Newslinks for Tuesday 13th May 2025

May 13, 2025

Badenoch and Philp round on ‘Starmer Chameleon’ over his new immigration plan

“Sir Keir Starmer was accused of ‘taking the public for fools’ as he proposed an immigration crackdown – after years of backing open borders. The Prime Minister insisted in a major speech yesterday that he had long believed in wanting to limit the number of new arrivals to Britain and booting out foreign criminals. He warned the country risks becoming an ‘island of strangers’ and that high migration numbers had caused ‘incalculable damage’ to public services, housing and the economy. But he was dubbed ‘Starmer Chameleon’ by the Tories who highlighted how he had said the exact opposite before entering No 10. The Government’s long-awaited White Paper promised to curb the power of judges to block deportations and to reduce immigration to Britain by 98,000 a year. However, the PM’s tough language – described as a ‘miraculous conversion’ by Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp – simultaneously sparked a backlash from Labour Left-wingers and trade unions. Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch said: ‘It was astonishing listening to Keir Starmer’s proposals. Labour are taking the public for fools.’” – Daily Mail

Starmer crackdown will only cut migration to pre-Brexit levels – Daily Telegraph
Starmer defends plans to curb net migration after backlash from MPs – Guardian
Red Wall Labour MPs welcome immigration plan, while left attacks Starmer – The i
Furious left-wing Labour MPs compare Starmer to Enoch Powell – after PM said UK risked becoming ‘island of strangers’ as he launched migration crackdown – Daily Mail
PM faces opposition from Labour MPs and employers over immigration shift – Guardian
‘Island of Strangers’- Hundreds of illegal migrants cross Channel during Keir’s speech promising to ‘take back control’ of our borders – The Sun
What are Keir Starmer’s new immigration rules and will they work? – The Times
What does Starmer’s ‘new era’ on migration mean – and will it make the slightest difference? From limiting access to public service to allowing refugees to work – Daily Mail
Universities face foreign student tax as Starmer cracks down on migration – Daily Telegraph

Editorial

Labour must stop ignoring Brits over immigration or be punished heavily at the next election – The Sun

Comment

An island of strangers? Tell us about it, Sir Keir. But none of your tinkering will make a blind bit of difference – Daniel Hannan, Daily Mail
Starmer’s tough policy on migration is the biggest con since Meg Ryan simulated an orgasm in a diner – Allison Pearson, Daily Telegraph
As I watched Keir Starmer shed every principle he once had for his latest migration ‘crackdown’, I didn’t know whether to laugh or vomit – Richard Littlejohn, Daily Mail
Can Keir Starmer be trusted to control migration? – Karl Williams, CapX
Three key flaws in Starmer’s immigration crackdown – John Power, Spectator
Now the Left have nowhere to hide – James Price, The Critic

>Today

Whatever your immigration views, surely we deserve to know the true cost?

>Yesterday

Brexit handed the Conservatives the machinery to tackle high immigration, and we didn’t use it

Jenrick backs calls for any jihadis that returned to the UK from IS to face jail

“More than 400 IS jihadis have returned to the UK but not faced justice, a damning report finds. Fighters carried out killings, terror attacks and genocide after joining the banned terror group in Iraq and Syria. Lord Alton, head of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, said ministers cannot “wash their hands” of crimes because they happened overseas. The committee said the Government has to make sure the jihadis are put on trial in the UK. Lord Alton said: “We know that British nationals committed the most horrendous crimes in Iraq and Syria under the Daesh [IS] regime and we have a duty to see them brought to justice.” Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick said: “Terrorists in the Middle East are not welcome in the UK. They have forfeited their right to live here with their appalling crimes. “Those that have made it back from ISIS need to be locked up and kept away from the public.” – The Sun

Murder, battery and drug dealing: The crimes committed in Britain by criminals who Starmer helped dodge deportation – Daily Mail
Yvette Cooper refuses to take down webpage promising home and £49 a week to asylum seekers – Daily Express

Police probe suspected arson attack at Prime Minister’s private north London home

