Welcome to the era of hostage politics, where Labour is apparently your only hope | Nesrine Malik
Guardian1 day
UK Unveils Immigration Reform to Cut Net Migration
Above: U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer holds a press conference on immigration at Downing Street on May 12, 2025 in London, England. Image copyright: Ian Vogler - WPA Pool/Getty Images via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-government narrative
The U.K.’s new immigration reforms are a vital reset. Unchecked migration under the previous government overwhelmed housing, services, and trust in politics. By linking visas to skills training and integration, the new policy ensures fairness, restores control of borders, and prioritizes opportunity for British workers and the next generation. This is common-sense governance.
Left narrative
Labour’s immigration crackdown is cowardly, not pragmatic. Banning care visas ignores those who prop up the country's vulnerable NHS and care sectors. Labour should defend human dignity, and ignoring hard evidence of the economic benefits of migration in favor of fear-led politics won’t fix the U.K.'s broken system. Real courage means standing for justice, not pandering to the far-right for votes.
Right narrative
These reforms are nowhere near enough. Policies such as banning care visas and increasing settlement requirements are a small step, but mass migration remains out of control. As long as the U.K. stays in the ECHR, it cannot truly enforce its borders or remove those with no right to be there. The system has failed for years, and tweaks won’t fix it. Bold action must happen now, starting with leaving the ECHR and a fixed migration cap.