Kmflett's Blog

One Year On: 12^th May 2025. Starmer’s ‘strangers’ speech

Keir Starmer’s speech on migration on 12^th May 2025 was widely condemned for its reference to strangers an echo of Enoch Powell’s Rivers of Blood speech on 20^th April 1968. He later apologised.

The relevant passages are below with a link to Starmer’s speech. I have not linked to the Powell speech, but it can be Googled. Powell was sacked a Tory Shadow Minister by Tory leader Ted Heath for making it.

Whether Starmer was aware of the reference can be debated but it seems very likely that whoever inserted it in the speech was well aware and that aside from Powell it’s a sentiment previously associated with Farage.

One year on Farage’s racist politics has found further electoral success and Stephen Yaxley Lennon plans another genuine hate march in central London on 16^th May.

Of course Starmer is not entirely to blame for all this although he does have a Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood who is pushing through measures that encourages it. The four nations of Britain are not ease with themselves.

The campaign to underline that refugees and migrants are welcome here, and indeed essential to our public services in a tolerant country at ease with itself needs to be pursued with even more vigour. Stand Up To Racism is mobilising to make sure Yaxley Lennon’s hate does not go unopposed on Saturday.

For reasons which they could not comprehend, and in pursuance of a decision by default, on which they were never consulted, they found themselves made strangers in their own country.

Enoch Powell 20^th April 1968, Conservative Association Meeting, Birmingham

we risk becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together.

Keir Starmer, 12^th May 2025 London

PM remarks at Immigration White Paper press conference: 12 May 2025 – GOV.UK