Keir Starmer Faces Backlash Over Net Migration Pledge
Activists and Unions Criticize Labour Leader's Promise
Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour Party leader, is facing criticism from activists and unions after promising to reduce net migration to below 100,000 per year if Labour wins the general election next year.
Labour's previous policy was to scrap the net migration target altogether. However, in a speech on Monday, Starmer said that Labour would "get a grip" on immigration and reduce net migration to "sustainable levels".
The pledge has been criticized by some on the left of the Labour Party, who argue that it is a betrayal of the party's commitment to internationalism and a humane asylum system. Unions have also expressed concerns about the impact of reduced migration on the economy.
The Conservative Party has welcomed Labour's pledge on immigration, but said that Starmer's promise to reduce net migration to below 100,000 is "not credible".
The government's own figures show that net migration is currently running at around 250,000 per year. Starmer has not said how Labour would achieve its target of reducing net migration to below 100,000.
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