Keir Starmer gives Britain biggest clue yet that Labour is panicking

OPINION

Sir Keir Starmer announced a raft of measures on immigration Monday designed to meet the Reform UK challenge head-on. While greeted with predictable scepticism by Nigel Farage, one can at least credit the PM that – unlike the woeful Tories – he is at least being proactive about the Reform threat.

Among measures announced were the demand that foreign workers now need a degree-level qualification to apply for a skilled worker visa, longer residency waits will be pushed up to 10 years, care visa will largely be scrapped, while there will be tougher English tests as well as stricter student settlement rules.

Strong stuff! But Farage was underwhelmed, telling Sky News the proposals were a "knee-jerk reaction" to his party's success at the local elections, while he accused Sir Keir of not having the vigour to "follow them through".

Instead, Farage discussed the possibility of Singapore-style work permits – an infinitely smarter solution to the UK skills shortage – while saying he supports the "principle" of banning foreign care workers but is sceptical of the Government's resolve.

Frankly, immigration is now so long developed in the UK, one wonders what difference any of this would make. Even if the doors were slammed shut now, surely the demographic changes are baked in.

Still, perhaps something still needs to be done. No democratic mandate ever existed in the UK or other Western countries for wholesale population churn. Honestly, one wonders why work permits and hard-earned but multi-factor-determined permanent residency – much like Singapore applies – were never UK government policy.

This all comes as Reform's post local elections success – topping opinion poll after opinion poll – has seen Farage's party overtake the Tories for the first time in London. Find Out Now revealed Reform is on 19 points versus 17 for the Tories. While Labour is well ahead on 30%, this is still 13 points lower than its support last July.

Clearly Labour is panicking, with Sir Keir drawing consternation from within his own ranks owing to talk of an "island of strangers". On the one hand, Labour – like the Tories – are rattled, with Farage setting the agenda and the public understandably sceptical that the party of Tony Blair could ever be trusted on immigration.

That said, Farage cannot ignore this shift. If enough Farage-sympathetic voters are persuaded by these proposals, the dial could shift back in Labour's direction. Frankly the election is still likely over four years away, while Sir Keir – unlike Farage – has the power of Government behind him.

Furthermore, at least Labour is showing proactivity, unlike the washed-out Conservative Party. After 14 years of botching Brexit, record-breaking debt, and open-door immigration, who on Earth would trust the Tories to secure the borders? Kemi Badenoch's party has not got a leg to stand on when it comes to challenging Labour.

Farage meanwhile sets the agenda, with Labour ripped apart by Sir Keir's attempts to steal Reform's clothes, and potentially bleeding support to the Greens and Lib Dems. But – with a Red Wall leaning towards Reform – Labour has at least read the room. While the public may be sceptical, at least Sir Keir is attempting to outmanoeuvre Farage, which holds some risk for the Reform chief.

Immigration of course is not merely about quantity but quality, and – unlike smart countries like Singapore – Britain has largely failed on both counts over the last few decades.

Frankly the demographic changes are now set in, but voters still want something done to stop said changes accelerating faster.

Voters crave authenticity and likely won't fall for Sir Keir's promises. But Farage cannot ignore the infinitesimally small chance Labour actually follows through and pulls the rug out from under Reform.