Overview

• Sir Keir Starmer told The Observer he “deeply regrets” using the phrase “island of strangers” in his May immigration speech, saying neither he nor his speechwriters recognised its echo of Enoch Powell’s rhetoric.
• He cited exhaustion and a firebomb attack on his family home hours before the speech as factors that impaired his review, while emphasising he alone must take responsibility for the wording.
• The climbdown follows recent U-turns on welfare reforms, winter fuel payment cuts and a national grooming inquiry, reinforcing perceptions of cautious, consensus-driven governance.
• Prominent Labour figures including Diane Abbott and John McDonnell condemned the original phrase as divisive, and Nigel Farage argued the retraction underscores a lack of principles.
• Analysts and critics across the political spectrum warn that repeated policy reversals and regret statements risk undermining Starmer’s leadership credibility.