World Immigration News

Union boss warns Starmer over ‘echoing the right’ on immigration

Release Date: 2025-05-31
Media: The Independent
Summary: Paul Nowak, General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), has issued a warning to Labour leader Keir Starmer and the broader political left, urging them to reclaim the immigration debate in response to the growing influence of Nigel Farage and the Reform party. Writing in The Independent, Nowak criticized Starmer’s recent rhetoric, cautioning that the left should not echo the narratives of the right or abandon its core values of dignity and fairness.

Nowak condemned Reform’s attempts to position itself as the “party of the workers,” calling their anti-immigration claims “dangerous and false.” He argued that the British public is not anti-immigrant, but rather frustrated with a system that appears chaotic and unfair — including long asylum waits, exploitation of migrant workers, and underfunded public services.

He urged Chancellor Rachel Reeves to allocate sufficient funding in the upcoming June 11 spending review to key initiatives like the Fair Pay Agreement in social care and the Fair Work Agency, which he says are essential to tackling the root causes of discontent around immigration. He also called for a more humane asylum system where claimants are allowed to work and contribute to society.

Ultimately, Nowak warned that unless the left offers clear, effective solutions, far-right misinformation will continue to fill the political vacuum.
Tags: UK

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