Neil Kinnock warns Labour to heed nationalist threat posed by Nigel Farage
Neil Kinnock warns Labour to heed nationalist threat posed by Nigel Farage
Exclusive: Former Labour leader calls on party to ratchet up scrutiny of Reform in final week of campaign
Neil Kinnock has warned his party not to ignore the nationalist threat posed by Nigel Farage, as concern grows in Labour ranks that Reform UK could pose a long-term threat for them as well as for the Conservatives.
The former Labour leader told the Guardian he wanted Labour to turn its guns on Farage’s party in the final week of the election campaign, saying the populist right could gain a stronghold in the UK as it has across much of Europe.
Labour has been accused of not putting up a fight against Farage because the Reform party appeared to be taking more votes from the Conservatives. But with Reform predicted by some pollsters to win more than a dozen parliamentary seats next week, Kinnock said Labour needed to start taking the threat seriously.
...
Kinnock added that if Labour was overly cautious in government, it would play into Reform’s narrative that there was little difference between the two main parties. “Absolutely vitally, [the populist right] have to be combated with actions,” he said. “That means the implementation of change which is positive and cumulative, and driven by strong purpose in the service of the community.”
You're viewing a single thread.
And this is why we still need FPTP.
Future Labour Government
This is my biggest fear. The spectre of Reform and the febrile nature of our politics will push overdue voting reform down the line again.
Yes, even if they never hit these "heights" again, the example of Europe is going to make electoral reform a real uphill fight.
I'm hoping more sensible thinking prevails - with PR, you'd likely have a majority Labour government for most of the time, backed by Greens and Lib Dems. Gordon Brown seems to be driving a lot of the ideas for improving our democracy but his focus seems to currently be the House of Lords, which is an easier one to implement (although likely not in a way that suits me - it's sortition all the way for me), but I could see him chewing this one over afterwards. Realistically, Labour won't do anything now but if their support collapses they may need other parties to prop them up after the next election and PR is likely to be the price for it.
pr also means that left of centre parties have a better chance at winning too not just reform
That's quite true as well. We should accept that Far Right and Extreme Left parties will (probably) be represented more than they are now. But I have faith that the people of this country will vote, in far greater numbers, for parties that are much more sensible and kind and those that are willing to work together to improve this country rather than entrench division.