Jewish teachings tell us to welcome the stranger

Jewish Voice for Labour strongly condemns Starmer’s recent speech on immigration. While giving a passing nod to those from the Caribbean and South Asia who helped to build the country after World War Two, Starmer promises massive curbs on immigration. He claims that continuing immigration at current levels would risk Britain becoming an “island of strangers”.  This is aping Reform and the right wing of the Conservative Party – and echoes the racist rhetoric of Enoch Powell’s ‘rivers of blood’ speech. No previous Labour leader has sunk so low.

Starmer’s speech also illustrates his inability to tackle the issues which matter – the rising cost of living, the deterioration of our public services or the shortage of housing.  None of these have anything to do with immigration. The failure to invest in public services and to create new homes for all is a failure of successive governments – as is the failure to invest properly in apprenticeships and training for people who live in this country. Instead of providing ways to address these issues, Starmer follows the route of scapegoating immigrants, adding more fuel to the fire that has been stoked by Reform.

These appalling remarks come in the wake of reduced international aid spending. The proposed restrictions take no account of the remittances sent home by foreign workers to their relatives trying to survive in countries which are still reeling from the colonial past.

As Jews, we are all descended from immigrants, most of whom were unable to speak English when they arrived.  Like more recent immigrants, they worked hard and made a contribution, often becoming within a generation or two the workers, doctors, nurses, teachers who are so needed today.

We call on Starmer to retract his words and his policy and to work to unite the community – not further divide it.  He says he values the contribution immigrants have made but speaks without even considering the impact on people from those communities. Shame on him!