Sometimes it isn’t good to be right.
But when a prime minister confirms your worst fears, it becomes clear that a national crisis is coming – stirred up by the government itself.
At 9am on May 12, 2025, This Site published an article warning that Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s impending immigration policy would harm the UK’s social care sector and scapegoat immigrants.
The warning (as published on Vox Political)
I wrote:
Labour’s proposals are not just draconian — they are deeply regressive, echoing the very far-right ideologies the party claims to oppose.
Labour is hoping to outflank Reform UK and the far right by mimicking their policies, their language, even their tone.
This is a co-ordinated ideological betrayal of the Labour Party’s foundational principles of solidarity, compassion, and public provision.
Hours later, Starmer delivered his ‘Island of Strangers’ speech, confirming Yr Obdt Srvt’s predictions and igniting widespread condemnation.
We’re nearly halfway there! Thanks to amazing supporters, we’ve raised £23 toward this month’s £50 goal to fund independent research and reporting.
If you value fearless political journalism that holds the powerful to account, please chip in today. Even £2 helps keep Vox Political running strong.
👉 Support us here: https://ko-fi.com/voxpolitical
The betrayal (of Labour’s core values)
Starmer’s speech marked a significant departure from Labour’s traditional stance on inclusivity and social justice.
If you have the stomach for it, you can watch it from beginning to end, here.
By proposing to
-
Reduce net migration from 728,000 to around 300,000 by 2029,
-
Extend the residency period for immigrants to obtain permanent status from five to ten years,
-
Raise skill and language requirements for foreign workers, and
-
Ban overseas recruitment for social care visas,
Starmer was not only contradicting Labour’s historical principles but also threatening to exacerbate existing challenges in critical sectors like social care.
Buy Cruel Britannia in print here. Buy the Cruel Britannia ebook here. Or just click on the image!
The backlash
The speech has been met with almost universal condemnation:
-
Labour MPs have expressed concern over the rhetoric resembling far-right narratives – for example, Nadia Whittome stated that Starmer’s language “mimics the scaremongering of the far right” .
-
Care sector leaders warned that halting overseas recruitment will worsen the staffing crisis in social care, which heavily relies on migrant workers .
-
Business groups argued that the proposed restrictions could lead to labour shortages in essential industries.
Get my free guide: “10 Political Lies You Were Sold This Decade” — just subscribe to our email list here:
👉 https://voxpoliticalonline.com
In fact, let’s ram this point home with a few responses from the social media, shall we?
Here’s commentator James Melville:
It’s a far cry from his words back in 2020, as B Heard Media pointed out:
It is clear that, once again, Starmer has u-turned on the values he once claimed were universal and eternal, for the sake of a political gain that probably won’t materialise. And everybody saw through him this time.
Here’s former Labour MP Claudia Webbe, drawing the comparison that the rest of us made as well:
Enoch Powell’s “Rivers of Blood” speech, delivered on April 20, 1968, was officially titled “Speech on Immigration”, but it became widely known for Powell’s reference to a line from Virgil’s Aeneid:
“As I look ahead, I am filled with foreboding; like the Roman, I seem to see ‘the River Tiber foaming with much blood’.”
It strongly criticized mass immigration, particularly from Commonwealth countries, and warned of social unrest if immigration policies were not tightened.
The speech sparked intense debate, led to Powell’s dismissal from the Shadow Cabinet, and remains one of the most divisive political speeches in British history.
And now a UK prime minister has echoed it – amplifying the racist undertones it arguably contained.
I find myself in rare agreement with LBC’s Iain Dale:
Probably the best comment of the lot – that This Writer has seen – came from comedian Sam Avery:
The ramifications
Starmer’s attempt to appeal to right-wing voters has backfired badly, alienating Labour’s core supporters without gaining new ones. He has
-
Caused rampant distrust among traditional Labour voters who feel betrayed by the party’s new direction.
-
Increased support for alternative parties that uphold progressive immigration policies.
-
And he may even cause civil unrest if the policies lead to significant disruptions in public services.
We’re nearly halfway there! Thanks to amazing supporters, we’ve raised £23 toward this month’s £50 goal to fund independent research and reporting.
Let’s close the gap this week! Help us hit £50 and power the next investigation.
If you value fearless political journalism that holds the powerful to account, please chip in today. Even £2 helps keep Vox Political running strong.
👉 Support us here: https://ko-fi.com/voxpolitical
You’ll probably hear an awful lot more of the same over the next few days and weeks as Starmer wades through the river of excrement that he has poured over his government.
Suffice to say that Vox Political foresaw the implications of Starmer’s policy shift, and the subsequent fallout confirms my fears.
As the government moves forward with these proposals, you need to stay alert and engaged.
Make your voice heard. Write to your MP. Share this article. Attend protests. Let’s make it clear that this ‘island of strangers’ stands united against the bigotry and hatred of its mistakenly-elected leader.
Back in 1968, the people held Powell and his leaders accountable; we need to show that we have moved forward since then.
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Be among the first to know what’s going on! Here are the ways to manage it:
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (bottom right of the home page). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
5) Follow Vox Political writer Mike Sivier on BlueSky
6) Join the MeWe page at https://mewe.com/p-front/voxpolitical
7) Feel free to comment!
