Immigration: Plaid Cymru attack on my stance 'rubbish'
On Monday, the prime minister unveiled plans to ban recruitment of care workers from overseas, tighten access to skilled worker visas and raise the costs to employers in an effort to curb near record net migration.This, he promised, would mean net migration falling "significantly" over the next four years.He told broadcasters the UK risks "becoming an island of strangers" without strong rules on immigration and integration.
In the Senedd on Tuesday, Welsh First Minster Eluned Morgan declined to endorse the island of strangers claim, saying she would not use "divisive language". Some Labour MPs have also called Sir Keir's choice of words on the subject divisive.In Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions, Saville Roberts told the Commons: "This prime minister once spoke of compassion and dignity for migrants, and for defending free movement."Now he talks of 'islands of strangers' and 'taking back control'. Somebody here has to call this out."It seems the only principle he consistently defends is whichever he last heard in a focus group. So I ask him, is there any belief he holds which survives a week in Downing Street?"Sir Keir replied: "Yes, the belief that she talks rubbish.""I want to lead a country where we pull together and walk into the future as neighbours and as communities, not as strangers, and the loss of control of migration by the last government put all of that at risk, and that's why we're fixing the system based on principles of control, selection and fairness," he added.
'Struck a nerve'
After Prime Minister's Questions, Saville Roberts said Sir Keir's "outburst" showed "my question struck a nerve". "The expressions on the faces of many Labour MPs told their own story – plenty of them know I was right," she said."If his convictions change with the political weather, it's no surprise that support for Labour in Wales, as across Britain, is falling through the floor."On Tuesday, Eluned Morgan warned she was "extremely concerned about our ability to recruit to the care sector" and "people need to recognise that there is a direct knock-on effect on hospital waits and how long people have to wait in emergency departments because of the fragility of the care sector".
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
7 minutes ago
- The Independent
What is Yvette Cooper's plan to fast-track asylum claims?
As tensions flare up in the UK over migration, with protests taking place in Newcastle, Manchester and north London, the government is pursuing a new plan to reduce the asylum backlog. The home secretary has said she plans to introduce a fast-track scheme to turn around asylum decisions within weeks, via a 'major overhaul' of the appeal process. The plan is part of a wider attempt to crack down on the number of people crossing the Channel, with Ms Cooper announcing a 'one-in-one-out' returns deal with France earlier this year. But despite their efforts, last week it was revealed that the number of migrants arriving in the UK after crossing the English Channel topped 25,000 in record time, piling pressure on the government to take further action. It is hoped that the new plan will make a dent in the backlog and return people to safe countries faster, reducing the number of asylum seekers who are housed in hotels while awaiting the outcome of a claim or appeal. Here, The Independent takes a look at everything we know about the plan so far and how it will work in practice. How would the fast-track system work? Asylum seekers and their families are housed in temporary accommodation, including hotels, if they are waiting for the outcome of a claim or an appeal and have been assessed as not being able to support themselves independently. But Yvette Cooper has now promised a 'major overhaul' of the appeal process, speeding up the time it takes for decisions on claims and appeals to be made. There are currently limited details on how this system would work, but sources told the Sunday Times it would allow decisions to be taken within weeks, rather than months or even years. Once a decision has been taken, those who have been rejected will be returned to their home country – reducing the number of people housed in temporary accommodation. 'If we speed up the decision-making appeal system and also then keep increasing returns, we hope to be able to make quite a big reduction in the overall numbers in the asylum system, because that is the best way to actually restore order and control,' Ms Cooper said. When will it be implemented? The home secretary has said she will legislate for the changes in autumn, when MPs return from their summer break. But it could take months for any legislation to pass through parliament, meaning we are unlikely to see the fast-track system implemented until the new year. How big is the asylum backlog and why is tackling it a priority? As of the end of March 2025, there were 78,745 asylum applications awaiting an initial decision – an 8 per cent decrease from the end of June 2024 and a 13 per cent decrease compared to the end of December 2024, official immigration statistics show. These outstanding cases related to 109,536 people, including both main applicants and their dependents. Labour has put a pledge to fix the 'broken' asylum system and crack down on the number of people coming to the UK on small boats at the centre of its plan for government. But with boat crossings at a record high, and the asylum backlog still above 75,000, there is mounting pressure on ministers to take more drastic action, a pressure exacerbated by the success of Reform UK in the polls. The government has also promised to end the use of asylum hotels before the end of this parliament, a promise it is unlikely to meet unless the backlog is reduced. Tensions over asylum hotels have flared up in recent weeks, with a protest and counter-protest taking place on Saturday outside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel in north London, and also in Newcastle and Manchester.
