Keir Starmer refuses to apologise after campaigning for foreign crooks to stay in UK – who then carried out MORE crimes

SIR Keir Starmer today refused to apologise for campaigning to keep evil foreign thugs in Britain.

Straight after delivering a speech on crime, the Labour Leader wouldn’t say sorry for signing a letter calling for 50 dangerous offenders not to be deported on a flight to Jamaica.

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Sir Keir Starmer signed a letter calling for 50 foreign thugs to be kept in Britain[/caption]

Instead, a remorseless Sir Keir boasted: “I stand proudly by my record.”

He added: “If there’s a problem with the criminal justice system then ask yourself, who broke it? If there’s a problem with our asylum and deportation system, then ask yourself, who broke it?

“You can’t blame the opposition for the government’s failures.”

In 2020, the Labour boss demanded “all future (deportation) charter flights must be suspended” — and even suggested the convicts be handed taxpayer-funded mobile phones to help them with their attempts to stay in Britain.

But an exclusive Sun investigation revealed seven of the thugs went on to commit more violent or drug-related crimes following the intervention.

Tory MP and former minister Brendan Clarke Smith slammed Sir Keir as “disgusting” for trying to talk tough on crime when he was happy to campaign for foreign criminals.

He raged: “”Sir Keir Starmer has a lot of gall talking about cracking down on crime today when he’s been perfectly happy to campaign on behalf of violent thugs.

“It’s disgusting that Sir Keir thinks he can have any authority on keeping Britain safe when he wanted to keep dangerous offenders here at home.”

Meanwhile, Tory MP Mark Jenkinson questioned: “What planet is Sir Keir living on?”

Among those who reoffended on the back of the Labour Leader’s intervention was heroin dealer Akiva Heaven, who had already served four years behind bars and was released in 2018.

He was jailed again in May 2021 for dealing cocaine and heroin in Southsea, Hants.

Starmer also helped stop Barrington Laing from being removed — despite a decade of crime beginning when he was in an Asbo gang aged just 14.

Responding to shocking revelation, Home Office Minister Robert Jenrick said: “The Sun reveals the appalling crimes committed by dangerous foreign criminals who weak and naive Labour politicians campaigned to keep in our country.”

And Minister Chris Philp added: “This is the true face of Sir Keir Starmer and his Labour Party.

“They’re soft on crime and would rather campaign to stop the deportation of dangerous foreign criminals than try to protect the British public. It’s a disgrace.”

This morning in Stoke-on-Trent Sir Keir made four pledges to crack down on crime.

He vowed to restore confidence in police to its highest ever level and halve incidents of knife crime.

And he promised to halve levels of violence against women and girls, and reverse the collapse in the proportion of crime solved.

“Whatever the crime: anti-social behaviour, hate crime, serious violence, it’s always working people who pay the heaviest price,” Sir Keir said.

“Working class communities have to live under its shadow.

“That’s why tackling crime – law and order – will always be so important for my Labour Party.”

Risking the wrath of his own MPs, Sir Keir hailed Margaret Thatcher as voice of reason on crime.

“Margaret Thatcher called it the first duty of government – she was right,” he said.

“An expression of individual liberty – our rights and responsibilities, but also of justice, of fairness, of equality – one rule for all.”