In Monday’s Downing Street speech, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer pledged that his Labour government would “take back control of our borders” and “tighten up every area of the immigration system”. The speech was met with backlash as some claimed it echoed the racially charged Rivers of Blood speech made by Enoch Powell in 1968.

Former human rights lawyer 'now needs to own the change – not just mouth the slogans' to win over a sceptical public

The backlash to Sir Keir Starmer’s speech on immigration has been “way overblown”, a senior Cabinet minister has said. The Prime Minister has faced criticism for the language he used in the speech setting out plans to crack down on legal migration into the UK on Monday.