Sir Keir Starmer's five-day mission to project Labour's tough stance on migration was a rollercoaster of successes and setbacks. The Prime Minister aimed to convince voters that his government is serious about reducing immigration, but the week was marked by controversial language, a public rejection from Albania's leader, and comparisons to a notorious racist politician.
The week began with a Monday morning speech unveiling the government's long-awaited migration plan. Measures included stricter language and qualification rules, longer waits for permanent settlement, and tougher deportation of foreign national criminals. Starmer's use of the phrase 'island of strangers' drew praise from Tory hardliner Robert Jenrick but condemnation from left-wing Labour MPs and human rights groups. Comparisons to Enoch Powell's 1968 'rivers of blood' speech forced Downing Street to deny any deliberate echo.
Midweek, the focus shifted to irregular migration and small boat crossings. Starmer flew to Albania to announce enhanced cooperation, including British drones, fraud detection machines, and improved intelligence sharing to combat smuggling gangs. A taskforce targeting traffickers was to be beefed up, aiming to close off routes to the UK. However, the announcement was overshadowed when Albania's 6ft 7in leader, Edi Rama, appeared to immediately and publicly reject the plan, causing confusion.
Despite the hiccups, Downing Street was likely pleased with the overall impact. The plan is predicted to cut net migration by 100,000 annually, a significant reduction from the peak of nearly one million under the Tories. The week also included a call with Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky, and crowd-pleasing measures against smuggling gangs. However, the unpredictable events, including suggestions that Starmer might quit, marred the intended message of control.
