In his speech to a hall packed with business leaders, Keir Starmer came with the message that Labour had changed, hoping to sweep away the years of antipathy between his party under its previous leadership and growth-hungry executives.
But another change in position was clear to see: on immigration, Starmer held up the recruitment of overseas workers as a sticking plaster solution to the issue of significant worker shortages in the UK. While he insisted that immigration was part of the UK's "national story" and that his party would never diminish the contribution it made to the economy, it was a markedly different tone from when Starmer was running to succeed Jeremy Corbyn.
Speaking on 31 January 2020, the final day of Britain's membership of the European Union, Starmer was emphatic: "We have to make the case for freedom of movement."
He is reluctant to give any hint he is prepared to turn on the taps and allow thousands of people into the UK, while simultaneously trying to avoid upsetting Labour MPs who are overwhelmingly pro-migration.
This story is from the November 23, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the November 23, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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