Justice Secretary doubles down on claims Reform leader’s policies would ‘tear Britain apart’ as new poll shows Farage’s party on 34% support
David Lammy has launched a blistering attack on Nigel Farage’s immigration policies, branding them “racist” and accusing the Reform UK leader of “poundshop patriotism that drags Britain down” as Labour faces mounting pressure from the insurgent party’s surge in the polls.
The Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister warned that Reform would “round up and deport our French, our Indian, our Caribbean neighbours who already have indefinite leave to remain,” claiming such actions would tear Britain apart.
His intervention at Labour’s party conference in Liverpool comes as Sir Keir Starmer’s government grapples with a dramatic reversal of fortune just 14 months after their landslide election victory, with Reform UK now polling ahead of both Labour and the Conservatives.
Explosive Conference Attack
Speaking to delegates at Labour’s annual gathering, Lammy doubled down on the Prime Minister’s criticism of Reform’s immigration proposals, declaring them fundamentally opposed to British values.
“He wraps himself in our flag, but his policies don’t match British values,” Lammy told the conference. “We must call his scheme to round up and deport our French, our Indian, our Caribbean neighbours, who already have indefinite leave to remain what it is – it is racist – and say not in our country, not in our name, not in our time.”
The Justice Secretary contrasted what he called “real patriotism that builds Britain up” with “pound-shop patriotism that drags Britain down,” directly challenging Farage’s claim to represent British interests.
Lammy’s personal connection to the issues was evident as he reflected on his upbringing: “Growing up in the shadow of Tottenham’s Broadwater Farm Estate in Thatcher’s Britain – it wasn’t easy. I was stopped and searched by the police. I saw too many people who look like me who ended up on the wrong side of the law.”
Reform’s Controversial Immigration Plans
The confrontation centres on Reform UK’s radical immigration proposals announced by Farage last week. The party plans to abolish indefinite leave to remain (ILR) for migrants, requiring them to reapply for visas every five years under stricter criteria including higher salary requirements and better English language standards.
According to Reform’s proposals, the changes would affect hundreds of thousands of migrants already living legally in Britain, including those who have been in the country for years working in hospitals, schools, and running businesses.
Farage defended the plans, stating: “Starmer thinks anybody here on a time-limited visa is entitled to stay in Britain for ever. Labour do not believe in border controls – and think anyone who does is racist. This is a desperate attack from a man sinking in the opinion polls and leading a divided party.”
The Reform leader argued that “welfare will end for everyone that is not a UK citizen,” claiming Britain should no longer be “the world’s food bank.”
Stunning Poll Reversal
The political temperature has been raised by extraordinary polling data showing Reform UK’s meteoric rise. An Ipsos poll released last week put Reform on 34% support—their highest ever rating—with Labour trailing at 22% and the Conservatives at just 14%.
The figures represent a dramatic reversal from Labour’s landslide victory just over a year ago. Labour’s 22% vote share is their lowest since June 2009, whilst the Conservatives’ 14% represents their lowest ever recorded by Ipsos since polling began in 1976.
Reform UK is successfully retaining 89% of their 2024 voters whilst attracting significant defections from other parties, particularly the Conservatives, with 39% of 2024 Conservative voters now saying they would vote Reform.
Starmer Joins Attack
Prime Minister Keir Starmer kicked off the Labour conference with his own broadside against Reform’s policies, describing them as “one of the most shocking things” the opposition party had proposed.
Speaking to the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Starmer said: “What was said last week about deporting migrants who are lawfully here, who’ve been here for years, working in our hospitals, in our schools, running businesses, our neighbours…and Reform say they want to deport them. That would tear our country apart.”
The Prime Minister urged Labour members to unite against what he described as Reform’s “toxic divide and decline,” contrasting it with Labour’s vision of “patriotic national renewal.”
Justice Secretary’s Personal Mission
Lammy used his conference speech to frame the battle against Reform in deeply personal terms, describing justice as “the constant thread throughout my life.”
“This is not just another brief for me – it feels like coming home,” he said, outlining his journey from facing police stop and search as a young Black man in Tottenham to becoming Justice Secretary.
The minister also took aim at the Conservatives, particularly shadow lord chancellor Robert Jenrick, saying his attacks on judges would “make Winston Churchill shudder in his grave.
“Robert, patriotism isn’t smearing our independent judiciary from a pub on X. It’s standing up for the rule of law,” Lammy declared.
Labour’s Crisis Management
The fierce rhetoric against Reform comes as Labour faces multiple challenges just months into government. Sir Keir Starmer’s satisfaction rating has plummeted to historic lows, with only 13% of voters satisfied with his government according to recent polling—the worst score of any prime minister since Ipsos started collecting data in 1977.
Labour is under pressure over controversial decisions including axing Winter Fuel Payments for 10 million pensioners and releasing convicts early to free up prison space. The party also faces internal divisions over benefits policy, with MPs pressing for changes to the two-child benefit cap.
History will not forgive us if we do not use every ounce of our energy to fight Reform,” Starmer told the Guardian in a message aimed at rallying his divided party.
Immigration Debate Intensifies
The clash over immigration policy has exposed deep divisions in British politics about how to handle migration. YouGov polling shows the public is divided on Reform’s proposals, with 44% supporting ending the granting of ILR whilst 43% oppose it.
However, removing ILR from those who already hold it proves far more unpopular, with only 29% in favour and 58% opposed. Even among Reform voters, only 54% back removing it from those who already have indefinite leave to remain.
Immigration experts have warned Reform’s proposals could affect up to one in ten Londoners, with the capital disproportionately impacted given that 40% of its residents were born overseas.
Farage’s Rising Influence
Despite the criticism, Nigel Farage has emerged as the politician with the highest satisfaction rating among party leaders at 34%, though still with a negative net rating overall. This compares favourably to Starmer’s net satisfaction rating of -54 and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch’s -49.
Reform UK is particularly successful with working-class voters and has attracted one in four non-voters from the 2024 election, suggesting the party is mobilising previously disengaged sections of the electorate.
The party’s head of policy, Zia Yusuf, celebrated the polling success: “Reform reaches a new record high in any poll: 34 per cent with Ipsos. Enough for a big majority. Real change is coming to Britain.”
Justice System Reform Agenda
Beyond the immigration debate, Lammy outlined Labour’s plans for justice system reform, acknowledging the crisis inherited from the Conservatives with “prisons bursting at 99% capacity, courts had record backlogs, rape victims waiting for years before their case came to trial, legal aid deserts right across the country.
He set out three priorities: rebuilding trust, modernising justice with technology to reduce bureaucracy, and establishing “punishment that works.”
The Justice Secretary emphasised that his approach would be grounded in the principle that “no-one is above the law, no-one should have justice delayed, no-one should have justice denied.”
Political Realignment Continues
The confrontation between Labour and Reform UK represents a fundamental realignment of British politics, with traditional party loyalties breaking down and new battle lines being drawn around immigration, national identity, and economic policy.
As Labour’s conference continues in Liverpool, the party faces the challenge of defending its record in government whilst attempting to halt Reform’s momentum. With Farage’s party now leading in some polls and Labour’s support crumbling, the political landscape has been transformed beyond recognition from the triumphant scenes of July 2024.
The bitter exchanges between Lammy and Farage signal that this political conflict is likely to intensify, with immigration and national identity at the heart of British political debate for the foreseeable future.
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Image Credit:
David Lammy — official portrait (cropped), licensed under CC BY 4.0
