Minister’s speech sends to immigrants already living and working in the UK. He pointed out that the care sector alone is struggling to fill 130,000 jobs and asked what Starmer’s team plans to do about that shortage if they’re cracking down on migration.
Although Starmer told The Guardian that he values the contributions migrants make to the UK and wouldn’t speak against them, he still believes they should learn English and integrate better into society. His comments have not gone down well with everyone, even within his own party.
Labour MP Sarah Owen, who leads the women and equalities committee, said that trying to copy the right-wing approach to immigration could lead the country into dangerous territory.
She believes that the real way to stop Britain from becoming divided is by supporting local communities and helping everyone grow together, rather than creating tension between groups.
