The Government is on the right track when it comes to immigration but infighting could undermine Labour
The Government has been accused of being rudderless and it has made many mistakes since the 2024 general election. U-turn after U-turn, policies that fail to acknowledge the reality on the ground and a sense that the country is drifting when it needs decisive leadership have all become characteristics of Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership.
One of the pledges that Labour was clear on from the moment Starmer entered Downing Street was to reduce immigration. New figures show that net migration dropped to an estimated 171,000 last year. This is the lowest level since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
The biggest threat at the ballot box to Labour is the turquoise wave of Reform UK. Its leader Nigel Farage has managed to adroitly exploit the issue of immigration. And if Labour is to stand a chance of winning the next general election then it has no choice but to tackle immigration head on.
One issue that has particularly touched a nerve in certain parts of the country is the use of hotels to house refugees. People in left behind communities feel aggrieved by the idea of refugees being housed in better conditions that they themselves could ever afford.
Therefore the number of asylum seekers being housed temporarily in UK hotels dropping 35 per cent year-on-year, from 32,326 to 20,885 would be used by a united, competent party as political capital.
However, the Makerfield by-election, now confirmed for June 18, and the possibility of a leadership challenge from Andy Burnham means that attention is diverted elsewhere.