For the first time since the Brexit vote back in 2016, immigration has officially overtaken the economy as the issue most on the minds of the British public, and it’s not hard to see why.
With a national housing crisis, a buckling NHS, and thousands of illegal Channel crossings continuing to mount — over 12,000 so far this year — many voters are wondering how much more the country can handle. Taxpayer-funded hotels are still being used to house migrants, while public services are stretched to breaking point, reported the Sun.
And yet, the reaction from parts of the Labour left isn’t focused on any of that. Instead, they’ve gone into meltdown over the Prime Minister’s recent warning that Britain risks becoming an “island of strangers” unless migration is brought under control. Rather than discussing solutions, some MPs are accusing him of “pandering to the far right” and dragging the country “down a very dark path.”
A few have even gone as far as comparing Keir Starmer’s speech to Enoch Powell’s infamous “rivers of blood” moment — comparisons that many see as wildly over the top. After all, Starmer’s comment was echoing a concern that a significant portion of the public already holds: that the pace of change in local communities is moving too fast, and it’s leaving people feeling alienated in their own country.
What’s becoming clear is that this outcry from some of Labour’s more hardline MPs feels increasingly detached from everyday concerns. While Westminster debates the tone of the language, ordinary families are facing sky-high housing costs, GP waiting lists that stretch for weeks, and wages that still aren’t keeping pace with inflation.
Recent data has shown that wage growth is slowing again, and since the Chancellor’s autumn budget, around 100,000 jobs have disappeared. Businesses are tightening their belts under the weight of a £25 billion tax hit from National Insurance changes, and hiring has hit a record low.
Now, with proposed changes to employment law also on the table, many are questioning how the government expects to drive growth by hiking taxes and giving more clout to powerful unions.
To add to the frustration, Brussels bureaucrats are reportedly demanding long-term access to UK fishing waters — bragging that a deal is practically done — in exchange for closer defence ties. Many see that as asking too much, particularly when British trawlers are still fighting for fair access at home.
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