Yvette Cooper Defends Starmer’s Immigration Language
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has supported Sir Keir Starmer’s language during a speech where he announced plans to tighten immigration controls.
On Monday, the Prime Minister warned that the UK could risk becoming “an island of strangers” without more stringent immigration policies. This remark has prompted criticism from a faction of Labour MPs, who argue it is divisive—a point Cooper disputes.
Cooper emphasized that the Prime Minister aimed to highlight the implications of rising migration and advocate for integration measures, such as English language tests. She also dismissed comparisons made by a few Labour MPs, including former shadow chancellor John McDonnell, to Enoch Powell’s controversial rhetoric.
Downing Street backed the Prime Minister’s stance, asserting that although migrants contribute significantly to the UK, immigration must be managed effectively.
Cooper expressed uncertainty about whether the Prime Minister or his speechwriters had drawn any parallels to Powell’s 1968 “Rivers of Blood” speech, which warned about Britons becoming “strangers in their own country” due to immigration. In her opinion, Starmer’s speech was fundamentally different, stating, “The Prime Minister acknowledged our diverse society as a strength.”
Sir Sadiq Khan, the Labour Mayor of London, stated he understood the government’s context but would avoid using the phrase “island of strangers.” He remarked that his choice of words significantly differs from the Prime Minister’s. Meanwhile, Conservative shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick echoed Starmer’s warning, suggesting certain areas of the UK already resemble “an island of strangers.”
Debate Over Language and Immigration Policy
McDonnell, who lost the Labour whip last year, questioned Cooper’s use of language in the Commons, emphasizing the need for careful wording in potentially contentious legislation. He stated, “When the Prime Minister referred to ‘an island of strangers,’ does she realize how shockingly divisive that could be?”
Labour MP Nadia Whittome further criticized the rhetoric surrounding immigration, claiming it unfairly scapegoats immigrants for issues they did not cause. She argued that such language risks inciting racial abuse.
The government’s recent immigration policy announcement follows local elections where Labour lost key seats to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party, which has focused heavily on immigration issues. Jenrick asserted that the public desires concrete action rather than rhetoric, criticizing Labour’s immigration policies as a “con” devised by Starmer to mislead the public.
