UK Home Secretary Criticizes Farage Immigration Policy as Worse Than Racist

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood accused Reform leader Nigel Farage of being "worse than racist", saying his proposal to abolish indefinite leave to remain and other immigration pledges are "immoral", "extreme" and a deliberate "dog whistle" that signals racists while preserving plausible deniability. Speaking at fringe events, Mahmood recounted recent racial abuse of family members and said the rhetoric has caused her sleepless nights, which she tied to a wider tide of racism across the UK. Keir Starmer had earlier labelled aspects of Farage’s policy racist, a stance backed by ministers such as Rachel Reeves and David Lammy, though some in Labour worry that directly branding Reform could alienate voters. Farage hit back on X, accusing Starmer of insulting people who want stricter border controls and using the exchange to rally his supporters. Mahmood warned that measures to strip or reassess settled status would be a cynical, dangerous escalation that could further embolden racists and erode rights for long-standing residents.