Keir Starmer’s immigration waffle is nonsense for one simple reason he knows full well
The person writing this believes that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is failing to deal with illegal immigration, especially the growing problem of small boat crossings. Even though local councils don’t directly control immigration, the issue keeps coming up when people talk about politics because it affects how people feel about the government overall.
During the election campaign, Starmer promised to “smash the gangs” involved in smuggling migrants across the Channel. But since then, the number of illegal crossings has kept rising, which has made many people feel frustrated and lose trust in the government.
In response to the criticism, Starmer has announced new immigration plans. But the writer says these plans ignore the main problem, which is stopping illegal migration and small boat crossings. According to the writer, Starmer is avoiding the real action that’s needed: changing the human rights laws that currently make it hard to deport people quickly.
The writer says he feels more hopeful now that Conservative MP Kemi Badenoch is bringing forward more serious policies. The Conservative Party is trying to show they’ve learned from past mistakes and are ready to make tough decisions. One of their ideas is the new “Deportation Bill” which aims to prevent asylum seekers from using the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in court to delay or stop their deportation.
While the writer supports this bill, he’s worried it might not be strong enough. As long as the UK stays a part of the ECHR, people could still take their cases to the European Court in Strasbourg instead of British courts. He warns that well-funded activist groups and left-wing lawyers will still help migrants fight deportation, which could lead to future governments backing down under legal pressure.
This is why the writer argues that the UK should fully leave the ECHR. He believes that staying in the ECHR means politicians can’t truly deliver what they’ve promised—especially when it comes to controlling the borders and deporting people who break the law. He admits that leaving the ECHR would be a complicated decision, especially because of its impact on Northern Ireland and trade agreements with the EU. But he says these challenges are worth facing if it means gaining full control over who can stay in the UK.
He also reveals that when he was in the Cabinet, he proposed that the UK should leave the ECHR in order to stop the boats. But his idea was rejected at the time because other Cabinet members didn’t support it. Now, he believes more than ever that bold action is needed.
He ends by saying that more people across all political parties are starting to question whether staying in the ECHR makes sense. Trying to renegotiate terms or making small changes at home won’t be enough. According to him, Starmer’s new promises will end up failing just like his earlier ones, because the ECHR stands in the way. That’s why he believes it’s time for the UK to leave the ECHR and finally give the British people the strong, secure borders they’ve been asking for.