Telegraph
7 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Labour's net-zero ‘flight tax' set to raise cost of family holiday
Labour's 'flight tax' on airlines will add more than £50 to the cost of a family holiday within a decade, analysis shows. Net zero rules introduced by Sir Keir Starmer mean planes must be filled with at least 2 per cent sustainable fuel, which will rise to 10 per cent followed by 22 per cent by 2040. The Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) mandate means airlines that do not comply with the green policy face heavy fines likely to be passed on in part to passengers. Costs associated with the new levy are expected to reach £4.5 billion by 2035, according to a new analysis by Public First. This works out at £12.79 per passenger per flight leaving the UK, adding £51.16 to the average overseas holiday taken by a family of four. The impact of the policy is expected to hit Britons as soon as 2027, with its cost hitting £200 million in that year. 'Ludicrous net stupid zero' By 2030, this figure will have ballooned to £1.5 million, the equivalent to £4.64 per passenger per flight – making a holiday for a family of four £18.56 more expensive. Richard Tice, the Reform UK deputy leader, told The Telegraph: 'This is yet another egregious tax on working citizens to pay for the ludicrous net stupid zero. A Reform government will scrap all this nonsense.' Greg Smith, a Tory transport minister, said: 'Labour said the transition to green aviation would cost pennies but now families are being hit with soaring ticket prices to fund Ed Miliband's net zero experiment. 'It's not just weekend getaways being priced out. It's regional airports under threat, tourism on the ropes, and British families paying the price for Labour's ideological fantasy. 'The truth is net zero by 2050 is impossible without bankrupting our country and Labour's plan to chase it will ground British families before it ever lands.' 80pc cost could be passed to consumers The Government's own impact assessment of the green mandate found that as much as 80 per cent of its cost could be passed on to consumers. Labour claims the pledge to use more sustainable fuel will support thousands of jobs while cutting the UK's transport emissions on the way to becoming a 'clean energy superpower'. The figures come as ministers were urged to relax red tape that means SAF cannot currently be made from non-food grade British-grown wheat. Phil New led the Government's independent review into the future of SAF and urged it to consider British bioethanol as a credible and scalable option. Mr New said: 'Ethanol made from British-grown milling wheat, which would otherwise be exported as animal feed, can be processed into SAF in a way that meets the emissions reductions required by the UK's standards. 'Home-grown, low-carbon aviation fuel industry' 'This is a real opportunity to create a home-grown, low-carbon aviation fuel industry that supports British agriculture, strengthens fuel security and helps us meet our climate ambitions.' Ben Hackett, managing director at Vivergo Fuels, added: 'The UK has the capability today to produce sustainable aviation fuel from home-grown non-food grade wheat – supporting British farmers, reducing carbon emissions, and improving our energy security. But outdated regulations are blocking this from happening. 'It makes no sense that ethanol from British wheat can be blended into petrol for cars, but not used to make jet fuel, especially when other countries are already moving ahead with this technology.' The analysis by Public First also found the UK could require the output of seven large-scale bioethanol plants by 2035 to meet growing domestic demand for SAF.
