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The Guardian
8 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Keir Starmer says he ‘deeply regrets' island of strangers speech
Keir Starmer has said he 'deeply regrets' a speech in which he described the UK as being in danger of becoming an island of strangers without tough curbs on immigration. The prime minister made the remarks in an interview with the Observer, saying he should have read the speech more carefully and 'held it up to the light a bit more'. The speech, delivered in May to unveil Labour's immigration policy, was criticised for seeming to echo Enoch Powell's infamous 1968 'rivers of blood' speech which had claimed Britain's white population would be 'strangers in their own country'. After the speech, Starmer's official spokesperson insisted the prime minister 'absolutely stands by' his language, including claims that mass immigration had done 'incalculable damage' to the British economy. However, speaking in the interview to his biographer, Tom Baldwin, Starmer said: 'I wouldn't have used those words if I had known they were, or even would be, interpreted as an echo of Powell. I had no idea – and my speechwriters didn't know either. But that particular phrase – no – it wasn't right. I'll give you the honest truth: I deeply regret using it.' In the interview, he talked about the firebomb attack on the door of his family home in London just hours before the speech. However, he stressed that he was not using the attack as an excuse for the language, or blaming his advisers, saying he himself should have paid more attention. Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion He also acknowledged there were 'problems with the language' in his foreword to the policy document that said the record numbers of immigrants entering the UK under the last government had done 'incalculable damage' to the country. He said it was the case that Labour had 'became too distant from working-class people on things like immigration', but said 'this wasn't the way to do it in this current environment'. In his speech in mid-May, Starmer said: 'Let me put it this way, nations depend on rules, fair rules. Sometimes they are written down, often they are not, but either way, they give shape to our values, guide us towards our rights, of course, but also our responsibilities, the obligations we owe to each other. 'In a diverse nation like ours … we risk becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together.' Afterwards, several Labour MPs questioned whether Starmer's policies were fuelling racism. Sarah Owen, the Labour chair of the women and equalities committee, who is of Malaysian-Chinese heritage, said: 'Chasing the tail of the right risks taking our country down a very dark path. 'The best way to avoid becoming an 'island of strangers' is investing in communities to thrive – not pitting people against each other.' Nadia Whittome said anti-migrant rhetoric from the government was 'shameful and dangerous'. The Labour MP for Nottingham East said: 'To suggest that Britain risks becoming 'an island of strangers' because of immigration mimics the scaremongering of the far right.'
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Kanawha health board to open public comment period about casino's smoking area proposal
Tom Baldwin downloads a sports betting app onto his phone after the opening of the sports betting bar at Mardi Gras Casino & Resort in December 2018. The casino, located in Nitro, has asked the Kanawha-Charleston Board of Health to allow the casino to be exempted from the county's Clean Indoor Air Act. (Chris Dorst | Charleston Gazette-Mail) Kanawha County residents will be able to weigh in on a request by a Nitro casino that it be allowed to add an indoor smoking area, despite the county's smoking ban. The Kanawha-Charleston Board of Health on Thursday voted to open a 30-day public comment period for the Mardi Gras Casino's proposal that a closed-off area of the facility with about 150 slot machines be exempted from the county's clean indoor air regulations. The room would have a 'high-quality' independent HVAC system to remove smoke from the area, according to a proposal by casino owner Delaware North. A representative of the company first presented the proposal to the health board last fall. According to the company, the facility's competitor, Sandy's Racing & Gaming in Ashland, Kentucky has a designated smoking area with 190 slot machines. Casino officials say offering the smoking area would help Mardi Gras compete with other casinos in its regional market area. 'This initiative aims to keep Mardi Gras competitive in the market and retain business within West Virginia, as customers currently cross state lines to visit competitors that provide smoking accommodations,' a spokesman for the company told West Virginia Watch last fall. 'Our proposal outlines the creation of a separate space that ensures the comfort and safety of both smokers and non-smokers. We look forward to collaborating with the Kanawha County Health Commission on this project.' During Thursday's meeting, Dr. Arthur Rubin, a retired pediatrician and member of the health board, said he opposed exempting the casino from the smoking ban. Rubin said he had visited the casino and heard more about the proposal and the construction that would be done. 'At the end of the day for me, I'm still not in favor of an amendment to our Clean Indoor Air Act,' Rubin said. 'I am not in favor of anything that helps to facilitate smoking indoors. And with the risks to the people who are actually gambling, the smokers and to employees, regardless of what they've signed or not signed, I'm just not in favor of that.' Board member Danita Nellhaus also spoke against the proposal. Other members, including board president Jeremy Nelson, said the board should at least hear from the public about the matter. 'I think cutting it down before we hear from the public sends an awful strong message from this board that we're not open for business,' Nelson said. Clean indoor air regulations vary by county in West Virginia. Kanawha County has banned smoking in most public places and places of employment since at least 2008. The law was amended in 2020 to prohibit indoor vaping, as well. The Wheeling-Ohio County Clean Indoor Air regulation, by contrast, exempts the Wheeling Island Hotel, Casino & Racetrack, which is also owned by Delaware North. Rubin, who's been a health board member for nearly 30 years, said he can't recall another time when a business has asked the board for an exemption to the smoking ban. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, secondhand smoke increases the risk of heart attacks, heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and other cancers by up to 30% among nonsmoking adults. Smoke-free policies are the most effective ways to protect people from the risks of secondhand smoke, the CDC said. The U.S. Surgeon General says separating smokers from nonsmokers, cleaning the air and ventilating buildings do not effectively protect people from secondhand smoke. West Virginia has one of the highest smoking rates in the country, at 21% for adults, according to the American Lung Association. The state has among the highest rates in the country for cancer deaths. Many of the state's other leading causes of death are also health conditions caused by smoking. The casino's request is opposed by several health organizations, including the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association and the West Virginia State Medical Association. In a Nov. 12, 2024 letter, they wrote that ventilation systems do not protect people from carcinogens found in secondhand smoke. 'Not only are the employees of the business that allows smoking endangered, but so are employees and patrons in adjoining businesses that share doors, windows and ventilation systems,' they wrote. 'Secondhand smoke has been proven to cause heart disease, emphysema, stroke, sudden infant death syndrome and cancer,' they said. 'The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention make it clear that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. We strongly urge the board of health members to reject any exemptions to the smoke-free ordinance.' In a written statement this week, a representative of the United Steel Workers, a union that represents dealers at the casino, said they're monitoring the possible changes to working conditions for members. 'As we begin negotiations on a new contract in the coming months, we intend to bargain with management over the potential health impacts,' Nathan Nelson, a staff representative for the union, said in the statement. According to the health board's bylaws, the Kanawha County Commission and the city of Charleston would also have to sign off allowing the casino to have a smoking area. Kanawha commissioners told West Virginia Watch last fall they would wait to see what the health board recommended before deciding if they'd support the measure. The health department hopes to open the comment period Monday. Kanawha County residents who wish to voice their written comments will be able to do so by email or mail. Comments must include a name and a Kanawha County address. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
