It is less than a year since the prime minister set out his “six milestones” – goals against which he wanted to be judged come the next election.
At the time, immigration did not feature as a priority.
Now, it is front and centre.
That shift is largely due to the rise of Nigel Farage, highlighted again today in a major new poll from YouGov that suggested a Reform government would be a near-certainty if a general election was held tomorrow.
There is – of course – not an election tomorrow. Sir Keir Starmer is expected to have another few years for his attempt to stop that from happening.
That fight was, he told a conference of left-wing world leaders today, a “battle for the soul of this country”.
He said the “defining political choice of our times” was between those who want a “patriotic national renewal” and the “politics of predatory grievance”.
This was Sir Keir at his punchiest attack, primarily against Reform UK and Nigel Farage.
Perhaps more unusually, Sir Keir also hit back against US President Donald Trump.
He appeared to mock the president when he said London was not “the wasteland of anarchy” it was sometimes portrayed.
Trump, of course, is among several politicians to have criticised the capital recently, telling the UN London had “totally changed” and under Mayor Sadiq Khan wants “to go to Sharia law”.
Sir Keir said social media had created “a sort of industrialised culture of grievance, and entire world – not just a world view – created through our devices” that was “demonstrably untrue”.
His subversive reflection was that centre-left parties had been “squeamish” about saying things that were “clearly true” about controlling borders.
The solution was digital ID – long hinted at by government, now confirmed.
The justification is twofold. One, that it will make it easier to crackdown on illegal working, reducing the attractiveness of the UK to those crossing the Channel in small boats.
And two, that it will make everyday life easier, from proving your address when you go the council skip, to registering for benefits.
Other parties are united in their opposition. The Conservatives and Reform say it will not stop illegal working.
The Liberal Democrats and others raise concerns about privacy and civil liberties.
There is already confusion about what exactly the primary motivation is.
The former Labour Home Secretary Lord Blunkett criticised the reforms for not being strong enough.
“I’m mystified because we are living in an era of conviction, high-profile, shake-the-tree politics, and this looks like a whimper,” he told Radio 4’s, World At One.
“Why aren’t our people coming out and arguing this case full on? We need conviction politics now and we need it urgently.”
None of this will be quick. There will be an official government consultation now, before legislation is brought to parliament. Then if it eventually becomes law, there will be a period of implementation.
Despite those calls for extra toughness, this has the potential to be a dividing line for Labour on something it believes the public support, despite more than a million people signing a petition against the idea.
But also – if it eventually becomes law – this could be a defining legacy for Sir Keir and this Labour government.
