With its migrant crackdown, Labour is becoming a Tory tribute band

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The Home Office has toughened up guidance to make it nearly impossible for refugees to become British citizens if they travel to the UK by small boat (PA)

There is a scene at the end of George Orwell’s Animal Farm in which the farmyard animals see the pigs conversing with the humans, and realise they can’t tell the difference between the two. I know how they feel.

Watching Keir Starmer over the last few weeks, I feel you could stick him in a room with David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak, and there would be no way to tell them apart (“Is Labour turning into the nasty party?”, Wednesday 12 February).

A lot of people voted for Labour purely because they wanted the Tories out; because the previous 14 years under the Conservatives had left the country worse for them, their families and their communities.

Others like me, lifelong Labour supporters, voted for them because they wanted a better future and thought Labour should have a vision, at the very least, of how to provide this.

Both groups are now being bitterly disappointed as Starmer and his government prove themselves to be just as clueless. Labour is now practically a Tory tribute band.

Channelling Nigel Farage’s Reform Party by denying migrants’ citizenship is revolting to traditional Labour supporters. If Labour are trying to appeal to Daily Mail-reading Farage fans, they are fighting a losing battle.

Labour cannot move forward being a bootleg “Nasty to Immigrants” party.

John Murray

Bracknell, Berkshire

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With such a huge majority, I wish Labour would actually stick to their main focus of growth (“To all those Labour MPs calling for a four-day week – whatever happened to growth?”, Wednesday 12 February).

Yes, immigration is an important issue, but does denying someone a route to citizenship help create growth for our wider nation? No. It just helps normalise anti-immigration views.

I really hope Labour rethink this: their anti-immigration policies will never be strong enough for Reform voters, and improved living standards can make a difference for our society at large.

David Hill

Aberdeen

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As we witness another UK government make a hash of carrying the electorate with them – on many matters, immigration being just one – it's worth remembering that migration has been happening since the dawn of man (“How Starmer’s crackdown on immigration could backfire on the economy”, Wednesday 12 February).

Indeed, our ancient British ancestors arrived in Europe by foot from Africa. They then walked across the land bridge to what was to become England. They then were migrants also seeking a better life.

To those modern migrants, I say “Welcome!”

Steve Edmondson

Haslingfield, Cambridgeshire

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I am appalled by this Labour government ignoring all legal and humanitarian considerations in an attempt to prevent voters defecting to Reform (“Labour accused of trying to outdo Farage with migrant deportation videos”, Monday 10 February).

I didn’t vote Labour to see them ditch all decent and socialist policies in the face of an imagined threat from a right-wing, populist party.

I am sure I am not the only longtime Labour member considering my position.

David Felton

Crewe, Cheshire

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In response to The Independent’s recent article on small boats, I think this crackdown is purely self-destructive for Labour (”Small boats crackdown ‘would deny Paddington Bear refuge in the UK’, Labour MP says”, Wednesday 12 February).

I understand the pressure for politicians to appear like they are taking action in order to appeal to voters concerned about immigration. So, because it is a visible issue, I can see why small-boat immigration gets such political attention, even though it accounted for around 3 per cent of all migration into the UK last year.

However, Labour’s new policy will not help us in the UK.

It only impacts refugees who have been here for more than 10 years and have integrated well enough to get citizenship. These are typically the people most able to benefit our communities and our economy, particularly through paying taxes.

There are, of course, questions about whether it is morally and legally justified to deny citizenship just because of a journey taken over 10 years ago. There are also questions about whether this policy will be any deterrent to people so desperate to find a place of sanctuary that they are willing to leave everything they own and risk their lives to come here.

I simply feel it's important to also realise that a policy like this will impoverish, rather than improve, our country.

Simon Milward

Stroud, Gloucestershire

Don’t blame us – we didn’t vote for Brexit

I desperately want to dispel the popular myth that “the older generation” were responsible for the disaster that has been Brexit (Letters: “What will it take for us to give up on Brexit?”, Tuesday 11 February).

Yes, I’m sure that many were taken in by the lies that were spread by people who should have known better. I can only surmise that these were mendacious, self-serving politicians. They know who they are and are hopefully hanging their collective heads in shame, or maybe they will when pigs fly.

Please don’t tar us all with the same brush. My husband and I are both in our late 70s and voted Remain. We will always be pro-European!

Let’s remember it was not just the “oldies” who were hoodwinked.

Mary Park

Lytham St Annes, Lancashire

A Trumped-up charge

At his latest press conference, President Trump said that both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky want peace ("Trump claims Putin wants peace now in Ukraine after call", Thursday 13 February).

Yes – Zelensky wants peace for Ukraine, and Putin wants a piece of Ukraine.

Dennis Fitzgerald

Melbourne, Australia

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