The political landscape in the UK has been bracing for a clash over immigration figures, with both the Conservative and Labour parties preparing for weeks. However, the latest update from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has thrown a curveball into the mix.

Anticipation was building around the expectation of a decline in immigration numbers. Just yesterday, Kemi Badenoch confidently predicted such a decrease, attributing it to the Conservative Party’s recent measures on student immigration and restrictions on bringing family members.

In a surprising twist, the ONS released data that not only disrupted these expectations but also recalibrated previous estimates. The figures revealed a staggering new peak of 906,000 immigrants for the year leading up to June 2023, a revelation that sent shockwaves through political corridors.

In response to this unexpected announcement, Keir Starmer and his inner circle saw an opening to leverage these statistics against their political adversaries. They quickly convened in No. 10, strategizing how to best highlight the current migration challenges as a consequence of Conservative leadership.

During a swiftly organized press conference, the Prime Minister seized the moment to position himself as the solution to the immigration issues that have mounted under a succession of Tory governments. By doing so, he aimed to shift the narrative in Labour’s favor, casting a spotlight on his party’s proposed solutions to the ongoing crisis.

At his hastily-arranged press conference this afternoon, the PM duly did so – painting himself as the man to fix the problems caused by successive Tory premiers.

Significantly he also brought up Brexit, saying it had been subverted by previous government loosening border rules outside the EU.

It is a tactic Labour has also tried over the country’s finances, lashing out at a ‘black hole’ in the books.

But the issue for Sir Keir is that he is now the one in charge, and he has yet to spell out a clear plan. Voters are unlikely to be in a forgiving mood come the next election if he fails to keep his solemn pledge to get legal immigration ‘under control’.