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Louise Thomas
Editor
Boris Johnson has launched a scathing attack against prime minister Sir Keir Starmer over his handling of the far-right riots and his approach to immigration.
The former PM, who was disgraced over breaking lockdown rules during the pandemic and misleading parliament, accused Sir Keir’s government of being “deaf” to public concerns about immigration.
Writing in his MailOnline column, Mr Johnson suggested Sir Keir needed to pack his “Factor 50” and go on holiday to reflect on his premiership so far.
He added in his outburst: “Nothing excuses a government that seems deaf to public concerns, and that suggests, moreover, that they actively dislike all members of the public who share those concerns.”
The former Tory leader accused Sir Keir of giving “the clear impression of a man who has no plan to stop illegal immigration, because he simply doesn't care”.
His comments come after Sir Keir attacked former PM Rishi Sunak’s approach to the small boats crisis as “gimmicks, not serious government” and established the party’s own plans to clamp down on people smugglers back in May.
The Labour leader said there are thousands of migrants from countries including Bangladesh, India and others with which Britain does not need returns agreements to deport those arriving in small boats.
The comments were fiercely criticised by some in the Bangladeshi community and his party at the time, with the deputy leader of the Labour group on Tower Hamlets council in east London resigning.
In a statement shared on social media site X, councillor Sabina Akhtar said: “I cannot be proud of the party any more when the leader of the party singles out my community and insults my Bangladeshi identity.”
In his attack, Mr Johnson also argued the Labour leader should go on holiday as it “has become ever clearer, over the past week, that your presence has made no difference whatever to the disturbances – or, if anything, made things marginally worse”.
The comments come after far-right riots have erupted across England and Northern Ireland in the wake of the fatal stabbing of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club in Southport at the end of July.
Responding to Mr Johnson’s comments, Labour MP Bill Esterson said: “Boris Johnson went on holiday when he was Mayor of London in 2011 during the London riots. Keir Starmer chose not to go on holiday to deal with the riots across the country this week. Those are the facts if you hear Johnson saying something different.”
Rioters have attacked mosques, ambushed riot police, set fire to a hotel housing migrants and torched a public library and Citizens Advice Bureau building. There have been multiple incidents of ethnic minorities being attacked on the streets, with more than 700 people arrested in connection with the far-right violence so far.
Mr Johnson left Number 10 back in July 2022 in the wake of a slew of domestic political scandals, with the politician criticised over his handling of groping allegations levied against former Tory whip Chris Pincher.
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