Home Secretary Fires Back at Comparisons Between Starmer & Enoch Powell
Yesterday’s immigration speech from UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has sparked a fresh wave of criticism, with some commentators claiming the rhetoric echoes Enoch Powell’s infamous 1968 “rivers of blood” launchpad. The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, rebuts these claims and urges the public to focus on the actual policies rather than theatrical comparisons.
Starmer’s “Island of Strangers” Warning
- Starmer warned that without decisive action, the UK could devolve into an “island of strangers.”
- Powerful punchline: “Everyone in this country is different. That’s our strength.”
Cooper’s Counter‑Pitch
- “It’s completely different from Powell’s 1968 speech.” (q)
- “We should talk about policies, not filler phrases.”
- “We have a team of people who have worked for generations in the NHS, founded businesses and taken on tough jobs. The system needs work, but that’s all about control and management.”
Other Voices This Side of Parliament
- Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London) said he would not have used “island of strangers.”
- John McDonnell (former shadow chancellor) claimed that Starmer was reflecting Powell’s language.
- Olivia Blake (Labour backbencher) warned: “Starmer may risk legitimising the far‑right violence of last year’s riots.”
Bottom Line
The pound‑sharp debate is less about people’s opinions on the words used and more about what people actually want out of immigration policy. It may be easy to get bogged down in echoes from history, but every great policy has its own footnotes. Let’s focus on the real policies and keep the conversation constructive—and yes, we could insert a laugh here if the policies come complete with a sense of humor.
