Keir Starmer was right to denounce Reform UK’s immigration policies as racist but, unsurprisingly, he failed to acknowledge that the exact same racism underpins his own government’s rhetoric and policies on immigration (Starmer decries Reform’s ‘racist’ plans as ministers escalate attacks on Farage, 28 September). Even as he criticised Nigel Farage’s cruel intervention pledging to end indefinite leave to remain, he and the home secretary still promised harsher, more restrictive conditions for immigrants. As if all the country’s problems are immigrants’ fault.
The Labour government and Reform do not seem to have any real disagreement on immigration, just on how hard to pursue the same goal. There is disagreement on style, not substance. This is why Starmer could never win this fight: while he aids the radicalisation of public discourse by normalising xenophobia, he will always look like a watered-down Farage.
