To think Starmer calling Refom and its supporters ‘racist’ is politically suicidal?

[SpottyAardvark]

Starmer has called Reform’s policy of ending indefinite right to remain for non-EU immigrants ‘immoral’ & ‘racist’. Reform supporters, and people who are considering voting for Reform because of their concerns about immigration, will inevitably think the Prime Minister is calling them immoral racists, too. And that will infuriate millions of voters.

I understand that it’s Labour’s conference this week and because he is under a lot of political pressure from his own side, Starmer believes he has to throw some red meat to his party. That’s politics. But Starmer has obviously forgotten what happened to Hillary Clinton when she described Trump voters as ‘deplorable’. That didn’t work out well for her, did it?

YABU = Starmer is right. Reform and its supporters are racists and he should call it out.

YANBU = Starmer has just committed political suicide by falling into Farage’s trap and he has alienated working class voters.

Many have already left.

Of course it’s not because, like it or not, that’s exactly what they are, and die hard reform cult members were never considering voting for Labour anyway, so all Starmer was doing by attempting to placate them was alienating most Labour voters who don’t agree with reform anyway.

He needs to stop trying to appeal to reform, most of them are way too far gone and have been propagandised too far. It might help him when it comes to on the fence voters though.

I’d love to know what people’s definition of racism actually is now, because we’re at a stage where, no matter what is said or in what context, we get told ‘’it’s not racist’’. It’s a load of shit. Just own it.

Nigel Farage models himself on Trump, and it’s blindingly obvious Trump is racist, Farage is just trying at the moment to be slightly more restrained about it because he’d lose a few votes if he was very overt. It will get worse. Just look over the pond. Maga is emboldened and overtly fascist. They aren’t even hiding it anymore.

‘Racist’ used to mean a belief that certain ethnic groups were genetically superior to others. Why dilute a word’s meaning so much that it is useless?

I think a number of people voting YABU here didn't actually understand the OPs thread, nothing unusual for AIBU

A party who wants to put British people first in Britain are not racist it's what every PM/party should do.
British people consist of different skin colour and religions.

and die hard reform cult members were never considering voting for Labour anyway

How many "die hard" reform voters are there? The party only formed in 2018. It had 14% of the vote in 2024, and its currently polling at 30%+. So more than half its voters have voted for other parties in the last 18 months. They can and must be won back by labour/cons etc to stop Farage being the next PM.

As in the pp people voted for Labour in 2024 are being lost to Reform. They have voted for other parties.

Oh dear! I wish you luck in your search for a better care home.

Beautifully put,I too remember NF ,BNP C18 blood and honour etc.
I've read their literature and held extreme views at one time as you rightly say the name's change but the message is always the same.
Some of Reforms slogans would not look out of place when the BNP were trying to present an acceptable face on their leaflets.

How is a policy that is applied universally to all regardless of the colour of their skin ‘racist’?

You do know that white people are here on this basis as well? Or are you being racist?

I hear what you are saying and can see a scenario where actual racists could feel empowered as there is suddenly a whole load of people also being labelled racist for their views on immigration.

As a non racist who is concerned about the current immigration issues, I am never going to become racist because of a bunch of idiots labelling me as such. I know my views better than they do. But actual racists could fail to see the distinction and suddenly feel more mainstream because all these mainstream people are suddenly being (wrongly) vilified as racist.

It’s the people trying to shut down free speech and labelling people who disagree with them as ‘racist’ that could be making actual racism worse.

I sincerely hope you don’t get any hassle related to your immigrant status.

Starmer has already lost the racists.
As has been said a load of times, he didn't call Reform supporters racist, just that one policy.
Reform supporters just keep looking for more and more reasons to vote for Reform but not take responsibility. "He made me do it", etc.

Labour are not trying to win votes right now, they can do that closer to election time (hopefully with some decent looking policies to get the country back on track), the election is not for several years.

He has called reform supporters ‘racist’ many times. He called them ‘racist’ not long after the London protest. Now all of a sudden he’s saying they’re not racist, just reforms policies are. Like I said earlier, he needs to make his mind up about what he perceives as racist and what he doesn’t, not keep changing his narrative to see which tactic will work in his favour. He’s just making himself look a laughing stock

Better community cohesion? They’re having a laugh surely? They thrive on division.

Colloquially, in English, discriminating against someone due to where they are born is racism.

Technically it's xenophobia. But google says, generally ,it's classed as racism.

Therefore, reforms new policy, which is based on where someone is born is racist.

Arguing the semantics to excuse yourself being racist is pathetic.

Yep ‘island of strangers’ we’re being tough, not working try the racist tack. Each week their numbers fall.

Correct. He says says something different almost every week too 🤣

YANBU = Starmer has just committed political suicide by falling into Farage’s trap and he has alienated working class voters.

Its so depressing and a bit of a mind fuck that reform and Nigel fucking Farage who banks with Coutts and hangs around with anyone in power and with billions in the bank, is considered a working class voters winner.

I'm not saying he said they weren't racist, just that on this particular occasion that the OP is trying to whip up, that it was just a policy he was talking about.

I can't get worked up about this to be honest, as he would only be saying what a lot of people think. It's a long way til election time, people don't have to decide right now how they will vote.

Yep we’ve now got ILR stuff incoming at the conference. Reform is wrong but we can do the same. Whatever people are tuning out.

Oh well that’s ok then. He didn’t say they are racist THIS time….He’s said it many, many times before though. His constant change of mind and tactics are making him look a complete fool. We all know what he really thinks, he’s said as such a hundred times before, no use saying something completely different in an interview. A leopard never changes its spots no matter how manipulative he tries to be

Quite, the direction this country is going in is horrific.

However, changing the rules going forwards is very different to reforms plan to change them retrospectively. Immigration policy is continually evolving.
Setting a precedent to revoke someone's legal given rights is diabolical.

So we are in agreement, he thinks they are racist.
He's pretty much on the button there.

Well he certainly thinks they’re racist. Why now does he all of a sudden change his narrative and say they’re not racist? Lol

How can someone support racist policies and not be a racist, @TY78910?

There is an old saying - "If you lie down with dogs, you'll rise up with fleas".