“Counter-terror police are leading an investigation into a suspected “firebomb” attack at Sir Keir Starmer’s north London home. A suspicious blaze broke out at the property in Tufnell Park at just after 1.30am on Monday, with neighbours saying police had searched gardens for a “projectile”. Police are also investigating whether a suspected arson attack at a second north London property linked to the Prime Minister 24 hours earlier is connected to the attack. A car fire on the same street as Sir Keir’s family home on May 8 is similarly being investigated. The Metropolitan Police’s SO15 counter-terrorism command has taken charge of the inquiry. Sources stressed that the command’s involvement was routine, given the high-profile nature of the property’s owner.” – Daily Telegraph

Terror police probe possible link between Starmer home fire and other blazes – FT
‘Arson’ damage at two properties linked to Sir Keir Starmer: Counter-terror police probe suspicious blazes at PM’s former North London homes as hunt for ‘firebomb attacker’ goes on – Daily Mail
Terror police probe three separate fires linked to Keir Starmer after arson at PM’s home – Daily Express
Police probe fire at Prime Minister’s home – Spectator

Shadow Energy Minister says 2050 net-zero goal ‘not based on science’

“The Conservative party’s energy spokesperson has attacked leading climate scientists as biased and claimed Kemi Badenoch could take the UK out of the Paris climate agreement. Andrew Bowie, the acting shadow secretary for energy, told the Guardian that the target of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 – passed into law by Theresa May – was “arbitrary” and “not based on science”. He also indicated that the UK’s participation in the 2015 Paris climate agreement was up for reconsideration in the party’s ongoing review of key policies. The only other country to have withdrawn from the agreement is the US, twice, under Donald Trump. Bowie said: “We are not climate deniers and while we believe in getting to net zero, what we shouldn’t do is be hamstrung by arbitrary targets such as a date of 2050, which was concocted simply because it was a good end point as a date. There’s no scientific rationale for choosing 2050 as the point to which we should reach net zero.” – Guardian

Britain ‘no longer a global charity’ ministers will say as aid budget slashed

“The days of Britain being a “global charity” are over, ministers will declare on Tuesday, as they outline their approach to cutting the government’s multibillion-pound aid budget by almost 50 per cent. Baroness Chapman of Darlington, the international development minister, will tell MPs that she is having to make hard choices over which areas to axe as a result of the prime minister’s decision to divert aid spending to defence. Among projects already identified for closure include some supporting female inclusion, education and improving digital access. Aid spending is due to fall from 0.5 per cent of UK gross national income to 0.3 per cent from 2027, resulting in budget cuts of £6.1 billion in development spending.” – The Times

Labour to defend aid cuts, claiming UK’s days as ‘a global charity’ are over – Guardian

Nursing union tells government to get serious over pay or face strikes

“The head of the UK’s biggest nursing union has warned staff may strike again unless the Government comes up with a “significant” pay offer. At its annual congress in Liverpool, Royal College of Nursing (RCN) general secretary and chief executive, Professor Nicola Ranger, will warn ministers “not to sail too close to the wind” when it comes to announcing a pay deal and believes the situation will “escalate” if the profession is left “ailing and underpaid”. Last month, the NHS Pay Review Body (PRB) recommended a pay rise of about 3 per cent for nurses for the year 2025-26 but the Government has yet to announce its offer. It has previously budgeted for a 2.8 per cent uplift to staff pay.” – The i

Pensioners are shoplifting ‘because they can’t afford to eat’ – The Times

Bulgarian honeytrap agents in Russian spy ring jailed

“Two honeytrap agents who spied for Russia have been jailed after a judge ruled they were willing participants despite being tricked by their shared lover. Katrin Ivanova and Vanya Gaberova were both recruited to the espionage operation by Biser Dzhambazov, who ran the surveillance operations on the ground. Neither woman looked at Dzhambazov as six Bulgarian members of the spy ring controlled from a guesthouse in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, appeared for sentencing at the Old Bailey on Monday. Mr Justice Hilliard said the nation’s “safety and interests” were put at risk by the operations. He said spies provided a “foothold” for the enemy intelligence services in the UK.” – The Times

Locked up. Honeytrap spy ring jailed after passing secrets to Russia for 3 years while bed-hopping at Brit guesthouse base – The Sun
The mystery electric substation fires that ‘bear the hallmarks of Russian sabotage’: How spate of suspicious blazes are ‘straight out of playbook’ of Putin’s GRU– Daily Mail
EU readies capital controls and tariffs to safeguard Russia sanctions – FT
UN body rules Russia responsible for downing of flight MH17 prompting calls for compensation – Guardian