Humza Yousaf: Immigration gamble by Labour a dangerous mistake

[Social Media]

 

Labour’s Rightward Shift on Immigration Risks Empowering Farage, Not Defeating Him

 

Labour’s recent rhetoric on immigration signals a troubling turn in British politics. In his latest intervention, Sir Keir Starmer warned that the UK could become an “island of strangers,” a phrase that, intentionally or not, recalls the divisive undertones of Enoch Powell’s notorious “Rivers of Blood” speech. By framing immigration in these terms, Starmer is not just pandering to public anxieties — he is echoing a narrative long promoted by the far-right, now epitomized by Nigel Farage and his Reform Party.

 

Powell’s 1968 speech cast immigration as an existential threat to British identity, fuelling decades of hostile policies and racial division. Starmer’s use of “strangers” may be less explicit, but it carries the same implication: that foreign customs, languages, and loyalties dilute the nation’s cohesion. It’s a dog-whistle to those who blame migrants for overwhelmed services, economic hardship, and social change — a sentiment that ignores Britain’s reliance on migration for its prosperity.

 

Nobody argues for unregulated borders. But there is a world of difference between managed migration and the kind of punitive restrictions Labour now seems to champion. In England’s NHS, around 35% of doctors are from overseas. In Scotland alone, more than 10,000 social care roles are filled by skilled migrants. These workers aren’t burdens — they are lifelines. They keep our health system running, support vulnerable citizens, and plug critical gaps in hospitality, construction, logistics, and tech.

 

Labour’s plans to restrict student visas, eliminate social care routes, and tighten skilled migration betray a basic misunderstanding: Britain needs immigration to function. The Office for National Statistics projects that without continued migration, the UK’s working-age population will decline by more than four million by 2030. Across Europe, the shortfall in labor is expected to reach 45 million by 2050. Refusing to acknowledge this reality in favor of political point-scoring invites slower growth, wage inflation, and national decline.

 

The proposal to eliminate social-care visas is particularly cruel. Donald MacAskill, director of Scottish Care, has rightly warned that this move would leave thousands of dementia patients and elderly citizens without adequate support. Stripping away a lifeline for dedicated carers in an ageing nation does not solve a political dilemma — it creates a social crisis.

 

Labour’s belief that it can win over Reform Party voters by adopting similar policies and rhetoric is fundamentally flawed. They cannot out-Farage Farage. By mimicking the language of exclusion and suspicion, Labour risks validating and strengthening the very forces it hopes to neutralize.

Instead of retreating into reactionary territory, Labour — and all progressive parties — must articulate a positive vision for immigration. This means recognising the value of attracting talented, hard-working individuals from around the world. Imagine a country that welcomes nurses from Southeast Asia, engineers from Eastern Europe, and tech pioneers from the Indian subcontinent — and then invests in their success through robust language training and professional development.

 

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar’s recent call to “cut immigration across the board” is both disappointing and politically tone-deaf. Under today’s rules, neither his father nor mine would have been allowed to enter the UK. Yet both built successful lives here and contributed immensely to their communities and the economy. Sarwar’s pledge to stand up to Starmer now rings hollow as he stays silent while Labour backtracks on support for WASPI women, cuts winter fuel payments, and slashes disability benefits.

 

As the proud grandson of immigrants, I know the sacrifices and dreams that shaped our families. My grandparents toiled in factories and restaurants so their children and grandchildren could thrive. At one point, Britain was rightly proud to have a Muslim Mayor of London, a Hindu Prime Minister, and a Scottish-Pakistani First Minister — a powerful symbol of multicultural success, not failure.

 

I commend Scotland’s current First Minister for taking a firm stand against the vile rhetoric of Reform and upholding values of inclusion and dignity. If more leaders had such courage, Britain might not be staring down the possibility of Nigel Farage holding the keys to No. 10. We need principled leadership now more than ever — not political expediency dressed as pragmatism.

 

— Humza Yousaf is a Scottish politician who served as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party.

 

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from LBC News  2025-05-20

 

 

[Tiger1980]

The last I heard of this clown, he was complaining that the majority of public leaders in Scotland are white.

[Nick Carter icp]

1 minute ago, Tiger1980 said:

The last I heard of this clown, he was complaining that the majority of public leaders in Scotland are white.

 

   He then diverted 250 000 Pounds in aid money destined to Africa and diverted it to Hamas 

[JonnyF]

No surprise.