Daily Mail
7 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
British travellers have been fined £30million in 18 months for accidentally bringing migrants into the country - with only ONE successfully appealing the punishment
Brits have been fined an astonishing £30million in just a year and a half for accidentally ferrying illegal immigrants across the channel in their vehicles, the Daily Mail can reveal. Travellers have been slapped with thousands of pounds in fines under an obscure and highly controversial scheme designed to crack down on the waves of illegal migrants sneaking into the country. Drivers can be fined up to £10,000 for each illegal migrant found hiding in their vehicle when they return to the UK under the scheme - even if they were unaware of their existence. They can also be handed a £6,000 fine if they vehicle is not 'adequately secured' - even if no migrant is found. The penalties have been harshly criticised for punishing law-abiding citizens who report illegal migrants they discover and open themselves up for bumper fines. While those who don't report the illegal migrants, allowing them to freely leave their vehicles, avoid the prospect of a harsh penalty. The Daily Mail previously revealed that £25,662,299 in fines had been dished out by the home office under the Clandestine Entrant Civil Penalty Scheme between 1 January 2024 and March this year. By the end of June that figure had shot up to £30,983,102, with no further successful penalty appeals, figures obtained from a Freedom of Information request show. That comes despite criticism over the policy penalizing right-minded citizens, with Sir Keir Starmer even forced to intervene in one case after significant public backlash. Although 6,825 fines have been imposed, just one person has been succesful in getting their punishment rescinded since the beginning of last year. There have been 140 unsuccesful appeals. Hauliers have typically been the target of most fines and coach companies can pre-emptively sign up for 'membership' of a civil penalty accreditation scheme which entitles them to a 50 per cent reduction in fines. The fines come as the Government attempts to crack down on illegal immigration, including small boat crossings, but rather than punishing smugglers, it is innocent Brits, wholly unaware of any wrongdoing, who have been penalized under the scheme. One public spirited couple were punished for reporting a stowaway in their van - sparking widespread astonishment and the intervention of the prime minister. Adrian and Joanne Fenton, from Heybridge, Essex, were fined £1,500 by the Home Office in March after reporting a migrant in their motorhome after returning from France. The couple were shocked to find a Sudanese man inside a bag covering a bike rack on their motorhome after a long drive back from Calais and immediately called the police, who took the man away for processing. Yet just over two months later, the pair were issued with the fine for failing to 'check that no clandestine entrant was concealed' in the camper van. Mr Fenton appealed to Border Force by making a 'notice of objection' detailing why he believed the penalty was unfair. While their fine was waived after growing public pressure, their 'liability' remained. A letter from Border Force said: 'The written notice of objection has been carefully considered and the Secretary of State has decided that your liability stands. 'However, after review of the case by a senior officer the level of penalty per clandestine entrant or person concealed being a clandestine entrant has been revised to UK £0. They are not the only innocent couple to unknowingly end up on the wrong side of the law, with a retired ambulance service worker previously warning Brits to be on high alert during Channel crossings. Great-grandfather Peter Hughes, 75, from Droylsden, Tameside, was initially fined a staggering £6,000 after a Sudanese man was found hiding inside his small camping trailer at the Port of Calais in France. After an appeal accompanied by substantial political and media pressure, this sum was eventually reduced to £150 - which he begrudgingly paid despite he and his wife, Anne, knowing nothing about the migrant's existence. Since the beginning of last year, 12,320 fines totalling £14,676,894.84 have been paid, although some of these were imposed previously. Only one appeal of 141 penalties has been successful. That triumphant appeal saw the Home Office rescind a Kent couple's £3,000 fine after they unwittingly drove two Sudanese migrants through Calais in their campervan. Lisa Russell and Geoff Evans were stopped by border officers in France on their return from holiday and were slapped with the penalty despite having 'no idea' a man and teenager were hidden in the bike rack of their van. But their appeal, the only successful one in an 18-month period, saw the Border Force 'exercising general discretion' and remove their penalty. A letter from Border Force said: 'Following a review of the case we have decided to revise the penalty, and conclude that you have demonstrated, to the extent required, that you complied with the regulations. 'The Secretary of State has chosen to exercise general discretion and exceptionally, on this occasion, your penalty has been reduced to £0.' Others have had their fines reduced with one haulage company paying £7,566 after an original £48,000 bill. Around 5,000 'clandestine entrants' were found last year at UK border controls in Calais, Coquelles and Dunkirk, according to a report by the immigration and borders watchdog. Inevitably, others would have managed to evade checks. Meanwhile, more than 25,000 migrants have arrived in the UK via small boats in 2025, a record at this stage of the year. A Home Office spokesperson said: 'We are fully committed to stopping people from illegally entering the country and cracking down on people smugglers. 'It's against the law to help someone enter the UK illegally, which is why the Clandestine Entrant Civil Penalty Scheme is there to ensure drivers take every reasonable step to deter illegal migration.'
