Starmer's Sop To The Anti-Migrant Right

Starmer's social media post

“If you’re thinking about coming to the UK illegally — don’t. You will face detention and return.” The line, posted on the prime minister’s official social media accounts today, landed like a warning and a promise. It is short, sharp and aimed at one audience: voters worried about borders. 

And racists, of course - and supposed future Reform voters...

The line fits a wider shift. The government’s immigration White Paper vows to “take back control of our borders” and to cut net migration through tighter rules on settlement, visas and asylum. The paper sets out English tests, longer residency requirements and new settlement rules. 

Critics on the Labour left call the policy cruel. A joint letter from more than 900 Labour figures called the measures “performative cruelty” and warned they breach Britain’s international obligations. Labour MPs and unions say this is not principle; it is posture. 

This is not only about migration. Since the election, Labour’s visuals and rhetoric have moved right. Campaign materials have prominently used the Union Jack and St George’s Cross. Starmer's election campaigners have argued the party must “reclaim” those symbols from the far right.

Starmerites say reclaiming shows patriotism. Detractors say the branding mirrors the language of the populist right and risks alienating minority voters. 

Even today's tweet by Starmer - or whoever actually does his social media posts - simply repeats a virtually identical post from last week, just missing out the 'don't'. It's entirely possible the hapless PM might add 'Please' to his next one...

What the populist right views as decisive, Labour now treats as mainstream politics. Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has pushed mass deportation plans and led on immigration in recent polls, forcing the government to harden its tone. Farage’s proposals are extreme; they include repealing human-rights safeguards to speed removals. Reform’s rise has narrowed Labour’s room to manoeuvre. 

Data shows this strategy has risk. Public belief that illegal migration is high remains common, but expert analysis from the Migration Observatory points out that many of Labour’s pledges require complex legal and operational changes to work and will take time to deliver. The public’s anger can be stoked; policy alone will not calm it. 

Even the policy itself may face legal challenge - as many have pointed out, it is not 'illegal' to claim asylum in a country. Given that people can only do so if they are physically in the UK, and given that there is no safe legal way for them to get here, it is at best questionable.

The net effect is a squeeze on the left. Labour’s move right on both economics and migration opens space on the left for a populist alternative. Figures tied to Corbyn and to MPs like Zarah Sultana are already talking about a new platform to fill that gap.

What they offer is a return to an activist, pro-public-services, pro-migrant politics. That message will appeal to those who feel Labour abandoned principle for votes. The coming months will test whether Starmer’s tactical turn wins votes or hands the left a new opening to rebuild. 

References

GOV.UK, “PM remarks at Immigration White Paper press conference: 12 May 2025,” 12 May 2025, https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-remarks-at-immigration-white-paper-12-may-2025.

GOV.UK, “Restoring control over the immigration system” (White Paper PDF), 12 May 2025, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6821aec3f16c0654b19060ac/restoring-control-over-the-immigration-system-white-paper.pdf.

The Guardian, “More than 900 Labour figures decry party's migration and asylum policy,” 17 Feb 2025, https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/feb/17/labour-figures-decry-migration-asylum-policy-tories-performative-cruelty.

Keir Starmer — Facebook, official page post, 27 Aug 2025, https://www.facebook.com/KeirStarmerLabour/.

The Guardian, “Keir Starmer asks Labour candidates to 'fly the flag' on St George's Day,” 21 Apr 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/apr/21/keir-starmer-asks-labour-candidates-to-fly-the-flag-on-st-georges-day.

Irish Times, “Starmer wraps himself in the flag to woo back patriotic British voters,” 29 May 2024, https://www.irishtimes.com/world/uk/2024/05/29/starmer-wraps-himself-in-the-flag-to-woo-back-patriotic-british-voters/.

Reuters, “UK's Farage unveils plan to deport asylum seekers, warns of 'civil disorder',” 26 Aug 2025, https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uks-farage-unveils-plan-deport-asylum-seekers-warns-civil-disorder-2025-08-26/.

The Australian, “UK Labour crisis deepens as Reform party leads polls on immigration,” 27 Aug 2025, https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/keir-starmer-and-labour-heading-for-the-rocks-on-illegal-migration/news-story/fc0d698c47e4856520deb074376fb059.

Migration Observatory (Oxford), “Labour's pledges on migration, one year in: the data,” July 2025, https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/commentaries/labours-pledges-on-migration-the-data/.

YouGov, “Is there public support for large-scale removals of migrants?” (analysis), 2025, https://yougov.co.uk/politics/articles/52704-is-there-public-support-for-large-scale-removals-of-migrants.

Reuters, “England flags spark pride and concern amid anti-immigration protests,” 27 Aug 2025, https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/england-flags-spark-pride-concern-amid-anti-immigration-protests-2025-08-27/.