A post shared on X, formerly Twitter, claims British Labour Party leader Keir Starmer has called for more houses to be built for asylum seekers and illegal immigrants.
You @Keir_Starmer are joking right? You want to be elected as PM and you think the 68 million people here many who pay taxes think migrants are more important than the elderly?
Talk about clueless wow! pic.twitter.com/hLJs4XAT4J— Cromwell (@CromwellStuff) January 13, 2024
Verdict: False
There is no evidence Starmer said this. The original post includes a link to a BBC interview in which Starmer discusses immigration, but does not make the statement about housing.
Fact Check:
A polling expert has warned that there may be low turnout for the U.K. general election because voters think Starmer and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak are “dull as dishwater,” according to The Guardian. Starmer has expressed concern over the toll the general election may have on his two teenage children, hoping to keep them out of the public eye, BBC reported.
An X post claims Starmer has proposed the building of new houses for illegal immigrants. The post shows an image of Starmer with the alleged quote and a BBC logo.
Text on the image reads, “Keir Starmer calls for ‘more houses to be built’ for asylum seekers and illegal immigrants – ‘These migrants have to be the priority for the government. They are the future of our economy’ he said.”
The post’s caption reads, “You @Keir_Starmer are joking right? You want to be elected as PM and you think the 68 million people here many who pay taxes think migrants are more important than the elderly? Talk about clueless wow!”
There is no evidence for this claim, however. The original X post from November 2022 includes a link to a BBC video. It shows an interview with Starmer in which he says the asylum system is “broken,” but he does not mention building houses for immigrants.
There are no credible news reports about Starmer making the alleged statement. Likewise, there are no press releases on the Labour Party website regarding building houses for illegal immigrants. (RELATED: Does This Image Show The British Labour Party Leader Wearing A Skirt?)
Check Your Fact has reached out to a Starmer spokesperson for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.