Starmer: I will bring immigration numbers down

LABOUR party leader Keir Starmer pledged to cut the number of migrants entering Britain, in response to one of the key issues going into the country's general election.

"Read my lips — I will bring immigration numbers down" Starmer, who is favourite to defeat the ruling Tories in the July 4 election, said in an interview with The Sun tabloid.

The former top prosecutor detailed Labour's plans for the first time since campaigning began two weeks ago.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak's government has seen net regular migration levels soar to 685,000 last year –- more than three times the level in 2019, when the Tories won an election pledging to cut the figure.

Migration has become a contentious topic, with 18 percent of people saying it is the single most important election issue, according to a YouGov poll released Saturday.

While Starmer did not provide a timeline or exact figures for bring down migration numbers, he said passing laws to curb it would be a top priority, The Sun reported.

The plan would punish bosses who break labour laws -– for example by violating health and safety regulations or paying below minimum wage -– by banning them from bringing workers from abroad.

Labour would also require employers to train UK nationals first, adding that bosses had become "too reliant" on foreign workers.

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Starmer has adopted a tougher stance on borders and immigration than his predecessors, in line with his push for Labour to move to the centre and get back into government after 14 years.

Labour has said it would scrap the Tories' flagship scheme to send failed asylum seekers to Rwanda, which Sunak has admitted will not be implemented before the election.

Starmer has said he would instead target the people-smuggling gangs who bring undocumented migrants across the Channel in small boats and take other measures.

(AFP)