Sir Keir Starmer has publicly acknowledged “where some on the left went wrong” on immigration, saying that his party needs to tackle “every aspect of the problem”.
Writing in the Telegraph, the prime minister said that Labour was being forced to counter the “rise of the populist right”, noting the increasing popularity of Reform UK posed a challenge for both the Conservatives and the left.
He is expected to announce plans for a compulsory UK-wide digital ID scheme in a speech on Friday, as part of Labour’s push to address illegal immigration.
His government has been under pressure to tackle the issue, with more than 50,000 migrants arriving on small boats since Labour came to power.
“There is no doubt that for years, left-wing parties, including my own, did shy away from people’s concerns around illegal immigration,” Sir Keir wrote in the Telegraph.
“It has been too easy for people to enter the country, work in the shadow economy and remain illegally.”
Sir Keir wrote that the government “must make and win the case for patriotic national renewal, based on enduring British values”, calling on “fair-minded Britons” to reject Reform’s “toxic” solution.
He also warned against the perils of “poisonous” online debate, and of a “coming struggle, a defining struggle, a violent struggle” for the nation.
Addressing the wave of protests that took place outside UK asylum hotels over the summer, the prime minister said his party would “reject the quick-fix solutions from those who want to divide” and instead focus on “restoring power to local communities”.
The government announced a £5bn funding boost for 339 “overlooked” communities on Thursday, with specific spending to be determined by those who “know their communities best”.
The announcement is part of Labour’s strategy to tackle the electoral threat posed to them by the rising popularity of Reform UK, and will include the £1.5bn pledged to 75 of the “most deprived” areas in the UK earlier this year.
Sir Keir is expected to defend his party’s approach to immigration in his speech on Friday, detailing the new digital ID scheme while laying blame for illegal immigration on what he has called the “Conservative government’s failure” over 14 years in office.
He will be addressing the Global Progress Action Summit in London. Labour’s annual party conference opens in Liverpool this weekend.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has characterised the announcement as a “desperate gimmick” to distract attention from the “leadership manoeuverings” of Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham ahead of Labour’s annual conference next week.
Reform denounced the plan as a “cynical ploy to fool voters that something is being done about illegal immigration”.
The Liberal Democrats, who played a central role in blocking the previous Labour government’s ID cards, have said they “cannot support” a mandatory scheme.
This summer the UK and France agreed to a year-long “one in, one out” pilot scheme as part of the government’s strategy to deter small boat crossings.
Under the deal, the UK can immediately detain anyone who crosses the English Channel and, within a two-week timeframe, agree with the French authorities to return the individual.
For each migrant the UK returns to France, another migrant with a strong case for asylum in the UK will come in return.
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