Reeves defends PM in row over Reform ‘racist’ immigration policy claim

Voters “can support the Reform party and not be racist”, Rachel Reeves has said after the Prime Minister suggested the party’s latest migration policy was prejudiced.

The Chancellor defended her boss, who told the BBC on Sunday that Reform UK’s plan to remove indefinite leave to remain for non-EU migrants already living in Britain was “racist”.

But Reform UK leader Nigel Farage hit back, suggesting the Prime Minister “has insulted millions of people”.

Speaking to LBC, Ms Reeves suggested she agreed with Sir Keir’s assessment of the Reform policy, telling the broadcaster: “I think it is a racist policy.

“People support the Reform party for all sorts of reasons, but this policy is a racist policy.”

Pressed on how she thought people could back the policy without being racist, she said: “You can support the Reform party and not be racist.”

Asked again whether she thought people could support the policy and not be racist, she said: “Do people support that policy?

“I’m not sure many people do. Lots of people support the Reform party but we have to push them on their policies.”

Writing on social media site X, Mr Farage shared newspaper front pages reporting Sir Keir’s claims.

In one post, he said: “The Prime Minister has insulted those who believe mass migration should come to an end.

“Labour do not believe in border controls — and they think anyone who does is racist.”

In another, Mr Farage wrote: “Starmer has insulted millions of people.”

Speaking to ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Reform’s head of policy, Zia Yusuf, meanwhile, said Sir Keir “is literally the least popular, the most unpopular, Prime Minister on record, according to polls this week.”

Mr Yusuf said: “The reality is that the British people are sick and tired of having their legitimate concerns about immigration being sneered at, being belittled and ultimately being insulted for raising those legitimate concerns.

“What Reform have announced is that migrants must pay their way, speak English and not commit crime, and the fact that Keir Starmer considers that policy – and those very reasonable people, the majority, frankly, of the people in this country who agree with that policy – as racist, says everything about the fact that this is a Prime Minister circling the drain, who is speaking to the activists in his own party.”

Labour plans to set out its own plans to bolster the requirements for indefinite leave to remain at its party conference in Liverpool.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is looking at how to make sure the settled status “is linked not just to the job you are doing”, but also “the wider contribution you are making to our communities”.

Speaking at the Labour Party conference, Ms Reeves said Mr Farage’s agenda is the “single greatest threat to our way of life and to the living standards of working people”.

She argued patriotism is “not measured in how quick you are to exclude, how loudly you shout, how willing you are to exploit every division and distort every challenge that we face”.

Ms Reeves added that she will “fight” for British values.

Downing Street continued to back the PM’s remarks, saying plans to scrap indefinite leave would be “immoral and wrong”.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman did not deny that mandatory volunteering could be necessary to receive settled status, but said a consultation would look into how the system would work.