PM Keir Starmer Calls Plaid MP 'Talking Rubbish' Over Immigration Debate

Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced criticism from Plaid Cymru's Westminster leader, Liz Saville Roberts, during Prime Minister's Questions over his recent immigration speech, in which he warned the UK risks becoming an "island of strangers" without stricter immigration controls. Saville Roberts challenged Starmer on his shifting stance, accusing him of lacking consistent convictions, to which Starmer retorted that she was "talking rubbish." Starmer defended his immigration plan, emphasizing principles of control, selection, and fairness, and rejected comparisons of his language to Enoch Powell's 1968 "Rivers of Blood" speech, although some Labour MPs and critics found his rhetoric divisive. The immigration plan includes tougher enforcement measures, such as extending the time to acquire settled status and banning recruitment of care workers from overseas, aiming to significantly reduce net migration over the next four years. While some, like Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, praised Starmer's approach, others within Labour and Welsh leaders expressed concern over the language used and its potential impact on community cohesion and support for the party. The exchange highlighted deep divisions on immigration policy and rhetoric within UK politics, with Starmer emphasizing the need for control to maintain social unity.