Keir dubbed 'Starmer Chameleon' and accused of 'taking the public for fools' over his immigration crackdown plans

Sir Keir Starmer was accused of 'taking the nationalist for fools' arsenic helium projected an migration crackdown – aft years of backing unfastened borders.

The Prime Minister insisted successful a large code yesterday that helium had agelong believed successful wanting to bounds the fig of caller arrivals to Britain and booting retired overseas criminals.

He warned the state risks becoming an 'island of strangers' and that precocious migration numbers had caused 'incalculable damage' to nationalist services, lodging and the economy.

But helium was dubbed 'Starmer Chameleon' by the Tories who highlighted however helium had said the nonstop other earlier entering No 10.

The Government's long-awaited White Paper promised to curb the powerfulness of judges to artifact deportations and to trim migration to Britain by 98,000 a year.

However, the PM's pugnacious connection – described arsenic a 'miraculous conversion' by Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp – simultaneously sparked a backlash from Labour Left-wingers and commercialized unions, portion healthcare manufacture experts raised caller concerns astir the interaction of projected restrictions connected enactment visas.

During the 2020 Labour enactment contention Sir Keir said that 'free question has been hugely beneficial' and 'our migration strategy should beryllium welcoming and compassionate'.

He besides backed 'more harmless and ineligible routes' for radical to articulation household members alternatively than risking crossing the Channel, arsenic good arsenic closing down migration detention centres and giving asylum seekers the close to work.

In different 2020 code helium said 'we invited migrants, we don't scapegoat them'. One of his 10 pledges astatine the clip – astir of which person present been abandoned – was to 'defend escaped movement' and make an 'immigration strategy based connected compassion and dignity'.

During the run helium signed a missive calling for the Home Office to cancel a deportation formation owed to nonstop location 50 Jamaican criminals including rapists, burglars and robbers, and to suspend 'all aboriginal charter flights'.

In fact, adjacent erstwhile making his maiden code to the Commons aft being elected successful 2015, helium challenged Tory plans for a Bill of Rights that would let deportations. And erstwhile a young barrister helium erstwhile wrote that determination was a 'racist undercurrent which permeates each migration law'.

Opposition person Kemi Badenoch said: 'It was astonishing listening to Keir Starmer's proposals. Labour are taking the nationalist for fools.'

Mr Philp said: 'The Prime Minister claimed this greeting that, each of a sudden, helium wants to power immigration. That came to maine arsenic thing of a surprise. He seems to person undergone a miraculous conversion.

'He has seemingly repudiated everything helium has ever believed, oregon possibly the Prime Minister is doing what helium ever does – saying immoderate helium thinks radical privation to hear.'

Mr Philp called for a 'binding yearly headdress connected migration' and that the Human Rights Act should nary longer use to migration matters.

Shadow location bureau curate Matt Vickers told the Mail: 'This is the Starmer Chameleon successful enactment – saying 1 happening and doing another, talking pugnacious portion connected the aforesaid time bringing done a measure that waters down our powers to woody with those who travel present illegally.'

Reform UK person Nigel Farage said: 'Many of the things helium said are the aforesaid things I've been saying for implicit 20 years, and that's Starmer's problem, insincerity. What does this antheral really judge in?'

In his Downing Street code yesterday morning, Sir Keir denied his vow to chopped nett migration – the fig of radical settling successful the UK each twelvemonth minus those leaving – was a absorption to Reform's surging popularity.

'I americium doing this due to the fact that it is right, due to the fact that it is fair,' helium insisted. 'I judge we request to trim migration significantly. 

'That's wherefore immoderate of the policies successful this White Paper spell backmost astir 3 years, which is wherefore I told the Labour Party league 'taking backmost control' is simply a Labour argument, and why, astir importantly of all, inward migration is already falling with this Government.'

He was asked by the Mail if his views had changed, fixed helium is present promising 'enforcement tougher than ever' conscionable 5 years aft calling connected deportation flights to beryllium halted. 

Sir Keir replied: 'No, I've ever said that those who perpetrate offences should beryllium deported.'

However, the PM refused to see quitting the European Convention connected Human Rights oregon disapplying the Human Rights Act successful migration cases, arsenic galore connected the Right are demanding.

Migrants continued to transverse the Channel illegally, with the full since Labour came to powerfulness passing 35,000 connected Sunday. Another migrant died yesterday and 60 much were rescued disconnected France.

Net migration deed a grounds 906,000 successful the twelvemonth to June 2023. Latest authoritative figures are owed to beryllium published adjacent week.