Have Labour out-Reformed Reform on immigration?

Coffee House Shots

The Spectator

News, Politics, Government, Daily News

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🗓️ 12 May 2025

⏱️ 14 minutes

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Summary

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.

Transcript

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0:44.4	Hello and welcome to Coffee House Shots, the Spectator's Daily Politics Podcast. I'm
0:48.6	Oskredminton and I'm joined today by James Heel and Carl Williams, research director at the
0:53.5	Centre for Policy Studies.
0:55.6	Now, Kier Stama has kicked off what may be one of his most significant weeks in the job with a
0:59.4	white paper on immigration. In it, the government details its plan to take back control of migration,
1:04.8	promising that numbers will fall significantly, although no target number has been given.
1:09.7	Now, this is a real changing language from Labour,
1:11.6	and it's been interpreted by many people as a move
1:13.5	to stem the rise of reform by beating them at their own game.
1:17.0	Let's hear a clip to start with.
1:18.4	Now, in a diverse nation like ours, and I celebrate that,
1:22.3	these rules become even more important.
1:25.6	Without them, we risk becoming an island of strangers, not a nation
1:30.3	that walks forward together. So when you have an immigration system that seems almost
1:36.3	designed to permit abuse, that encourages some businesses to bring in lower paid workers
	...

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