Keir Starmer heads out on immigration fact finding tour

Shadow Immigration minister Keir Starmer is embarking on a UK tour to speak to voters about the issue. He will spend three months travelling around the country, talking to the public, charities and trade unions about the pros and cons of migration, before drawing up policy ideas.

He will kick off the tour with a speech next week, setting out his initial thoughts on the subject. Post-election research has found that immigration was one of the main reasons Labour failed to win more support last year, with the party unable to command trust on the issue.

Announcing the initiative, Starmer said: “There are many, varied and legitimate views on migration across the party and across the UK. Many Labour voters and supporters are worried about migration and their concerns must be our concerns.

“That is why, as shadow immigration minister, I will spend the next three months visiting different parts of the UK, listening to the arguments and seeing for myself both the advantages and challenges that migration brings in different places.”

He said that the Government’s target to bring net migration to under 100,000 a year “clearly needs to be reconsidered”, and that Labour should offer “clear and coherent alternative”.