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
Cruel Britannia is available
in either print or eBook format here:
The Livingstone Presumption is available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
Vox Political called it – and Starmer’s ‘Island of Strangers’ speech confirmed our fears
Sometimes it isn’t good to be right.
But when a prime minister confirms your worst fears, it becomes clear that a national crisis is coming – stirred up by the government itself.
At 9am on May 12, 2025, This Site published an article warning that Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s impending immigration policy would harm the UK’s social care sector and scapegoat immigrants.
The warning (as published on Vox Political)
I wrote:
Hours later, Starmer delivered his ‘Island of Strangers’ speech, confirming Yr Obdt Srvt’s predictions and igniting widespread condemnation.
We’re nearly halfway there! Thanks to amazing supporters, we’ve raised £23 toward this month’s £50 goal to fund independent research and reporting.
If you value fearless political journalism that holds the powerful to account, please chip in today. Even £2 helps keep Vox Political running strong.
👉 Support us here: https://ko-fi.com/voxpolitical
The betrayal (of Labour’s core values)
Starmer’s speech marked a significant departure from Labour’s traditional stance on inclusivity and social justice.
If you have the stomach for it, you can watch it from beginning to end, here.
By proposing to
Reduce net migration from 728,000 to around 300,000 by 2029,
Extend the residency period for immigrants to obtain permanent status from five to ten years,
Raise skill and language requirements for foreign workers, and
Ban overseas recruitment for social care visas,
Starmer was not only contradicting Labour’s historical principles but also threatening to exacerbate existing challenges in critical sectors like social care.
Buy Cruel Britannia in print here. Buy the Cruel Britannia ebook here. Or just click on the image!
The backlash
The speech has been met with almost universal condemnation:
Labour MPs have expressed concern over the rhetoric resembling far-right narratives – for example, Nadia Whittome stated that Starmer’s language “mimics the scaremongering of the far right” .
Care sector leaders warned that halting overseas recruitment will worsen the staffing crisis in social care, which heavily relies on migrant workers .
Business groups argued that the proposed restrictions could lead to labour shortages in essential industries.
Get my free guide: “10 Political Lies You Were Sold This Decade” — just subscribe to our email list here:
👉 https://voxpoliticalonline.com
In fact, let’s ram this point home with a few responses from the social media, shall we?
Here’s commentator James Melville:
It’s a far cry from his words back in 2020, as B Heard Media pointed out:
It is clear that, once again, Starmer has u-turned on the values he once claimed were universal and eternal, for the sake of a political gain that probably won’t materialise. And everybody saw through him this time.
Here’s former Labour MP Claudia Webbe, drawing the comparison that the rest of us made as well:
Enoch Powell’s “Rivers of Blood” speech, delivered on April 20, 1968, was officially titled “Speech on Immigration”, but it became widely known for Powell’s reference to a line from Virgil’s Aeneid:
It strongly criticized mass immigration, particularly from Commonwealth countries, and warned of social unrest if immigration policies were not tightened.
The speech sparked intense debate, led to Powell’s dismissal from the Shadow Cabinet, and remains one of the most divisive political speeches in British history.
And now a UK prime minister has echoed it – amplifying the racist undertones it arguably contained.
I find myself in rare agreement with LBC’s Iain Dale:
Probably the best comment of the lot – that This Writer has seen – came from comedian Sam Avery:
The ramifications
Starmer’s attempt to appeal to right-wing voters has backfired badly, alienating Labour’s core supporters without gaining new ones. He has
Caused rampant distrust among traditional Labour voters who feel betrayed by the party’s new direction.
Increased support for alternative parties that uphold progressive immigration policies.
And he may even cause civil unrest if the policies lead to significant disruptions in public services.
We’re nearly halfway there! Thanks to amazing supporters, we’ve raised £23 toward this month’s £50 goal to fund independent research and reporting.
Let’s close the gap this week! Help us hit £50 and power the next investigation.
If you value fearless political journalism that holds the powerful to account, please chip in today. Even £2 helps keep Vox Political running strong.
👉 Support us here: https://ko-fi.com/voxpolitical
You’ll probably hear an awful lot more of the same over the next few days and weeks as Starmer wades through the river of excrement that he has poured over his government.
Suffice to say that Vox Political foresaw the implications of Starmer’s policy shift, and the subsequent fallout confirms my fears.
As the government moves forward with these proposals, you need to stay alert and engaged.
Make your voice heard. Write to your MP. Share this article. Attend protests. Let’s make it clear that this ‘island of strangers’ stands united against the bigotry and hatred of its mistakenly-elected leader.
Back in 1968, the people held Powell and his leaders accountable; we need to show that we have moved forward since then.
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Be among the first to know what’s going on! Here are the ways to manage it:
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (bottom right of the home page). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
5) Follow Vox Political writer Mike Sivier on BlueSky
6) Join the MeWe page at https://mewe.com/p-front/voxpolitical
7) Feel free to comment!
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
Cruel Britannia is available
in either print or eBook format here:
The Livingstone Presumption is available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
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