2016 Labour’s Rachel Reeves Warned of ‘Tinderbox’ UK ‘Exploding’ Into Riots If Immigration Is Not Curbed By Brexit

The Hypocrisy of Labour: Starmer’s Hardline Approach to Civil Unrest That Could Have Been Avoided.

The streets of Britain burn, and what does our esteemed Prime Minister Starmer propose? More authoritarian laws, more censorship, all in the name of combating “misinformation.” As George Orwell astutely observed, “No one can get up much enthusiasm for a Government which puts you in jail if you open your mouth.” Yet, before we cheer ourselves into dystopia, we must turn a critical eye on this Labour government that seems all too eager to strip away our liberties.

As riots continue to ravage Britain, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s call for more authoritarian laws and social media censorship under the guise of combating misinformation is deeply troubling. This knee-jerk reaction to civil unrest threatens to further erode our fundamental right to free speech.

The government’s response to the riots has been swift and severe. Over 400 people have been arrested following far-right violence across the country. Starmer has announced the creation of a “standing army” of specialist police officers to deal with further attacks and has vowed to “ramp up criminal justice.” While addressing the immediate threat of violence is necessary, the proposed measures risk overreach and potential abuse of power.

Starmer’s declaration that anyone whipping up violence online will face “the full force of the law” sounds ominously like the beginning of a slippery slope. The Technology Secretary’s assertion that social media firms providing “a platform for this hate” must go further in tackling it is equally concerning. While we can all agree that online hate should be addressed, we must be wary of overzealous censorship that could stifle legitimate discourse.

Downing Street, that bastion of establishment power, has taken to wagging its finger at Elon Musk – that self-appointed prophet of the digital age – for his dire proclamations of impending “civil war is inevitable” in the UK, and their suggestion that foreign state actors may be amplifying online misinformation, smacks of deflection.

The government’s proposed work with social media platforms to remove content quickly is a double-edged sword. While it may curb some inflammatory material, it also risks suppressing valid criticism and dissent. The Prime Minister’s call for these platforms to do more in countering “misleading and inflammatory material” is fraught with potential for abuse.

We must remember that the UK already has over 6 million surveillance cameras – more per citizen than any other country in the world. Adding even more censorship to this Orwellian mix will not stop civil unrest; it will merely push organisers underground, making intelligence gathering more difficult. History has shown us time and again that heavy-handed suppression often leads to an opposite and more extreme reaction than intended.

It is far easier, far more comfortable for those ensconced in the corridors of power to point fingers at foreign bogeymen and social media provocateurs. How much more convenient to blame external forces than to confront the uncomfortable truths festering within our own borders.

The real story, the one that Downing Street and its ilk would rather we ignore, is the story of a nation brought to its knees by decades of neoliberal policies. It is the tale of communities gutted by austerity, of a working class abandoned by those who once claimed to represent them. It is the narrative of a people driven to desperation by rising inequality, stagnant wages, and the steady erosion of social safety nets.

Have no doubts whatsoever that the last fourteen years of Tory rule have not only contributed to this civil unrest it has nurtured the beast.

But how much did Starmer and his cohorts contribute to the very rhetoric they now condemn? The irony is thick enough to choke on. During the election campaign, Jonathan Ashworth stoked fears about Bangladeshi immigrants “staying in hotels for the rest of their lives.” And Starmer himself promised to “make sure we’ve got planes going off” to deport migrants again singling out the Bangladeshi community for some strange reason.

Speaking specifically about people who come to the UK illegally, Sir Keir said during a debate hosted by The Sun newspaper: “So on the first few days in government, I’ll tell you what I’ll do, I’ll put the staff back in the returns unit, I’ll make sure we’ve got planes going off, not to Rwanda, because that’s an expensive gimmick.”

He then singled out the example of Bangladesh when asked where migrants could be returned to under Labour’s plan.

“The number of people being returned to where they came from, has dropped off by 44% under this government,” Sir Keir said.

“At the moment people coming from countries like Bangladesh are not being removed because they are not being processed.”

The comments were criticised by members of the Bangladeshi community, as well as Labour Party members.

This is the same Labour Party that once proudly displayed “controls on immigration” mugs.

This rhetoric has consequences. It feeds the beast of far-right extremism, providing a veneer of legitimacy to hateful ideologies. And now, as the nation reels from riots and racist violence, Labour feigns shock and outrage.

The hypocrisy is staggering. The Home Secretary Yevette Cooper, who once decried the “astronomical” cost of housing asylum seekers, made headlines to embarrass the Tories. Labour acting as the opposition party pointed to Treasury figures that estimate the Home Office spent £5.4 billion on asylum accommodation and support.

The then Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said this demonstrated the “complete chaos” in the asylum system left by the Conservatives, however, instead of embarrassing the Tories she inflamed the nation. she now condemns the violence her words helped incite.

We must ask: how much of this could have been avoided with responsible governance and a genuine understanding of our nation’s zeitgeist? Instead of addressing the root causes of social unrest – inequality, austerity, and the deliberate stoking of xenophobia – Labour chose to play with fire.

A fire they knew was coming a fire they could well have prevented even after the shocking attacks and murders in Southport.

Reeves herself said in 2016: “We have got to get this right because there are bubbling tensions in this country that I just think could explode.” Well, congratulations, Chancellor. Your prophecy has come to pass.

The UK Could ‘Explode’ Into Riots If Immigration Is Not Curbed By Brexit, Warns Labour’s Rachel Reeves

The Leeds West MP gave the prediction as she urged her party to listen to people’s concerns over immigration.

In 2016, our current Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, issued a chilling prophecy. She warned of “bubbling tensions” that could “explode into riots” if immigration wasn’t curbed post-Brexit, likening the situation to a “tinderbox” waiting to ignite. These weren’t mere words; they were a stark call to action, a plea to address the underlying issues before they erupted into violence.