 

He hates white people in positions of power.

 

He is a racist. 

[Patong2021]

 At one point, Britain was rightly proud to have a Muslim Mayor of London, a Hindu Prime Minister, and a Scottish-Pakistani First Minister — a powerful symbol of multicultural success, not failure.

 

Pride goes before the downfall does it not? The Mayor of London is a bigot and panders to his muslim and radical labour  voting bloc, neglecting those who do not share their views. Poor Sunak was a dud as PM. Probably a decent fellow, but oh my, he was lost  and overwhelmed. And as for the  menace who was  Scotland's first minister, , he was the gift the Scottish  people deserved. It was a wake up call they needed.  They were and are three of the UK's  biggest losers.

[Bday Prang]

14 hours ago, Social Media said:

the far-right, now epitomized by Nigel Farage and his Reform Party.

and of course anybody who votes for them

What a statement for any journalist to make , far right ?

[Nick Carter icp]

14 hours ago, Social Media said:

As the proud grandson of immigrants, I know the sacrifices and dreams that shaped our families. My grandparents toiled in factories and restaurants so their children and grandchildren could thrive.

 

   So did everyone else's Grandparents , not just Grandparents of immigrants

[The Cyclist]

7 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   So did everyone else's Grandparents , not just Grandparents of immigrants

 

No No No

 

All is whities  were born with silver spoons in our gobs. We wouldn't know what graft is.

[RuamRudy]

16 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

and of course anybody who votes for them

What a statement for any journalist to make , far right ?

 

Not a bad move by Yousaf. Farage is widely despised in Scotland. We see him for what he is. 

[RuamRudy]

16 hours ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   So did everyone else's Grandparents , not just Grandparents of immigrants

 

Although, to be fair, immigrants tended to get a much harder time than white people in the UK. 

[Yellowtail]

The Islamist are only doing the jobs the lazy white people won't do. 

[Andre0720]

Starmer’s use of “strangers” may be less explicit, but it carries the same implication: that foreign customs, languages, and loyalties dilute the nation’s cohesion.

But it does...

A nation is defined as....

-Common history

-Common culture

-Common set of goals

-Common institutions.

Ben Shapiro...

 

Should not be difficult for anyone now to see a culture that cannot integrate in a new environment. But impossible to name it perhaps...

[Yellowtail]

Just now, Andre0720 said:

Starmer’s use of “strangers” may be less explicit, but it carries the same implication: that foreign customs, languages, and loyalties dilute the nation’s cohesion.

But it does...

A nation is defined as....

-Common history

-Common culture

-Common set of goals

-Common institutions.

Ben Shapiro...

 

Should not be difficult for anyone now to see a culture that cannot integrate in a new environment. But impossible to name it perhaps...

The UK is lost. 

[Nick Carter icp]

1 hour ago, RuamRudy said:

 

Although, to be fair, immigrants tended to get a much harder time than white people in the UK. 

 

   How were English immigrants to Scotland  treated ?

[The Cyclist]

1 hour ago, RuamRudy said:

 

Not a bad move by Yousaf. Farage is widely despised in Scotland. We see him for what he is. 

 

That statement might bite you on the @rse after the Hamilton By-election next month.

 

Appears to be a 2 horse race between the SNP and Reform

[RuamRudy]

15 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   How were English immigrants to Scotland  treated ?

I have no idea. Maybe the same as how Scottish and Irish immigrants to England were treated? Regardless, I still would assume much they all fared much better then darker skinned immigrants. 

[RuamRudy]

14 minutes ago, The Cyclist said:

 

That statement might bite you on the @rse after the Hamilton By-election next month.

 

Appears to be a 2 horse race between the SNP and Reform

 

Appears to be a 2 horse race according to Tice. 

 

Hamilton by-election a two-horse race between SNP and Reform, claims Tice

 

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/richard-tice-reform-hamilton-scotland-holyrood-b1228332.html

[Nick Carter icp]

7 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

I have no idea. Maybe the same as how Scottish and Irish immigrants to England were treated? Regardless, I still would assume much they all fared much better then darker skinned immigrants. 

 

  So you know how dark immigrants were treated in Scotland, but you have no idea about how English immigrants were treated in Scotland ?

[RuamRudy]

1 minute ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

  So you know how dark immigrants were treated in Scotland, but you have no idea about how English immigrants were treated in Scotland ?

 

No, that's why I wrote 'I assume'. 

