Politics

Keir Starmer swipes back at BBC question about 'too many foreigners in Britain'


Keir Starmer swiped back today at a BBC interviewer who asked him if it was racist to say there are “too many foreigners in Britain”.

The Labour leadership frontrunner highlighted the “incredible” NHS staff who have cared for his mother-in-law for the last four days in intensive care.

And he warned people must be “very very careful” before “pitching this debate in that way”.

The question from BBC Radio 5 Live’s Nicky Campbell came as Sir Keir returned to the campaign trail four days after his mother-in-law had a “very bad accident”.

He said today her condition is “awful” adding: “She’s still in intensive care and it’s been very very hard for my wife and her family. [A] very very difficult few days for us.”

The 5 Live host asked the question in the context of whether Labour needed to win back more socially conservative voters in order to win power.

Putting the question to Sir Keir as Boris Johnson prepares to unveil a “points-based” immigration system, he asked: “Is it racist to say there are too many foreigners in Britain?”


Sir Keir replied: “Can I just say how uncomfortable I am about that just at the moment.

“We’ve just spent four days in intensive care with my mother-in-law where there are people of every nationality giving her the most incredible care.

“And therefore pitching this debate in that way I think is… just got to be very very careful.”

The host pressed on, saying immigration “is a massive debate in this country.”

Sir Keir replied: “Of course it is, of course it is, but I want people in this country to be able to work in other countries.

“And I want people in other countries to be able to come and work here, and they bring a lot with them when they do.

5 Live host Nicky Campbell (left with co-host Rachel Burden) spoke in the context of whether Labour needed to win back more socially conservative voters to win power

“Equally I’ve never seen a problem with people coming here to study, or our students to go and study elsewhere, or people to live together as families.”

The 5 Live host replied: “There are people who think there’s too much immigration and I was just asking, not unreasonably, if you think it is racist to think there is far too much immigration.”

At that point Sir Keir said: “No, I don’t think it’s racist to have concerns, of course it’s not.”

But the Labour MP added: “We need to address this as a matter of principle.”

Sir Keir missed two all-candidate events, a hustings and a Unite interview, due to the family crisis while another hustings was cancelled out of respect to him.

Tonight he will return to the campaign to give a speech vowing a “radical” rewrite of the UK constitution to create a “federal” nation.

Starmer later said: “No, I don’t think it’s racist to have concerns, of course it’s not.”

He will then embark on a three-day tour of Scotland, Northern England and Wales.

Meanwhile Sir Keir slapped down Unite chief Len McCluskey’s claim that Jeremy Corbyn’s “enemies” used the anti-Semitism row to undermine him.

He said “I don’t agree”, telling BBC Radio 5 Live: “I’ve taken a pretty straightforward approach to this. If you’re anti-Semitic you shouldn’t be in the Labour Party, that’s the be all and end all of it.”

Jess Phillips, Clive lewis, Lisa Nandy, Rebecca Long Bailey, Emily Thornberry and Keir Starmer
  • Keir Starmer – 1/3
  • Rebecca Long-Bailey – 4/1
  • Lisa Nandy – 6/1
  • Emily Thornberry – 100/1
  • OUT: Jess Phillips
  • OUT: Clive Lewis

Odds Jan 22 from thepools.com. For full profiles and how the contest works click here.

Deputy leadership candidates

politics-main.jpeg 

  • Angela Rayner
  • Richard Burgon
  • Rosena Allin Khan
  • Dawn Butler
  • Ian Murray
  • OUT: Khalid Mahmood

But Sir Keir claimed Jeremy Corbyn was “vilified by the press up hill and down dale” – despite sharing platforms with IRA sympathisers and people who made anti-Semitic remarks, including the ‘blood libel’ against Jews.

Asked if the Labour leader brought negative coverage on himself by associating with people like that, Sir Keir said: “That argument might have some force if Jeremy Corbyn was the only leader of the Labour Party who’d ever been vilified.

“But we’ve seen this with every leader of the Labour Party.”

Read More

Latest Labour leadership news

Asked a similar question again he added: “I don’t think that is an adequate explanation to be perfectly honest.”

Sir Keir said he would take a personal lead on anti-Semitism cases and only be satisfied when those who left over anti-Semitism feel comfortable to return.

He also slapped down deputy leadership candidates Richard Burgon and Dawn Butler for refusing to back a list of 10 demands from the Board of Deputies of British Jews.

“I disagree with them on that,” he said.

“Of course there’s debate to be had about the various examples that are there, but in the end there’s a fundamental breach of trust between the Labour Party and Jewish communities and we need to address that urgently.”





READ SOURCE

Leave a Reply

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you accept our use of cookies.