Starmer’s approach to this issue isn’t just about policy. It’s a tactic that risks giving more oxygen to the politics of fear while trying to appease the right-wing press.
This approach has never worked – and it won’t now. History shows it tends to amplify the very politics it’s meant to contain.
While this plays out, Farage is free to stoke outrage and division, using that same fear to push his own agenda even further.
All it does is embolden extremists, drag our politics into toxic territory, and leave the root causes of public anger untouched.
Blaming people who’ve fled war and persecution won’t rebuild our NHS. It won’t solve the cost-of-living crisis. And it won’t restore trust in our broken political system.
We need a better way forward, and it starts with fixing our democracy.
In a fair voting system – based on proportional representation – parties wouldn’t win so easily by stoking culture wars or mimicking the far right. They would succeed by offering clear ideas and real solutions, rooted in what people actually want.
Proportional systems reward integrity, distinctiveness and substance – not fear and scapegoating.
That’s what we are fighting for. A modern democracy where every voice is heard, every vote matters, and disinformation doesn’t dominate the debate.
But we can’t do it alone.
Will you chip in £15 today – or whatever you can afford – to help us fight back? Your donation powers campaigns for fair votes, clean money, and honest politics.
