Sir Keir Starmer has labelled Reform UK’s policy of scrapping indefinite leave to remain as “racist” and “immoral”.
The policy, which could effectively lead to hundreds of thousands of people who are here legally being deported from the UK, was announced by party leader Nigel Farage last week.
Sir Keir added he did not think Reform UK supporters were racist but “frustrated” after 14 years of “Tory failure”.
The prime minister was speaking to the BBC as Labour conference got under way, against a backdrop of questions about his leadership and sliding poll ratings.
He said he needed “space” to make good on the promises he made at last year’s general election, when Labour won a landslide majority.
Currently, migrants can apply for indefinite leave to remain after five years, giving the right to live, study and work in the UK permanently.
Labour plans to double the period it takes to gain indefinite leave to remain from five years to 10, and a consultation was announced in May as part of a package of plans to cut immigration.
Under Reform’s plans, migrants would need to reapply for new visas with tougher rules, and the party would abolish indefinite leave to remain (ILR), which gives people additional rights and access to benefits.
Speaking to the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme as Labour’s autumn conference began in Liverpool, Sir Keir was asked whether he thought scrapping ILR was a racist policy.
He replied: “I do think it’s a racist policy, I do think it’s immoral – it needs to be called out for what it is.”
He added: “It’s one thing to say we’re going to remove illegal migrants, people who have no right to be here, I’m up for that.
“It’s completely different thing to say we’re going to reach in to people who are lawfully here and start removing them.
“They are our neighbours, they’re people who work in our economy, they’re part of who we are. It will rip this country apart.”
Challenged on whether he thought Reform was trying to appeal to racists, Sir Keir said: “No. I think there are plenty of people who either vote Reform or are thinking of voting Reform who are frustrated.
“They had 14 years of failure under the Conservatives, they want us to change things – they may have voted Labour a year ago – but they want things to change more quickly.
“I actually totally do understand that, if after 14 years your living standards haven’t got any better and your public services have declined then of course you want change.”
Responding to Sir Keir’s comments, Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf said: “Labour’s message to the country is clear: pay hundreds of billions for foreign nationals to live off the state forever, or Labour will call you racist.
“Reform’s plan will ensure only British people can access welfare and that migrants contribute to society.”
According to a YouGov poll published on Saturday, abolishing indefinite leave to remain divides the public, with 58% of Britons opposed to removing it from those who already hold it.
But more than 44% say they support ending ILR as a policy, while 43% are opposed to the idea.
In an interview with the Sun on Sunday, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood suggested she wanted to look at changing the law to tighten rules around claiming ILR.
She said legal migration was a “good thing” and the UK had “always welcomed people who want to come and work here” – but that migrants should make a “contribution to their wider community”.
