Starmer claims Oldham made him realise ‘left got it wrong on immigration’

The Prime Minister has claimed he had a realisation about immigration after a visit to Oldham almost ten years ago.

Sir Keir Starmer spoke to BBC journalist Laura Kuenssberg ahead of the Labour conference yesterday. In the interview, Kuenssberg pressed Starmer on a statement he made on Friday, September 26, where he claimed ‘the left had got it wrong on illegal immigration’. 

Ms Kuenssberg asked the Prime Minister: “When did you realise you’d got it wrong?”
Sir Keir responded: “Well, I’d thought for some time that the left had got it wrong.”

Ms Kuenssberg then interjected and asked: “But when did you realise that?”

The Prime Minister said: “Soon after I was a politician, I went to Oldham and met a number of people there who wanted to tell me what their concerns were.”

Sir Keir was then challenged on what action the Labour government had taken in the intervening 10 years, to which he responded that the party ‘came into power one year ago’ and had spent ‘frustrating’ years in opposition. 

“We came into power one year ago,” he said. “We’ve taken measures to improve law enforcement and tackle illegal immigration. I want to strengthen the powers of those who enforce our borders. … We’ve returned nearly 35,000 immigrants which is the highest number for nearly ten years.” 

He also said he wanted to ‘empty asylum hotels’ and ‘understood people’s frustration’ around the housing of asylum seekers. 

During the same interview, the Prime Minister hit out at Reform UK, saying the party would “tear the country apart” and that they “do not believe” in a “beautiful, tolerant, diverse country”.

The interview took place in Liverpool as hundreds of Labour members flooded the city for this year’s Labour conference.