She was one of several moderate Labour MPs who campaigned for Britain to remain in the EU but said it should accept immigration controls now the public had decided to leave.

In an essay for a collection released by the Fabian Society, she wrote: “Immigration controls and ending free movement has to be a red line post-Brexit – otherwise we will be holding the voters in contempt.

She said: “We have got to get this right because there are bubbling tensions in this country that I just think could explode.

Fast forward to today, and Reeves finds herself at the helm of the nation’s finances, wielding the power to shape economic policy. Yet, instead of using this position to address the very issues she once highlighted, she has chosen a path that seems destined to exacerbate them. Rather than dousing the flames of discontent, Reeves has swung the axe of austerity, delivering yet another blow to the working class – the very people she once claimed to champion.

The consequences of fourteen years of Tory rule spent meticulously building xenophobic bonfires, are now erupting into flames.

However, the new Labour government’s decision to ignore the nation’s plea for relief, opting instead for a budget of despair rather than hope, along with the shock doctrine of a £20 billion black hole has only fanned these flames higher.

Anger is not just simmering on our streets; it’s boiling over in homes, workplaces, and communities across the nation. These are not merely rioters or troublemakers – they are the faces of relentless austerity, crippling interest rates, and a merciless cost of living crisis. They are the embodiment of dreams deferred and dignity denied.

While Far-right mobs, emboldened by years of dog-whistle politics, have carried out racist attacks and set fire to asylum seeker accommodations, looted and rioted. Prime Minister Starmer, response is to play the strongman, with promises of a “standing army” of specialist police officers to quell the unrest challenging instead of disarming.

But away from the cameras, across social media in the pubs, those still open, we’re witnessing the voices that have been silenced by years of political indifference finally finding their volume. These are the hopes that have been repeatedly dashed by broken promises and failed policies, now manifesting as rage. In their anger, we see a stark reflection of a society that has systematically left too many behind, a system that has prioritised the prosperity of the few at the cruel expense of the many.

This unrest is not born in a vacuum. It’s the inevitable result of a political class that has, for too long, turned a deaf ear to the struggles of ordinary people. The Tories laid the kindling with their divisive rhetoric and punitive policies. Now, Labour, despite their promises of change, seems content to strike the match by continuing down the same destructive path.

This turn of events raises a crucial question: If Reeves foresaw this powder keg in 2016, why did she not act to prevent the “tinderbox” from igniting when given the power to do so? Her implementation of austerity measures, which have further burdened the working class, seems to directly contradict her earlier warnings.

It’s as if she took her own cautionary tale as a blueprint rather than a scenario to avoid. This isn’t a simple mistake or oversight. When politicians have knowledge of what the wrong choices mean, making that wrong choice is not an error – it’s a failure in governance. Reeves understood the tension, the situation, and even the potential remedy. Yet, she chose a path that seems to lead us directly into the chaos she once warned against. This decision underscores a fundamental truth: politicians have political choices, and they must be held accountable for the consequences of those choices.

The government’s failure to heed these warnings and address the underlying social and economic issues is staggering. Their focus on punitive measures and increased surveillance, rather than addressing root causes, risks exacerbating tensions further. It’s as if they’re trying to put out a forest fire with a water pistol while simultaneously throwing matches into the undergrowth.

And let’s not forget the hypocrisy. This is the same Labour Party that once proudly displayed “controls on immigration” mugs. The same party whose MPs warned of Bangladeshi immigrants “staying in hotels for the rest of their lives.” The same Starmer who promised to “make sure we’ve got planes going off” to deport migrants. Now they feign shock at the consequences of their rhetoric.

Meanwhile, as the cost of living crisis bites, Reeves finds time to end the Winter Fuel Payment for millions of pensioners not on benefits. The message is clear: there’s money for a “standing army” of police, but not for our elderly trying to stay warm. It’s a perverse prioritisation that speaks volumes about this government’s values.

Authoritarianism is not the answer

Starmer’s push towards authoritarianism is not the answer. It’s a dangerous overreach that threatens the very freedoms we hold dear. We need solutions that address the root causes of unrest – inequality, austerity, and the deliberate stoking of social divisions – not more batons and surveillance cameras.

The riots we see today are not just about immigration or race. They are a violent expression of a deeper, more pervasive discontent. They are the language of the unheard, the desperate act of those who feel they have no other recourse. It’s a damning indictment of our political system that it has come to this – that citizens feel their only option is to burn and destroy to make their voices heard.

The Labour Party cannot be blamed for starting these riots but it can be held accountable for its role in creating this crisis and not damping the flames before it started. They cannot simply wash their hands of responsibility and expect us to blindly follow them into a surveillance state.

We deserve better. We deserve a government that truly represents the interests of the many, not one that cynically exploits fear and division for political gain.

As we condemn the violence, we must also condemn the conditions that made it inevitable. We must recognise that every smashed window, every burning car, is a failure of governance, a testament to promises unkept and potential unfulfilled. This is the high price we pay for a political class that governs by spreadsheet rather than by compassion, that values balance sheets over human dignity.

As we stand at this crossroads, we must demand more than empty rhetoric and knee-jerk authoritarianism. We must demand a genuine commitment to addressing the systemic issues that have brought us to this point. Anything less is a betrayal.

The question remains: will Starmer and his cabinet learn from their mistakes, or will they continue to lead us down this treacherous path? The fate of our democracy hangs in the balance.

Paul Knaggs

Editor, founder, Labour Heartlands, Citizen journalist. LeFT wing political refugee. Fighting a constant struggle with dyslexia that’s overcome with a burning desire to speak out against the corrupt political system and the social injustices it creates. Advocate for Free speech and open, accountable, democracy. #GTTO