An Open Letter to Keir Starmer
We, the undersigned, strongly advise against the proposed changes to the UK immigration system of May 12, 2025, and your associated rhetoric. We are UK-based academics, researchers and writers who study politics. Our concerns are twofold:
First, the proposed changes are bad policy. They will make the lives of those in the visa routes harder and more insecure. They will also harm British citizens, placing our care and higher education sectors under further strain. Hurting the most vulnerable is exactly the opposite of what Labour should stand for.
Second, the government positioning itself as ‘tough’ on immigration and asylum will not have the intended effect of sidelining the far-right. We believe that accepting their core premise – the main problem facing the country is immigrants – only validates them. Attempting to outbid them with deportations and visa denials will always fall short. They will not be satisfied with falling net migration numbers. They will never be satisfied.
The far-right is on the rise globally. What is needed in this moment is a clear articulation of why they are wrong, and an aggressive defence of core liberal democratic values.
Signed (150) :
Alasia Nuti
Senior Lecturer
University of York
Gabreile Badano
Senior Lecturer
University of York
Michael Freeden
Emeritus Professor of Politics
University of Oxford
Rob Ford
Professor of Political science
University of Manchester
Santiago Sanchez-Pages
Professor of Economics
King's College London
Matt Matravers
Professor of Law
University of York
Neil Carter
Professor of Politics
University of York
Udit Bhatia
Lecturer
University of York
Jan Kandiyali
Associate Professor in Political Theory
Durham University
Ruth Kelly
Lecturer in Human Rights
University of York
Joshua Forstenzer
Senior Lecturer in Philosophy
University of Sheffield
Erica Baffelli
Professor of Japanese Studies
The University of Manchester
Hannah Kuper
LSHTM
Minna Kuper
Senior University Teacher in Religion, Gender and Society
University of Sheffield
Saba Joshi
Lecturer
University of York
Eva Herman
Research Fellow
University of Manchester
Matt Lesch
Lecturer
University of York
Rahul Rao
Reader
University of St Andrews
Jules Holroyd
Senior Lecturer
University of Sheffield
Clara Sandelind
Lecturer in Political Theory
Manchester University
Bradly Hillier-Smith
Associate Lecturer in Legal, Moral, and Political Philosophy
University of St Andrews
Jim Chamberlain
Philosophy Teaching Associate
University of Sheffield
Guy Aitchison
Senior Lecturer
Loughborough University
James Brown
British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow
University of Sheffield
Colin Jennings
Reader
King's College London
Rebecca Buxton
Lecturer in Social and Political Philosophy
University of Bristol
Anna Sanders
Lecturer
University of York
Daphne Halikiopoulou
Chair, Professor in Comparative Politics
University of York
Gordana Uzelac
Reader
London Metropolitan University
Belinda Pratten
Senior Lecturer
London Metropolitan University
Alya Khan
Senior Lecturer
London Metropolitan University
Nicholas Watson
Professor
University of Glasgow
Eric Olson
Professor of Philosophy
University of Sheffield
Meghan Blomfield
Senior Lecturer in Political Philosophy
University of Sheffield
Rodrigo Campos
Research Associate
University of York
Roger Crisp
Director
Uehiro Oxford Institute
Lyndsey Stonebridge
Professor
University of Birmingham
Shawn Hargreaves Heap
Professor
King's College London
Simon Parker
Professor
University of York
Martin O'Neill
Professor of Political Philosophy
University of York
James Souter
Lecturer
University of Leeds
Adrain Blau
Professor of Politics
King's college London
Maxime Lepoutre
Lecturer
University of Redding
Nathan Oseroff-Spicer
Writter
Lise Herman
Senior Lecturer
University of Exeter
Jacob Erikson
University of York
Sandra Kroeger
Professor
University of Exeter
Krzysztof Krakowski
Lecturer
Kings College London
Marco Giani
Senior Lecturer
University College London
Chris Armstrong
Professor of Political Theory
University of Southhampton
Harriet Gray
Senior Lecturer
University of York
Richard Bellamy
Professor of Political Science
University College London
Kimberly Hutchings
Professor
QMUL
Nicolai Gellwitzki
Lecturer
University of York
John Evemy
Lecturer
University of York
Elizabetta Brighi
University of Westminster
Hannah Richter
Assistant Professor in Politics
University of Sussex
Julian Limberg
Senior Lecturer
King's College London
Jonathan Benson
Lecturer in Political Theory
University of Manchester
Joerg Schaub
Senior Lecturer
University of Essex
Portia Roelofs
Lecturer in Politics
King's College London
Cecile Laborde
Professor
University of Oxford
Paul Apostolidis
Professor
LSE
Yusuf Imaad Khan
PHD Candidate