But if you have evidence to the contrary then feel free to post it because your argument thus far is not persuasive. 

[Nick Carter icp]

3 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

 

No, that's why I wrote 'I assume'. 

But if you have evidence to the contrary then feel free to post it because your argument thus far is not persuasive. 

 

  OK, fair enough, so you don't know . 

You were just assuming  , guessing . 

[RuamRudy]

1 minute ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

  OK, fair enough, so you don't know . 

You were just assuming  , guessing . 

Just like yourself. 

[Red Forever]

21 hours ago, JonnyF said:

No surprise.

 

He hates white people in positions of power.

 

He is a racist. 

 

21 hours ago, JonnyF said:

No surprise.

 

He hates white people in positions of power.

 

He is a racist. 

You appear to have a problem with people of colour in positions of power.

Phew, good job then that in UK since 2010 members of the master race were in positions of power like Truss, the disgraced former PM Johnson et al to have been steadying the economy, addressing the homeless problem, increasing police numbers, properly funding the NHS, not brown nosing far right billionaire media barons and overseeing sensible levels of immigration.

Oh hang on…….

[JonnyF]

23 minutes ago, Red Forever said:

 

You appear to have a problem with people of colour in positions of power.

Phew, good job then that in UK since 2010 members of the master race were in positions of power like Truss, the disgraced former PM Johnson et al to have been steadying the economy, addressing the homeless problem, increasing police numbers, properly funding the NHS, not brown nosing far right billionaire media barons and overseeing sensible levels of immigration.

Oh hang on…….

 

You seem just as racist as Yousaf.

 

Well done.

 

[Nick Carter icp]

1 hour ago, Red Forever said:

 

You appear to have a problem with people of colour in positions of power.

Phew, good job then that in UK since 2010 members of the master race were in positions of power like Truss, the disgraced former PM Johnson et al to have been steadying the economy, addressing the homeless problem, increasing police numbers, properly funding the NHS, not brown nosing far right billionaire media barons and overseeing sensible levels of immigration.

Oh hang on…….

 

   It was what he said which was the issue  , his skin colour isnt the issue .

He made an undeniable racist statement .

If Tommy Robinson had said the same thing about Muslims , exactly the same words apart from swapping "White people" with Muslims people .

   Tommy would have been arrested and jailed .

Humzas speech was indeed racist

[Yellowtail]

5 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   It was what he said which was the issue  , his skin colour isnt the issue .

He made an undeniable racist statement .

If Tommy Robinson had said the same thing about Muslims , exactly the same words apart from swapping "White people" with Muslims people .

   Tommy would have been arrested and jailed .

Humzas speech was indeed racist

Per the left, only white people can be racist, because they have all the power and privilege and whatnot. 

 

Nonwhites can only be victims, because they vote left. 

[JonnyF]

1 hour ago, Yellowtail said:

Nonwhites can only be victims, because they vote left. 

 

And if they don't subscribe to the victim narrative that the left has provided for them, they are 'superficially black'.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-63050482

 

 

What these self loathing leftist fools don't realize (or wish to admit to) is that racism is still racism when it is aimed at white people as Humza Yousaf did. Their self loathing, sad as it is, doesn't give them a free pass to excuse such racism. People like Redforever who enable, support and defend racists, are still racists.    

 

[Yellowtail]

4 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

 

And if they don't subscribe to the victim narrative that the left has provided for them, they are 'superficially black'.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-63050482

 

 

What these self loathing leftist fools don't realize (or wish to admit to) is that racism is still racism when it is aimed at white people as Humza Yousaf did. Their self loathing, sad as it is, doesn't give them a free pass to excuse such racism. People like Redforever who enable, support and defend racists, are still racists.    

 

Or what the left calls "Uncle Toms" in the US. 

[Nick Carter icp]

 

 

   Updated : 

....................................*Scotland's First minister : White* 

[CG1 Blue]

Scotland is hardly impacted by mass immigration because the vast majority of migrants head for London and the south east of England. This is why the Scots are generally more pro-immigration.

Scotland has a tiny population for it's size, so they are more likely to encourage migration. England is (relatively) crowded. 

 

Add this to the fact Yousaf is Muslim and most illegal migrants are young Muslim males, then it's no surprise he's going to speak negatively about any push back against migration. 

[CG1 Blue]

3 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

 

   Updated : 

....................................*Scotland's First minister : White* 

Disgraceful, divisive hate speech. This is a perfect example of how to keep racism alive in the UK.