As an immigrant who chose to make my home in the UK—but also as someone who is a migration historian and researches the impact of dog-whistle politics—there is no way for me to overstate how wrong and disgusting these ads by the UK Labour Party are.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/feb/06/labour-launches-ads-in-reform-style-livery-to-boast-about-deportations?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/feb/06/labour-launches-ads-in-reform-style-livery-to-boast-about-deportations?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Comments
It’s simple: all you need to do is say: here’s the process for migrating. Yelling about deporting is the problem.
I have family who married UK citizens and are here lawfully, working, EU citizens and yet, they were asked: “when are you going home?” after Brexit.
Hostile environments create hostility.
They will internalise that because they won't read the ad properly anyway.
Here's by botched Lewis Goodall quote 'Labour were the moral challenge to all things capitalism'.
Were.
Very, very much past tense.
Just like the Conservatives in Britain! And where are the Tories now? Down the toilet!
Unfortunately, as we saw with Miliband and Corbyn, there are too many Little Englanders around to elect a government with sensible manifestos.
It's proven that trying to outflank the right on migration does not work - it just legitimises their arguments and dehumanises migrants.
I voted for you to see bold, compassionate migration reform. Not another four years of the race to the right.
Labour had 14 years waiting around in opposition just for this gubbins?
Rancid.
Stop this race to the gutter.
Personally I think they should be trying to persuade people to view immigration in a different way rather than the performative nature of this ad.
That is the only point all of this boils down to.
And so this really is not about agreement or disagreement.
Here's an example of a Conservative leaflet in liberal Democrat yellow used in the Tiverton and Honiton by-election
The imprint deliberately left out name of party or candidate and just used name of the candidate's agent
Legal but ethically dubious.
But it will cause real harm in already marginalised communities.
A reprehensible approach.
Vlad can be a bit dodgy but in this youtube if you read between the lines he makes a few points which can flesh out some of the positions you articulated this week?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Orje7sEH2M
So as sorry as I am to say it again, but I maintain that Labour’s choices are literally paving the way for Reform here.
Morgan McSweeney thinks he's a genius and Starmer is dumb or evil enough to believe him, and his cabinet have swallowed it.
For them its a game. For us it's survival.
the reason reform have risen in the polls isn’t bcos reform are popular. it’s bcos labour are unpopular.
Some are out and out racists, but most are not.
I agree that it is unpalatable but, if they don’t try to engage the soft right. NF will
Otherwise they will always be seen to be a soft touch
And please don’t make assumptions about the relatability of my arguments: I’ve worked with diverse communities around these questions for years.
https://bsky.app/profile/tabouchadi.bsky.social/post/3lcczjj2zp222
And then what? Win power again? Having attracted people with antipathetic views by means of devious advertising?
And then what?
I’m sick of this subterfuge. I wanted frankness and integrity. This campaign is *devious*. Nothing good ever comes of that.
And yes, to retain power. To enable more progressive policies.
Opposition is not an aspiration
You have not addressed the point I’ve introduced: the problem of resorting to devious means to achieve ends of any sort.
I prefer the frankness of racists to the subterfuge of this ad’s publishers.
Instead they demonise.
Starmer is too gutless or tbh given his record too complicit to govern and hold the media to account.
If he's chasing Nazi votes he's a Nazi. 🤷♀️
The Tory immigration changes have now kicked in and net migration is down. They could just keep pointing at the monthly figures until the racists start asking why our NHS and care services are no longer working.