Prime Minister Keir Starmer launched a scathing attack on Reform UK’s immigration proposals during Labour’s Liverpool conference, branding their plan to strip migrants of settled status as “racist” and “immoral.”
The confrontation comes as Starmer faces mounting pressure over his own controversial digital ID scheme, which has drawn opposition from across the political spectrum and sparked a parliamentary petition signed by over 2.1 million people.
Speaking on BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Starmer struggled to explain how mandatory digital identification would significantly reduce illegal immigration, given that employers are already legally required to verify workers’ right to work. He argued the system would provide “automatic collection of information by the government” to track who works in the UK economy.
Reform UK’s policy would abolish settled status and force long-term residents to reapply under stricter criteria, potentially affecting migrants who have lived in Britain for decades and have British children. Party leader Nigel Farage claims this would save taxpayers billions, though Reform has since suggested exemptions for pensioners, Ukrainians, and Hong Kong nationals.
Starmer condemned the proposal as fundamentally different from removing illegal migrants, stating: “It is a completely different thing to say we are going to reach in to people who are lawfully here and start removing them. They are our neighbours… It will rip this country apart.”
The Prime Minister’s political position appears increasingly precarious, with devastating polling showing Reform on track for a potential electoral landslide. More in Common research suggests Reform could win 373 seats in a hypothetical election, reducing Labour from nearly 400 MPs to just 90.
Starmer’s personal approval ratings have plummeted to minus 66, the lowest for any Prime Minister since comparable records began in 1977, surpassing even the dire scores of Rishi Sunak and John Major during their worst periods.
The crisis deepens with a challenging Budget approaching on November 26, where Chancellor Rachel Reeves may need to implement £30 billion in tax increases. Unite union has threatened to withdraw Labour affiliation unless the government adopts left-wing measures including wealth taxes and increased borrowing.
Despite the mounting challenges, Starmer insisted he could “pull this round,” telling The Sunday Times he needs “space to get on and do the things that I need to do.” He rejected suggestions of political trouble, focusing instead on long-term achievements like the proposed Hillsborough law.
The PM also promised to end taxpayer-funded taxis for asylum seekers and bring forward the 2029 deadline for closing asylum hotels, while acknowledging that “the Left got it wrong” on immigration.
Reform’s head of policy Zia Yusuf responded by accusing Labour of threatening to call anyone racist who opposes “paying hundreds of billions for foreign nationals to live off the state forever.”
As speculation grows about potential leadership challenges, including from Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, Starmer warned against “navel-gazing” and called for unity in facing the country’s challenges.
