We repost Keep Our NHS Public’s statement taking apart Keir Starmer’s racist scapegoating of immigrants

On Monday morning, Keir Starmer doubled down on the scapegoating of immigrants, who he claims have caused ‘incalculable’ damage to the UK. Starmer’s desperate pandering to the racist politics of Reform in an attempt to win back votes after the council elections is dishonest and dangerous.

Apsana Begum MP is right:

The truth is that the UK would be unable to function as a society if it weren’t for immigration. Every aspect of public life would be significantly damaged were it not for those who have moved from abroad to live and work in the UK. Major cultural, educational, political and civic institutions would cease to function, especially the NHS and care system.

The NHS crisis is often blamed on migrants, and given by right-wing commentators as a reason to curb rates of immigration. However, it is a myth that migration burdens the NHS, which can and should have the capacity to provide excellent healthcare to all who need it. Migrants use the NHS around 40% less than people born in the UK, in almost every part of the service.

Furthermore, the NHS and social care would collapse without overseas workers. Around 20% of all NHS workers and 30% of adult care workers are from abroad. In the year to March 2023, the majority of people entering the UK on Skilled Work Visas were coming to work in health and social care. Furthermore, 77% of the public are against limiting the number of people coming to the UK from abroad to work as doctors. Around 35% of doctors are from abroad and 27% of nurses and health advisors.

Keir Starmer’s ‘island of strangers’ comment parrots the infamous ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech by Enoch Powell in which Powell said Britons “found themselves made strangers in their own country”. Starmer’s speech risks legitimising the politics of hate peddled by Farage and Trump. 

We must dispel the myth that immigration harms society, and particularly the NHS. As Richard Burgon put it, austerity and cuts are to blame for the NHS crisis, not migrants.

Starmer’s comments will not boost the Labour vote. Right-wing media has scoffed and Nigel Farage has already responded by calling Starmer a ‘fraud’.  Instead, Starmer and those loyal to him have spent the last 24 hours desperately trying to neutralise the Enoch Powell comparison. A Downing Street spokesperson said, 

“Absolutely, the prime minister rejects those comparisons and absolutely stands behind the argument he was making that migrants make a massive contribution to our country, but migration needs to be controlled.”

Asked if Starmer stood by what he said yesterday about Britain being at risk of turning into an “island of strangers”, the spokesperson replied: “Yes.”

If it sounds like a completely indefensible mess of a position, that’s because it is.

Keep Our NHS Public has always recognised the huge contributions migrants have made to the NHS and social care. Any campaign for decent healthcare that is free at the point of need for all can only be an anti-racist one.

In the middle of an NHS and social care crisis, where there are 131,000 staff vacancies in social care translating into 500,000 hours of care not delivered in one year, the government’s proposal to allow fewer people in the UK to work in the sector is absurd and must be opposed. Paired with even more cuts to NHS budgets and the growing involvement of the private sector in healthcare, this paints a worrying picture for the future of the NHS.

This is why we must do all we can to tell the real story about the NHS and care crisis and offer real solutions. The NHS crisis is driven by deliberate underfunding, increasing privatisation and fragmentation of services. We also need to continue our work to end migrant charging and demand a return to the founding principles of the NHS.

We will also be joining the People’s Assembly ‘No More Austerity 2.0’ national demonstration on June 7 in Central London. We will be marching for the NHS and in solidarity with migrants and encourage all who can to join us. 

We are calling on the government to listen to the public. Most want an NHS that is available to all, funded by taxing the rich. Most oppose the disability benefits cuts and the drive to war. The majority also stand with the tens of thousands of NHS staff whose jobs are now at risk. We need a strong, united movement that can stand up for the NHS and its workers.

Join the NHS bloc on the People’s Assembly National Demonstration.

Reposted from Keep Our NHS Public