Fact check: Labour has not been in charge of immigration policy since 2010
Senior Labour figures have previously called for more relaxed immigration policies, but these have not been put into practice.
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Your support makes all the difference.On Tuesday June 4, the Conservative Party posted a video on TikTok, featuring Home Secretary James Cleverly outlining three ways the Labour Party had “screwed up the UK’s immigration system before”.
It included the following claims:
1. In 2004, a Labour government had sent “search parties” to increase migration to the UK, according to Peter Mandelson.
2. In 2016 Yvette Cooper, who is currently shadow home secretary, said that Labour had allowed too much migration while last in power, despite calling for every council in the country to take in 10 more migrant families a year earlier.
3. Sir Keir Starmer had called for a return to freedom of movement in 2020.
Evaluation
The video discusses real statements made by Labour figures.
However, it is not possible to say calls for a return to freedom of movement, or for every council in the country to take in more migrants, had any bearing on Government policy or have impacted the UK’s immigration system.
Neither of these ideas have become policy since being proposed.
The facts
For Mr Cleverly’s first claim, the video references a Daily Mail article from 2013. This features comments from Lord Peter Mandelson, who has held various positions in the Labour Party, at a think tank event.
He is quoted as saying: “In 2004 when as a Labour government, we were not only welcoming people to come into this country to work, we were sending out search parties for people and encouraging them, in some cases, to take up work in this country.”
Mr Cleverly goes on to reference comments made by Yvette Cooper. In April 2016, she appeared on The Andrew Marr Show, saying “the pace of migration, as a result of not having immigration controls and transitional controls, was too fast”.
In 2015, when she appeared on a Channel 4 News debate between prospective Labour leaders, Ms Cooper said: “If every local council, every city across the country took 10 refugee families, that would add up to nearly 10,000 places for vulnerable refugees.”
She added the final number would depend on how many areas came forward.
Regarding Mr Cleverly’s final claim, Sir Keir Starmer did call for freedom of movement to be maintained with the European Union in 2020, albeit then ruling this out in 2022.
Responsibility for immigration to the UK ultimately lies with the Home Office, which is currently led by Mr Cleverly, a Conservative. Labour has not been in charge of the Home Office since it was last in government, in 2010.
Freedom of movement between EU countries and the UK – which prior to Brexit meant no restrictions on living and working – has not been reinstated by the Government and has not been promised by either of the main parties in the run-up to the 2024 election.
Ms Cooper lost the 2015 leadership contest, and her idea of asking councils to take in refugee families was also not introduced.
Links
TikTok video (archived post and video download)
Yvette Cooper appearance on The Andrew Marr Show (archived)
Yvette Cooper appearance at Labour leadership debate (archived)
Article on Lord Mandelson’s comments on migration (archived)
Sir Keir Starmer speech while campaigning for Labour leadership in 2020 (archived)
Article on Sir Keir Starmer’s migration policies (archived)
Home Office description of responsibilities (archived)