The Conservative Party is set to implement stricter immigration controls as part of its response to the rising popularity of Reform UK, spearheading the first major move under its new leader, Kemi Badenoch.
With the announcement coming on February 5, 2025, just days after Reform UK topped the Sky News/YouGov poll for the first time, Badenoch has proposed doubling the length of time immigrants must reside in the UK before being eligible to claim indefinite leave to remain. The current period is five years, but under the new plan, it will extend to ten years.
Notably, to even qualify for indefinite leave after this extended duration, immigrants will need to meet several newly tightened conditions. These include having no history of claiming benefits, not using social housing throughout the qualification period, maintaining a clean criminal record, and demonstrating their household is a net contributor to the UK economy.
Badenoch emphasized the necessity for this policy shift, stating, "Our country is not a dormitory, it's our home. The right to citizenship and permanent residency should only go to those who have demonstrated a real commitment to the UK." She asserted, "The pace of immigration has been too quick and the numbers coming too high for meaningful integration. We need to slow down the track for citizenship. A UK passport should be a privilege not an automatic right."
The urgency behind the new policy announcement can largely be attributed to the significant poll shift announced by Sky News/YouGov. Polls conducted on February 2 and 3 indicated Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, garnered 25% of voter support, edging out Labour at 24%, with the Conservatives trailing behind at 21%. This poll signifies the growing discontent among voters, particularly Conservative supporters, with some one-in-five Tory voters indicating they would support Reform UK instead.
Badenoch criticized the Labour government, contending it has created "an incoming disaster" by failing to manage immigration effectively. She derided the Labour party’s Border Security Bill, arguing it will ironically facilitate illegal immigration, making it easier for individuals not legitimately entitled to remain in the UK to circumvent proper channels.
“Far from reducing the number of people coming to Britain, the Labour government are presiding over increasing problems,” she said, accusing Labour of not being serious about addressing immigration concerns.
The political stakes for Badenoch and the Conservative Party have heightened as she faces criticism about her leadership. Poll results indicate she has fallen behind Farage, with her favorability rating dropping to -29—lower than Farage’s -27—signifying a battle for relevance within the party itself.
While Badenoch's policies represent one approach to tackling immigration, Labour’s shadow immigration minister, Dame Angela Eagle, dismissed the Conservatives’ strategy as reactionary. She asserted, "While [the Conservatives] scramble around for relevance, this Labour government is getting on with clearing up the mess they left behind—raising deportations, returns and removals to the highest rate in six years, increasing the number of illegal working raids, and cutting the costs of the asylum system."
The contrasting positions laid out by the two major parties reflect the contentious immigration debate at the forefront of British politics. The Conservative Party’s new stance aims to curb immigration amid significant public concern over integration and support for welfare systems. The recent polling trends suggest voters are becoming increasingly disenchanted with traditional party lines, which may serve as both challenge and opportunity for the Conservatives moving forward.
Only time will tell how these policy changes will affect the immigration narrative as Reform UK continues to assert itself on the political stage, making waves with its strong rhetoric and promises for change. The influence of public sentiment on policy-making surfaces prominently as political leaders gauge their messages against the prevailing tides of opinion.