London School of Economics and Political Science
Adam Swift
Professor of Political Theory
UCL
Christopher Bertram
Professor Emeritus
University of Bristol
Joseph Phillips
Lecturer
Cardiff University
Carol Atack
Fellow, Newham College
Cambridge
Anna Katsoulaki
Lecturer in Law
Cardiff University
Daniel Newman
Professor of Law
Cardiff University
Robin Jarvis
Principle Lecturer
Cardiff Brighton
Colin Tyler
University of Hull
Ben Rosher
University of Glasgow
Keran Durkin
Lecturer
University of York
Toby Buckle
Host
Political Philosophy Podcast
Jonathan Wolff
Emeritus Professor of Values and Public Policy
University of Oxford
Tom Shakespeare
Professor of Disability Research
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Fabienne Peter
Professor of Philosophy
University of Warwick
Stephen Laurence
Professor of Philosophy
University of Sheffield
Claire Dunlop
Professor
University of Exeter
Matthew Paterson
Professor of International Politics
University of Manchester
Kathrine Jenkins
Professor of Philosophy
University of Glasgow
Stuart White
Associate Professor of Politics
University of Oxford
Greg Lusk
Assistant Professor
Durham University
Liam Shields
Senior Lecturer in Political Theory
University of Exeter
Lior Erez
Research Assistant, Blavatnik School of Government
University of Oxford
Max Haywood
Senior Lecturer in Ethics and Political Philosophy
University of Sheffield
Miguel Martinez Lucio
Professor
The University of Manchester
Stefania Marino
Senior Lecturer In Employment Studies
University of Manchester
Christian Schemmel
Senior Lecturer in Political Theory
University of Manchester
Victoria Wang
PHD Researcher
University of Edinburgh
Daniel Butt
Associate Professor
University of Oxford
Eilidh Beaton
Lecturer
University of Aberdeen
Ben Davis
Lecturer
University of Sheffield
Phillip Roberts
Lecturer, Department of Politics
University of York
Matthew Gibney
Professor of Politics and Forced Migration
University of Oxford
Matia Vannoni
Senior Lecturer
King's College London
Paul Billingham
Associate Professor of Political Theory
University of York
Carlo Ludovico Cordasco
Lecturer
University of Manchester
Angie Hobbs
Professor the Public Understanding of Philosophy
University of Sheffield
Sara De Jong
Professor
University of York
Komarine Romdenh-Romluc
Senior Lecturer
University of Sheffield
Phillip Mayne
Lecturer
University of York
Luca Barlassina
Senior Lecturer
University of Sheffield
Fabienne Peter
Professor of Philosophy
University of Warwick
Gianni Smarra
Political Theorist
King's College London
Bruno Leipold
London School of Economics and Political Science
Shuk Ying Chan
Lecturer
University college London
Adam Fusco
Lecturer
University of York
Catherine Max
Catherine Max Consulting
Haley McAvay
London School of Economics
Da Chilosi
Lecturer in Economic History
King's College London
Catriona McKinnon
Professor of Political Theory
University of Exeter
Judith Krauss
Lecturer
University of York
James Wilson
Professor of Philosophy
University College London
Tomaz Fares
University of York
Daniele Giradi
Lecturer in Economics
King's College London
Andrew Blick
Professor
King's College London
Luke Moore
Associate Lecturer
University of York
Koshka Duff
Assistant Professor
University of Nottingham
Nina Obermeier
Lecturer
King's College London
Matthew Whiting
Senior Lecturer
University of York
Miriam Ronzoni
Professor of Political Theory
University of Manchester
Robin Douglass
Professor
King's College London
Joe Turner
Senior Lecturer in International Relations
University of York
Jeanne Morefield
Associate Professor of Political Theory
University of Oxford
David Owen
Professor of Social and Political Philosophy
University of Southampton
Thalia Gerzso
Lecturer
University of York
Pavlos Vasilpoulos
University of York
Mollie Gerver
Lecturer in International Ethics
King's College London
Elise Woodard
Lecturer
King's College London
Anna Alexandrova
Professor
University of Cambridge
Luke Lavender
PHD Candidate
QMUL
Jeremy Moulton
Senior Lecturer
University of York
Myriam Fotou
Lecturer in International Relations
Cardiff University
Helen Dexter
Associate Professor
University of Leicester
Laura Brace
Professor
University of Leicester
Jeremy Moulton
Senior Lecturer
University of York
Elia Ayoub
Postdoctoral Researcher
Emmy Eklundh
Senior Lecturer
Cardiff University
Clare Stevens
Lecturer in International Relations
Cardiff University
Moya Lloyd
Professor
University of Essex
Sarah Drews Lucas
Senior Lecturer
University of Essex
Loubna El Amine
Lecturer
Kings College London
Laura Montanaro
Senior Lecturer
University of Essex
Clare Smith
Associate Professor
University of York
Samuel Mace
Teaching Fellow
University of Leeds
John Foot
Professor of Modern Italian History
University of Bristol
Caroline von Taysen
PHD
University of Westminster