Keir Starmer’s immigration policy straight out of Ukip manifesto, says Nigel Farage

Labour ‘to the right of the Conservatives on immigration’, ex- Brexit Party leader says

Nigel Farage said Labour (AFP via Getty)

Nigel Farage has praised Keir Starmer's immigration policy and claimed it resembles Ukip's own manifesto.

Mr Farage said Labour was now "to the right of the Conservatives on immigration" after Sir Keir said Britain needed to end its "immigration dependency".

The Labour leader addressed business chiefs in a speech on Tuesday morning and criticised the use of "cheap labour".

He told his audience at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) that businesses should "start investing more in training up workers who are already here".

Speaking after Sir Keir's speech Mr Farage criticised the Tories and said they had "made clear they’re going to continue with large scale mass legal immigration".

But turning to Labour, he said: “Today, Keir Starmer says we must stop the reliance on cheap foreign labour, start training our own people.

“What with that, and saying the House of Lords must be removed in its current shape, Starmer is now repeating the Ukip 2015 manifesto."

"He may not mean any of it, of course, but to think the Labour party are now to the right of the Conservatives on immigration. That’s where we are, British politics, today.”

The end of EU free movement has seen the UK businesses report worsening labour shortages across sectors including in social care, hospitality, agriculture and food processing.

Ukip’s 2015 manifesto mentioned by Mr Farage said Britain was “a compassionate, caring nation” that had “welcomed millions of people to these shores”, adding: “Ukip does not have a problem with migration.”

But it added that “uncontrolled, politically-driven immigration” was an issue and that “immigration has driven down wages and led to job losses for British workers”.

The party pledged to “enable the unemployed already living here to find work and those already working to see wage growth” with a temporary moratorium on unskilled immigration.

It said it would also “introduce an Australian-style points based system to manage the number and skills of people coming into the country, treating all citizens of the world on a fair and equal basis as a welcoming, outward-looking country”.

Labour has said it will not bring back free movement of people or consider rejoining the EU.

But Sir Keir on Tuesday left the door open to relaxing access to visas via the "skilled occupation route or the shortage worker list" – on the condition that businesses draw up plans to invest in skills and training.

He told the CBI conference: "Our common goal must be to help the British economy off its immigration dependency. To start investing more in training up workers who are already here.

“Migration is part of our national story – always has been, always will be. And the Labour Party will never diminish the contribution it makes to the economy, to public services, to your businesses and our communities.

“But let me tell you – the days when low pay and cheap labour are part of the British way on growth must end."

Sir Keir's speech has drawn criticism from some progressive campaigners. Naomi Smith, chief executive of internationalist and anti-Brexit group Best for Britain described the Labour leaders's speech as a "lost opportunity".

“With the government’s Brexit position now containing more holes than a Swiss cheese, Starmer’s inability to make the positive case for immigration is a lost opportunity," she said.

“There will always be sections of our economy where immigration offers a net benefit and so alongside investing heavily in domestic workforce upskilling, the Labour Leader must also advocate reciprocal freedom of movement. Our economic growth depends on both.”

On Monday Mr Farage claimed the Tories would be destroyed at the next election if they moved towards a Swiss-style Brexit – aligning with EU rules and permitting free movement.

However, his own party, Reform UK, is polling poorly and has gained little ground despite the Tory poll collapse – a far cry from when it won the 2019 European Parliament elections under its old name, the Brexit Party.