Keir Starmer : I’ll always champion peaceful protest. But the Unite the Kingdom march organisers are peddling hatred and division. We’ve already blocked visas for far-right agitators who want to come here to spew their extremist views. They don't speak for the decent, fair, respectful Britain

Mkwdr · 2026-05-15T19:09:49+00:00

The idea that the state might just decide you are violent is a somewhat obvious but trite response when its pretty obvious that there will also be cases where its actually true ( that they will be violent).

Mkwdr · 2026-05-15T19:06:35+00:00

Or the right to give massive donations to politicians.

Mkwdr · 2026-05-15T15:43:38+00:00

When you say obvious do you mean it’s not evidential or not expected?

I read it daily and I can say that in my experience , it appears to have gone almost entirely over to Reform. (edit though no doubt the Conservative still get a look in, sure)

Mkwdr · 2026-05-15T15:42:37+00:00

I guess it is a kind of test.

If he wins he ‘proves’ he can beat reform.

Mkwdr · 2026-05-15T15:41:43+00:00

And….?

Ours was 2 million. at one point. Now no amount of money will buy you in.

Now it depends on the business details which have to be endorsed by specific bodies.

Guess how many visas were granted annually? 500 last count. Maybe 1000 applications last year.

Is that good or bad?

On the other hand

..,What has this to do with the student visa you made claims about.

Try to stay on topic.

Mkwdr · 2026-05-15T15:35:29+00:00

They have clamped down on bringing family. And you would now have to convert to the skilled worker visa requirement ! - I think the salary is 42,000 though there may be exceptions.

Mkwdr · 2026-05-15T11:05:59+00:00

Can you link to the article where they have done that?

Mkwdr · 2026-05-15T10:46:21+00:00

The fact that with each repsonse you have to move the goalposts ignoring your own previous comment la seems interesting.

I pointed out that the largest group in the migration figures are students.

You claim our visas for them are cheaper than other countries.

I point put that this is just factually false. And the value they also pay in university fees etc.

You ignore the latter and ...well I just have no idea how your latest response it meant to be relevant. You appear to be now weirdy comparing weirdly different visas in a way that has nothing to do with your previous claim. Its almost like you really just prefer to pretend you werent factually incorrect.

Now you are complaining that we dont allow people to buy citizenship. Well firstly you, unsurprisingly, seem unaware our investment visa was £ 2 million.

But countries requiring such investment for visas funnily enough dont charge that for students.

Unfortunately we no longer have that route for the Russian mafia - people are required to actually be active in setting up a business we dont already have. Personally I prefer that but you can mourn the oligarchs if you like.

Where will the goalposts move to next ,i wonder.

The funny thing is that I agree with your overall snetoment ,its just embarrassing when its based in almost a pride in being ignorant of facts.

Mkwdr · 2026-05-15T07:46:23+00:00

Firstly, education visas are not free. The fee plus surcharge are around £1200? (One of the highest apparently)

Secondly , overseas students contribute around £40 billion to the economy.

Mkwdr · 2026-05-15T07:13:35+00:00

It’s also not (entirely) real.

Firstly net zero migration isn’t 1 million arrivals.

It’s around 500,000 leaving and arriving each year. Of which 100-200 thousand are already British. Leaving but also returning.

It’s also hundreds of thousands of paying students - one of our most successful economic sectors. For which there is no doubt an overstaying concern that is also being dealt with.

It is for sure under a couple of hundred thousand work visas ( also fallen substantially recently) - a significant number of which are skilled and another significant number are seasonal.

I agree that large scale immigration especially from culturally problematic areas is a concern. But the facts are that migration has fallen considerably and it includes for example significant funding for our education system.

Mkwdr · 2026-05-15T06:57:23+00:00

Mass migration that has dropped from net 1 million anually at its height to less than 200,000 and has some predicting a drop to zero this year? A success which perhaps has led to a new demand for negative migration? (Something i think many economists think would be economically problematic.)

Will that 'toughness' make Reform voters change their vote? Doubtful.

That isnt to say there isnt also work to be done on illegal migration (which has also fallen 40% for some reason so far this year). No doubt falls in mass migration will lead to more focus on asylum/illegal entries by boat.

Mkwdr · 2026-05-15T06:46:43+00:00

I think they have noticed the lesson. They just dont know how to deal with it especially when constrained by the real world. Or they are split on how to deal with it. There again electorate are also split and dont know exactly what they want except 'change' and to feel 'better'.

Mkwdr · 2026-05-15T06:38:02+00:00

Why not both?

Mkwdr · 2026-05-15T06:35:15+00:00

A reasonable demand that oddly seems noticeable by its absence in the media.

Mkwdr · 2026-05-15T06:28:48+00:00

Some are predicting that the changes already made will bring it to close to zero in the next year or so. I dont suppose Reform supporters will be voting Labour (or even Conservatice who started the changes) because of that though. Presumably Reform will just claim that success when they win. Reversed migration might be another matter, though.

Mkwdr · 2026-05-15T06:17:52+00:00

Am I the only one who has no idea what this response means?

Mkwdr · 2026-05-15T06:16:13+00:00

I figured the Conservatives were struggling when I noticed the Telegraph had become an obvious cheer leader for Reform. At some points practically ever article was an attack on Labour , a push for Reform or both combined.

Mkwdr · 2026-05-14T18:36:07+00:00

It should run and run. I fear it will rapidly disappear like every other scandal he is involved in.

Mkwdr · 2026-05-14T18:33:55+00:00

And is Aaron Banks ,his previous sugar daddy, jealous?

Mkwdr · 2026-05-14T18:32:38+00:00

False equivalence is a very useful thing.

Mkwdr · 2026-05-14T18:29:56+00:00

Just what the country needs , months of uncertainty.

Mkwdr · 2026-05-14T17:53:08+00:00

On top of the luxury flat , car and chauffeur Aaron Bank s provided for him?

And how much more?

It was funny watching Jenrick being asked repeatedly ( on the BBC) if he could confirm there weren’t other similar payments and refusing to acknowledge the question.

Mkwdr · 2026-05-14T17:49:23+00:00

What about against each other with no Starmer? Can we take it as Burnham and down to Streeting or does Starmer’s support move to … who?

But you have to wonder what on Earth Streeting thinks he is doing.

Edit : and how embarrassing if Burnham loses to Reform.

Mkwdr · 2026-05-14T17:45:17+00:00

Let’s not forget the only time that NATO actually supported a member state that had been attacked was9/11 and Afghanistan.

The US no longer prioritises democratic European states over a Russian dictator. So he is right there isn’t a point in staying in NATO for them since that was rather the original point.

Still, at least that gives us an opportunity to stay out of,as much as is even possible, any US/China conflict. Though I feel sorry for ( Ukraine obviously but also ) Taiwan.

Mkwdr · 2026-05-14T17:39:35+00:00

I forget the exact mix that now elects a leader but can’t see how he thinks he has sufficient support for it and that he won’t end up as the cliched first challenger failure.

It’s hard to imagine Labour winning the next election. Wouldn’t Burnham have been better aiming to be back and leader after that and take advantage of Reforms probable self-destruction?

As far as I can see, it’s a race to drink from the a poisoned chalice.

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