Plaid Cymru Westminster leader Liz Saville-Roberts MP remarked that she “clearly struck a nerve”, following her question to Keir Starmer at Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs). She also said the sombre faces of Labour MPs like Angela Rayner proved she was making a cutting point:
My question clearly struck a nerve.
The faces of many Labour MPs told their own story – plenty of them know I was right.
If Starmer’s convictions change with the political weather, it’s no surprise that support for Labour is falling through the floor. pic.twitter.com/NmqSEnAuuh
— Liz Saville Roberts AS/MP (@LSRPlaid) May 14, 2025
Two-faced Starmer taken down by Plaid Cymru
Saville-Roberts said:
This prime minister once spoke of compassion and dignity for migrants and for defending free movement. Now he talks of ‘islands of strangers’ and ‘taking back control’. Someone here has to call this out Mr Speaker. It seems the only principle he consistently defends is whatever he last heard in a focus group. So I ask him: is there any belief he holds which survives a week in Downing Street?
In response, Starmer resorted to a personal attack:
Yes, the belief that she talks rubbish
Hearing Starmer talk about migration while he was running to be Labour leader demonstrates Saville-Robert’s point. On Twitter, people have compared what he said then with his words now:
Starmer then: “poor public services are not the fault of migrants… they’re political failure”
Starmer today: “our public services, struggling under the strain [of illegal immigration]” pic.twitter.com/6wDljAowQV
— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) March 31, 2025
Manipulating the democratic base of the Labour party to elevate himself to the leadership, Starmer said:
We welcome migrants. We don’t scapegoat them. Low wages, poor housing, poor public services are not the fault of migrants and people who’ve come here. They’re political failure… So we have to make the case for the benefits of migration.
When he’s actually in government, he does and says the opposite. In a speech on 12 May, Keir Starmer included the soundbite that the UK is becoming an “island of strangers” because of immigration. He was introducing an immigration white paper that would raise the skill level migrants need to enter the country, curtail overseas students coming to less prestigious universities and seek to inspire Britons to do menial jobs.
At PMQs, Nigel Farage was delighted with Starmer’s capitulation:
We at Reform, a party that is alive and kicking, very much enjoyed your speech on Monday. You seem to be learning a great deal from us.
Instead of opposing Farage, Starmer is establishing fertile ground for the rise of the far right.
The deceit continues
What’s more, Starmer’s lies go beyond immigration and what he said to become Labour leader. Whether it’s living standards, energy bills, disabled people’s support, council tax, austerity or cronyism, the Labour leadership has done the opposite of what it has promised.
No wonder Chancellor Rachel Reeves said “promise made, promise kept” on April Fool’s Day.
Featured image via the House of Commons
By James Wright
This post was originally published on Canary.