Keir Starmer has succeeded in keeping immigration at the top of the news agenda for another day – although he may not be happy with the headlines.
After his set-piece announcement yesterday, the Prime Minister is caught between fire from both sides. On the left, he is accused of ‘pandering' to Nigel Farage and even echoing the rhetoric of Enoch Powell’s ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech – with regard to Starmer's statement about Britain becoming an ‘island of strangers’. Meanwhile, Farage has called the Prime Minister ‘insincere’ and ‘playing catch-up’.
Within Labour, some backbench MPs have broken ranks. But it is the quiet, soft-left faction – already uneasy about winter fuel, foreign aid etc. – that will concern the PM most. Might immigration be the issue that forces them to rebel? And is this really a departure for Keir Starmer, or a return to the language of New Labour?
Oscar Edmondson speaks to Isabel Hardman and Danny Shaw, former adviser to Yvette Cooper.
Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
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14:13
Have Labour out-Reformed Reform on immigration?
Keir Starmer has kicked off what may be one of his most significant weeks in the job with a white paper on immigration. In it, the government details its plan to ‘take back control’ of migration, promising that numbers will fall ‘significantly’ – although no target number has been given. The plan includes the following: English tests for all visa applicants (and their adult dependants); an increase in the residency requirement for settled status from five to ten years; and new measures making it harder for firms to hire workers from overseas, including abolishing the social care visa and raising the threshold for a skilled worker visa.
Many have interpreted the move as an attempt to stem the rise of Reform by beating them at their own game. The Prime Minister gave a press conference this morning to announce the plans. His language marked a sharp contrast with speeches he made upon becoming leader. Gone are the days of ‘making the case for the benefits of migration’ – now replaced with ‘we are becoming an island of strangers’. Are Labour making promises they can’t keep – and are they merely echoing Reform?
Oscar Edmondson speaks to James Heale and Karl Williams, research director at the Centre for Policy Studies.
Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
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13:48
Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 11/05/2025
Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows.
The home secretary announces new measures to curb immigration numbers, and Starmer has a US trade deal. But not everyone believes the deal is much of a win.
Produced by Joe Bedell-Brill.
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14:26
Coffee House Shots Live with Zia Yusuf and Jacob Rees-Mogg
The post-mortem has begun on a historic set of local elections – but where does each party go from here? Is Reform unstoppable? Is Kemi the one to lead the Conservative rebuild? Do Labour really ‘get it’? Michael Gove, James Heale and Lucy Dunn are joined by special guests Zia Yusuf and Jacob Rees-Mogg to unpack these questions – as well as the broader ramifications of the local elections on British politics.
Listen for: Zia’s understanding of why Reform did so well; Jacob’s concession that a Tory/Reform pact of some description could be the only way for the Conservatives to avoid extinction; and Michael’s assessment of whether Labour will force us closer to the EU.
This podcast was originally recorded live at the Emmanuel Centre in Westminster on Wednesday 7 May.
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1:27:40
US trade deal: ‘a political win, not an economic win’
On Thursday afternoon Prime Minister Keir Starmer gave a speech about closing the long-awaited UK-US trade deal. Not that his announcement went without a hitch however; after first directing lobby journalists to the wrong Jaguar Land Rover factory in Coventry, Starmer then had his limelight stolen by the election of a new Pope. Although, Labour’s ‘historic’ trade deal has pipped the Pope on most front pages.
The reception has been positive across government too, with many heralding a political win for Labour – just when they really needed one after the local elections. But is this an economic win as well? Critics say the deal is shallow, clearly just a start, and are at pains to point out that we are still in a worse trading position than earlier this year. Meanwhile, the governor of the Bank of England intervened to urge the government to ‘do everything’ it can to rebuild trade with the EU.Â
Lucy Dunn speaks to James Heale and Michael Simmons.Â
Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
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