PMQs: Keir Starmer says Badenoch championed ‘open borders’ experiment as minister

Keir Starmer has said the Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, championed an “open borders” policy as a minister in the last government.

Speaking at prime minister’s questions, Starmer responded to criticism that decreasing immigration had not featured among the “milestones” set out in his “Plan for Change” speech last week.

Badenoch said: “Let’s talk about immigration. He has relaunched yet again: many new targets, six milestones, five missions. But why was cutting immigration not a priority?”

The prime minister responded: “The figures [released] just a few weeks ago: nearly a million on net migration. That is unprecedented. A one nation experiment in open borders under the last government, and she was the champion.

“She stood up and praised the then-Tory home secretary for listening to her on removing caps on migration visas. So she was applauding it.”

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