SIR Keir Starmer has affirmed his ongoing commitment to the message behind his well-known “island of strangers” warning, expressing that Britain should aim to be an “integrated society”.
The PM said he “didn’t disavow” the meaning that mass immigration risks a breakdown in cultural cohesion when he appeared to backtrack last month.
Within weeks of making the May speech, he revealed “deep regrets” having not realised Enoch Powell used similar language.
The u-turn sparked a backlash by many who thought Sir Keir did not understand public fears over becoming a divided society after all.
He even admitted he had not properly read his speech.
But in an interview with The Sun, he once again attempted to clarify his comments.
He explained: “To be clear, I stand by the essence of what I conveyed in the speech, including the policy, determination, intent, and recognition of the frustrations and worries people experience.
“And I stand by every word of that. I did not realize it was taken from Enoch Powell. That was my concern about it.
“The core argument remains that we must manage immigration effectively, and fundamentally, we need a cohesive and united society. We should move toward the future collectively, as one nation, in harmony with our neighbors and communities.”
“That does really matter to me.”
Pressed if the sentiment behind “island of strangers” stands, he said: “The sentiment still stands. The policy still stands and the intent stands.
“It was that particular phrase that I disavowed, not the actual policy or intent.”
Sir Keir initially said Britain risked becoming an island of strangers as he launched his immigration crackdown in May.
