Sir Keir Starmer is gearing up to unveil a tough new crackdown on immigration after this week’s local elections, with Labour bracing for a hammering from Reform UK.
A white paper setting out the Government’s plans to slash legal migration is expected to land in the weeks following the May 1 vote. One key move would see it made harder for foreign students on graduate visas to stay in Britain by switching into low-paid jobs like health and social care roles, according to the Telegraph.
The timing isn’t lost on anyone. Reform, led by Nigel Farage, is tipped to bag hundreds of council seats on Thursday and could even nab a win in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election, taking a seat off Labour. Sir Keir hasn’t even been spotted campaigning there yet, which Farage called “astonishing.” He said: “To us, it is an indication that Labour intelligence says they’re not going to win.”
Home Office insiders insist these migration plans have been cooking since November, but with Reform surging in the polls, it’s clear Labour knows they’re in trouble. Lord Glasman, a peer close to No 10, didn’t sugarcoat it, predicting Labour would “get its head kicked in” at the locals.
He warned in The Observer: “It’s game over if they don’t change. Labour must be a pro-worker, patriotic party, not talking gibberish about diversity.”
Adding to Labour’s headaches, a senior trade union figure told The Telegraph that a “sizeable” number of union members in working-class areas will be voting for Reform this time around.
Recent polls show Reform flying high at 25%, Labour slipping to 23%, and the Tories on 21%. Farage, meanwhile, is hammering his tough stance on immigration, vowing to be “deporter-in-chief” for illegal migrants.
Behind the scenes, Labour’s top strategist Morgan McSweeney knows that getting net migration numbers down is key to stopping Reform’s rise. The upcoming white paper is expected to include a push to cut net migration further, after figures peaked at 906,000 last year before dipping slightly to 728,000.
Plans also involve banning companies that break employment laws, like underpaying staff, from hiring foreign workers, and making businesses train up local workers rather than relying on overseas visas.
Another big focus will be clamping down on graduate visas. Yvette Cooper has flagged concerns that many foreign students stay longer by switching into care roles. Officials have looked at setting a minimum wage threshold to close that loophole, although any crackdown could spark a backlash from the struggling care sector.
Tougher migration rules could stir up worries about economic growth, but Labour is betting the public will back action, especially with immigration a hot topic on doorsteps in places like Runcorn and Helsby.
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